Charles Dickens Birthday Virtual Conference
February 7, 2026
Proposal Deadline: December 1, 2025
The Dickens Society is delighted to share this Call for Presentations for their upcoming online event:
Novel Beginnings: A Virtual Conference Celebrating Charles Dickens’s Birthday
This free virtual event will take place on the morning of Saturday, February 7, 2026 (CST) and will later be uploaded to the Society’s YouTube channel.
The conference will feature a series of pre-recorded presentations (approximately 10 minutes each), followed by a live Zoom discussion lasting 1-2 hours. Presenters are required to attend the live session; pre-recorded presentations will not be aired if the presenter is absent.
Organizers invite proposals engaging with the theme of “novel beginnings,” interpreted broadly. Possible topics might include:
- Dickens’s birthday and the idea of renewal
- Beginnings in Dickens’s life and career
- Opening lines or chapter openings
- Character introductions and first impressions
- New beginnings, rebirth, and creative renewal in Dickens’s works
Successful applicants will be invited to register via a forthcoming Eventbrite notice and will receive the Zoom link about one week before the event.
Please submit a proposal of 100–200 words (Word or PDF) by December 1, 2025, to Céleste Callen (drcelestecallen@gmail.com).
Organizers particularly encourage submissions from graduate students, early-career researchers, and independent scholars.
