Dickensblog

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   Fax Mac Allister

   January 22, 2026

   7 February is Dickens Day, the birthday of Charles Dickens, the English novelist and creator of thousands of immortal characters, including Oliver Twist, Miss Havisham and Ebenezer Scrooge. Branches of the Dickens Fellowship and millions of readers around the world celebrate this date in different ways, honouring the birthday of an artist who was so vital that he has stood the test of time. Will you join in the celebrations? If so, how? Will you read a specific chapter from one of his novels? Will you attend a theatre performance or watch a film adapted from his works? Or are you lucky enough to play a part in one of them? Will you wear a top hat or a hat decorated with flowers while sharing a beer (or several) with your friends? Will you bake a themed cake inspired by one of Dickens’ characters? My name is Fax Mac Allister, and although I haven’t been a child for several decades, I am still confused about who I am and where I am in my life, both geographically and personally.
   However, one thing I do know is that I am a dickensian. Even before I learned to read, Charles Dickens had the most memorable emotional impact on my life. I am deeply grateful to Charles Dickens for being a constant presence throughout all seasons, both happy and complicated, with his arsenal of characters, dialogues and twists that filled every moment of disorientation I was exposed to. Out of necessity, by choice, I have frequently changed cities and Countries, which has not always been easy. What guaranteed me a piece of home and a feeling of family was the presence of his novels. I travel to attend Dickens Festivals or to see theatre shows (the latest Oliver! directed by Matthew Bourne at the Gielgud Theatre in London). I don’t know how many times I have reread Great Expectations. I did so again recently, and each time it is a different emotion that changes with my growth and the changes in my life. Pip is the friend I would have liked to have, the one I would have liked to talk to for hours, so human, imperfect, unresolved and ironic. So, going back to the birthday party, 7 February will be a working Saturday for me. I will pin the red geranium badge, the emblem of the Dickens Fellowship, onto my tight-fitting fluorescent acrylic jumper, worthy of the worst consumers of tacky electronic music (yes, it’s a working day, but still a casual one).. My colleagues don’t know it, but I’m going to bring a cake, chocolates, a tablecloth and Dickens-themed plates to the office break room. My colleagues may not pay much attention to the birthday of a man born in 1812, but I am quite sure they will appreciate the presence of an edible cake as a diversion from the rubbery, processed food in the vending machines. Heaven (or neon ceiling panels) be my witness, how many questionable mood swings and intestinal upsets they cause in a single office! Before ending the day, I will read the chapter where David Copperfield gets drunk with his friends for the first time and has the unfortunate idea of going to see a play in that condition… However, since it’s Saturday night, I may not be entirely sober when I read those pages. If you’d like to share how and where you’ll be celebrating Dickens Day, please do so in this shared space. In any case, enjoy it and “Be dickensian”, wherever you are in the world.
   Fax Mac Allister
   Post Scriptum: coincidentally, the radio I’m listening to is playing ‘Deadly Valentine’ by Charlotte Gainsbourg. Totally Miss Havisham!

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