Honouring Dickens in Birmingham: Blue Plaque unveiled at Town Hall

A new Blue Plaque has been unveiled to commemorate a remarkable moment in Birmingham’s cultural history: the first ever public reading of A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, delivered at Birmingham Town Hall in December 1853.

The ceremony was led by the Lord Mayor, Birmingham Civic Society Trustee Professor Ian Grosvenor, and acclaimed actor Anton Lesser, who together revealed the plaque to an appreciative audience. Following the unveiling, Anton performed alongside the Orchestra of the Swan, bringing Dickens’ timeless tale to life through a moving blend of spoken word and well‑loved music. The performance heightened the suspense, emotion and humanity of the story—an approach Dickens himself would have thoroughly approved of.

A story written in six weeks, loved for generations

Dickens wrote what he called his “ghostly little book” in just six weeks in 1843, driven by financial pressures and a determination to publish it in time for Christmas. A Christmas Carol was launched on 19 December and the first print run sold out by Christmas Eve. Despite its instant popularity, the book never generated the income Dickens had hoped for—but it became something far more enduring: an essential part of Christmas tradition and one of the most beloved stories in English literature.

Dickens and Birmingham: A mutual affection

Dickens held a deep fondness for Birmingham, then still a town rather than a city. His first public reading of A Christmas Carol at the Town Hall was delivered to a packed audience, raising funds for the creation of the Birmingham and Midland Institute. Reflecting on the experience, he wrote to a friend:

“The good people of Birmingham seemed to understand everything, respond to everything and misinterpret nothing.”

This affection makes the Blue Plaque particularly meaningful—a lasting tribute to the connection between Dickens and the people of Birmingham.