The exact Birmingham spot where Charles Dickens made literary history to get a Blue Plaque
Birmingham Town Hall receives a blue plaque commemorating Charles Dickens' first public reading of A Christmas Carol
The ceremony will mark a remarkable moment in literary history as it was the location of the first ever public reading made by Charles Dickens of A Christmas Carol.
This took place at the venue in December 1853.
The plaque will be unveiled on Monday 15 December by Birmingham actor Anton Lesser, known for Wolf Hall, Endeavour, and Game of Thrones.
The unveiling coincides with a very special evening at Town Hall: A Christmas Carol with Anton Lesser & Orchestra of the Swan. Lesser, who has read all of Dickens’ works for Audible, will bring the story to life in the very space where Dickens performed it for the first time.
The plaque is part of the wider Amplify Town Hall project, an ambitious refurbishment and archive initiative led by B:Music over recent months with support of £123,651 from The National Lottery Heritage Fund. The project aims to capture and celebrate the extraordinary history of Birmingham’s oldest events venue.
Through the project, B:Music and Birmingham Music Archive, with the help of passionate volunteers, have compiled a new archive of over 1,500 items of memorabilia spanning Town Hall’s 191-year history.
Nicola Gauld, Co-Chair of the Birmingham Civic Society Heritage Committee, said: "Birmingham Civic Society is pleased to award a blue plaque to commemorate the first ever reading of one of the world’s most famous stories, A Christmas Carol, given by Charles Dickens in December 1853 at the Town Hall. The Heritage Committee were intrigued to hear this story and strongly felt that it was a significant event in Birmingham’s past that should be commemorated and celebrated."
Helen Pankhurst CBE, great-granddaughter of Emmeline Pankhurst, said: "Birmingham Town Hall is more than a building- it is part of the legacy that helped secure the freedoms women enjoy today and it has been the stage for voices that have changed history. I am proud to support Amplify Town Hall and urge everyone who values heritage, music, and social change to donate to the preservation of the building, reminding us of its past and amplifying its future."
Jez Collins, Founder and Director of Birmingham Music Archive, said: "I’m thrilled that Birmingham Music Archive has supported this truly incredible project. We’re passionate about celebrating Town Hall’s wonderful heritage and protecting its future. By compiling a comprehensive archive from public and private collections, we’ve ensured these stories and memories are preserved for generations to come."