Placing Dickens

This chapter explores the legacy of ‘placing Dickens’ through the practice of literary tourism from his death to the present day. The first section situates the interest in Dickens and place in historical context, charting the rise of Dickensian tourism in the late-nineteenth to early-twentieth century and identifying dominant themes that were established in this period. Subsequently, the chapter considers the focus upon place during the 2012 bicentenary of Dickens’s birth, during which literary tourism formed a strong focal point for activities in the UK, and took on new forms through the use of digital technologies. The final part looks at how digital engagement resituated Dickens and place in international contexts, suggesting that ‘placing Dickens’ became refigured as a global concept in the digital age. This offers the opportunity for understanding the history of Dickens and place anew, and opens up new directions through which to place Dickens in future scholarship.