Pete Orford
@peteorford.bsky.social
English Lecturer and Course Director of the MA in Charles Dickens Studies. 'The Life of the Author: Charles Dickens' available to buy at https://www.waterstones.com/book/the-life-of-the-author-charles-dickens/pete-orford/9781119697459
Sad news to end the night - I've been told that Michael Slater passed away today. A titan of the field, his biography remains the authoritative account of Dickens. But more than that, he was a friend, and a generous and enthusiastic supporter of new Dickens scholarship: the founder of the feast.
November 27, 2025 at 8:11 PM
Sad news to end the night - I've been told that Michael Slater passed away today. A titan of the field, his biography remains the authoritative account of Dickens. But more than that, he was a friend, and a generous and enthusiastic supporter of new Dickens scholarship: the founder of the feast.
Gathered in London tonight with John Drew and assorted Dickensians to do a private reading of a never-performed play of Great Expectations, commissioned by Dickens himself to thwart the would-be pirates who made full use of the lax copyright laws of the time. Geek heaven!
November 27, 2025 at 3:38 PM
Gathered in London tonight with John Drew and assorted Dickensians to do a private reading of a never-performed play of Great Expectations, commissioned by Dickens himself to thwart the would-be pirates who made full use of the lax copyright laws of the time. Geek heaven!
Just received a lovely email from a listener who enjoyed my introduction to the new audiobook of Dickens's complete works....which was doubly nice to receive as I hadn't realised it had come out!
November 20, 2025 at 3:31 PM
Just received a lovely email from a listener who enjoyed my introduction to the new audiobook of Dickens's complete works....which was doubly nice to receive as I hadn't realised it had come out!
Victorianists - a little bit of silly joy in all the gloom: take a moment today to vote for this gorgeous Lego set idea of the Great Exhibition so we can all get it for Christmas! beta.ideas.lego.com/product-idea...
September 17, 2025 at 8:51 AM
Victorianists - a little bit of silly joy in all the gloom: take a moment today to vote for this gorgeous Lego set idea of the Great Exhibition so we can all get it for Christmas! beta.ideas.lego.com/product-idea...
Editing hack that's always helped me:
1. Go through your draft and number each paragraph on the document
2. Write the numbers and a short descriptive title of each paragraph on separate pieces of paper.
3. Move the papers round and test out better narrative flows for your argument
4. Now edit!
1. Go through your draft and number each paragraph on the document
2. Write the numbers and a short descriptive title of each paragraph on separate pieces of paper.
3. Move the papers round and test out better narrative flows for your argument
4. Now edit!
September 11, 2025 at 11:35 AM
Editing hack that's always helped me:
1. Go through your draft and number each paragraph on the document
2. Write the numbers and a short descriptive title of each paragraph on separate pieces of paper.
3. Move the papers round and test out better narrative flows for your argument
4. Now edit!
1. Go through your draft and number each paragraph on the document
2. Write the numbers and a short descriptive title of each paragraph on separate pieces of paper.
3. Move the papers round and test out better narrative flows for your argument
4. Now edit!
Two exciting ego-boosts in the post this morning: the special issue of the Dickensian I contributed to, and my author copy of "Dickens and Decadence". Happy to be in illustrious company in both cases!
September 1, 2025 at 9:38 AM
Two exciting ego-boosts in the post this morning: the special issue of the Dickensian I contributed to, and my author copy of "Dickens and Decadence". Happy to be in illustrious company in both cases!
Rare sketches made of Dickens's plays in rehearsal are now on display at the Dickens Museum. I've been lucky enough to see these up close and really enjoyed studying these - a must see!
www.msn.com/en-us/entert...
www.msn.com/en-us/entert...
August 26, 2025 at 7:35 AM
Rare sketches made of Dickens's plays in rehearsal are now on display at the Dickens Museum. I've been lucky enough to see these up close and really enjoyed studying these - a must see!
www.msn.com/en-us/entert...
www.msn.com/en-us/entert...
Every Scott novel I've read has an excellent atmospheric build-up culminating in a rushed anticlimactic ending. I stand by it.
August 8, 2025 at 7:13 AM
Every Scott novel I've read has an excellent atmospheric build-up culminating in a rushed anticlimactic ending. I stand by it.
