News & Announcements
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The Curiosity Gala
Join us for The Curiosity Gala on July 25, 2025, as we celebrate the 45th Annual Dickens Universe Conference! This enchanting evening invites community members to don their finest Victorian attire and enjoy a night of lively entertainment! This event is open to the public.
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Timothy Raisin III: What’s in a Name?
Pet spotlight finds us meeting the affable Timothy Raisin III, “TR3,” a beloved pet, whose daily routines include napping, schmoozing with roses, and charming neighborhood dogs—truly a Dickensian character!
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Visiting the Dickens Collection at the Victoria & Albert Museum
Caitlin Croughan reviews some literary history at the Victoria & Albert Museum, exploring original Dickens manuscripts, character paintings, and more.
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The 2024 Dickens Universe in Review
The 2024 Dickens Universe, held July 21–27 at UC Santa Cruz, brought together about 185 in-person participants and 30 via Zoom for its 44th annual gathering, this year devoted to Great Expectations. The week combined lectures, seminars, and group discussions with Victorian teas, performances, and evening events.
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Dickens Project gets prestigious $200,000 NEH grant to host institute for high school teachers
A $200,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities is funding a new Dickens Project initiative, an in-person institute for 25 high school teachers from across the United States. The institute will help teachers consider bold new approaches to teaching Charles Dickens’ classic 1861 novel Great Expectations.
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Dickens Universe 2024: A Spirited Celebration of Great Expectations
This summer, Charles Dickens readers converged on campus for the 43rd annual Dickens Universe, where a shared familiarity with Great Expectations added a sense of kinship and intimacy.
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A “Reunion” of Dickens and Shakespeare
A renewed collaboration between The Dickens Project and Shakespeare Santa Cruz, including a summer offer!
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An Oral History of the Universe
An ongoing project about the creation and continuation of our cornerstone conference. A story of community.
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Coming Back for More
Glenna Matthews recounts her fateful discovery of the Universe and why she now returns every year.
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Hannah Baumgarten’s Havisham! Explores a Bitter Life
Learn more about the Universe’s featured dance screening from an interview with Artistic Director Hannah Baumgarten, who has a generational connection to the piece.
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NEW! Dickensian Pet Profiles and Pet Calendar
Join in on some furry, Dickensian fun inspired by the Charles Dickens Museum in London! In the best and worst of times, our pets are with us through it all.
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Meet One of Our First-Time Speakers: Elaine Auyoung
In this profile piece, Dr. Auyoung, associate professor of English at the University of Minnesota, discusses her recent work and relationship to Dickens. She will be giving a lecture at this year’s Universe titled “Learning to Feel Ashamed of Home”.