We can use the editions en masse to track Dickens's awareness of different audiences and how he marketed his works to them all. Taken alongside the publication of new works, these reissues and new editions allowed his works to remain relevant (and generate a tidy profit!) through his lifetime. End/
July 31, 2025 at 8:28 AM
We can use the editions en masse to track Dickens's awareness of different audiences and how he marketed his works to them all. Taken alongside the publication of new works, these reissues and new editions allowed his works to remain relevant (and generate a tidy profit!) through his lifetime. End/
The edition is pitched in the middle - text back to one colum per page, with new running heads, but only 8 of the original Phiz illustrations (and also just one volume rather than 2 as per the library edition) 6/
July 31, 2025 at 8:21 AM
The edition is pitched in the middle - text back to one colum per page, with new running heads, but only 8 of the original Phiz illustrations (and also just one volume rather than 2 as per the library edition) 6/
Second to arrive yesterday was the final edition from Dickens's lifetime - the Charles Dickens edition, published in 1867. Clothed in red with Dickens's signature on the front, this was a fresh chance to acquire all Dickens's novels in uniform binding 5/
July 31, 2025 at 8:18 AM
Second to arrive yesterday was the final edition from Dickens's lifetime - the Charles Dickens edition, published in 1867. Clothed in red with Dickens's signature on the front, this was a fresh chance to acquire all Dickens's novels in uniform binding 5/
Dickens publisher several editions for different audiences - the library edition (1859) and Illustrated library edition (1862) were deluxe editions priced higher, and the railway edition (1865), pictured below was cheap again and sold at stations for commuters 4/
July 31, 2025 at 8:15 AM
Dickens publisher several editions for different audiences - the library edition (1859) and Illustrated library edition (1862) were deluxe editions priced higher, and the railway edition (1865), pictured below was cheap again and sold at stations for commuters 4/
The cost of making the cheap editon more affordable is that all the illustrations were removed (save for one frontispiece) and text was realligned into two columns. 3/
July 31, 2025 at 8:09 AM
The cost of making the cheap editon more affordable is that all the illustrations were removed (save for one frontispiece) and text was realligned into two columns. 3/
First to arrive was the Cheap Edition, published in 1858, ten years after the original publication of the book. Dickens published cheap editions of all his novels, always after a suitable timelag presumably to ensure everyone who could afford more paid it flr the earlier edition. 2/
July 31, 2025 at 8:06 AM
First to arrive was the Cheap Edition, published in 1858, ten years after the original publication of the book. Dickens published cheap editions of all his novels, always after a suitable timelag presumably to ensure everyone who could afford more paid it flr the earlier edition. 2/
Not one, but two early editions of Dombey and Son arrived in the post. Both published in Dickens's lifetime, they tell a story of his branding and marketing which contributed to his success. 1/
July 31, 2025 at 8:01 AM
Not one, but two early editions of Dombey and Son arrived in the post. Both published in Dickens's lifetime, they tell a story of his branding and marketing which contributed to his success. 1/
I think I may actually have bought a fox, and the seller just painted it black like in a Pepe le Peu cartoon.
July 30, 2025 at 11:47 AM
I think I may actually have bought a fox, and the seller just painted it black like in a Pepe le Peu cartoon.
This ongoing saga raises lots of questions about authenticity and reliability etc, so it's ironic that the BBC article contains not one but two typos where it refers to "Penguin's Michael Joseph" as "Penguin Michael Joseph". Fowl play indeed...
July 11, 2025 at 3:19 PM
This ongoing saga raises lots of questions about authenticity and reliability etc, so it's ironic that the BBC article contains not one but two typos where it refers to "Penguin's Michael Joseph" as "Penguin Michael Joseph". Fowl play indeed...
I got the dog a paddling pool so he could keep cool while I write in the garden, and immediately spotted the flaw:
July 11, 2025 at 8:40 AM
I got the dog a paddling pool so he could keep cool while I write in the garden, and immediately spotted the flaw:
Bax and I are at the University of Warwick today while my eldest attends a study day here in the Biology lab. The dog is 4 months old and is already on his second University campus - so academic.
July 10, 2025 at 8:34 AM
Bax and I are at the University of Warwick today while my eldest attends a study day here in the Biology lab. The dog is 4 months old and is already on his second University campus - so academic.
When a quick brush of your dog results in enough shedded hair to make your very own Dickens beard...
July 7, 2025 at 10:24 AM
When a quick brush of your dog results in enough shedded hair to make your very own Dickens beard...
I'm dogsitting two more pups tonight, so now I have THREE research assistants while I write chapter one. Not one of them has fetched me coffee yet.
June 20, 2025 at 6:01 PM
I'm dogsitting two more pups tonight, so now I have THREE research assistants while I write chapter one. Not one of them has fetched me coffee yet.
Marking is done so my research leave has officially started. Today Baxter and I are in the garden reading* in preparation to write chapter one of "Dickens's Gothic".
*(Okay, Bax is more interested in chewing the books than reading them, but it still counts as engagement!)
*(Okay, Bax is more interested in chewing the books than reading them, but it still counts as engagement!)
June 18, 2025 at 9:28 AM
Marking is done so my research leave has officially started. Today Baxter and I are in the garden reading* in preparation to write chapter one of "Dickens's Gothic".
*(Okay, Bax is more interested in chewing the books than reading them, but it still counts as engagement!)
*(Okay, Bax is more interested in chewing the books than reading them, but it still counts as engagement!)
Today for father's day my kids have made me...a nutella and french fancy sandwich. Wish me luck.
June 15, 2025 at 7:27 AM
Today for father's day my kids have made me...a nutella and french fancy sandwich. Wish me luck.
One tuckered out pup. He came to work with me today to see my students before their exams, and the Dean made me walk up every aisle of the exam hall so he could personally wish EVERY student good luck.
June 5, 2025 at 6:14 PM
One tuckered out pup. He came to work with me today to see my students before their exams, and the Dean made me walk up every aisle of the exam hall so he could personally wish EVERY student good luck.
My research leave starts today - I've got four books in various stages to work on over the next three months, so lucky for me I picked up a new research assistant yesterday. He's a good boy (and yes I'm already oh-so-very tired after one night of puppy training)
June 2, 2025 at 6:56 AM
My research leave starts today - I've got four books in various stages to work on over the next three months, so lucky for me I picked up a new research assistant yesterday. He's a good boy (and yes I'm already oh-so-very tired after one night of puppy training)