The Dickens Project

🎬 How has Bleak House changed on screen over the years?

This year at the Dickens Universe, we're taking a different approach to our annual film program. Instead of screening a single adaptation, we'll explore the fascinating history of Bleak House on film and television—from early silent-era interpretations to the acclaimed BBC serials that introduced Dickens to new generations of viewers.

Join longtime Dickens film enthusiast Kirk Davis for a lively discussion comparing clips from multiple adaptations and considering how each version brings Dickens's sprawling novel, unforgettable characters, and critique of the legal system to life on screen.

📣 Looking to make the most of your week at the Dickens Universe? There are still plenty of opportunities to learn something new, meet fellow Dickensians, and explore the beauty of Santa Cruz.

✨ Learn needlepoint with Carol Pletcher (drop-in)

🌲 Sign up for a redwood hike with Mark Gordon on Tuesday afternoon
(https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScI9K19QGc2p5JA8aPZPXoz80llhXmmqYreVYZYcua-qEcyfg/viewform)

🎨 Register for Gerry Mooney's printmaking workshop
(https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc5XxpWfxDQ3BB5JKTSc_ArHKdBHUt8xp9zrq269YfM8zpcJA/viewform)

🎭 Share your talents during Thursday night's Talent Show
(https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfwfu-oKyXNYCjYnL6xOy2tbk8gQ9jmAG8RPMFM0Sq2nZ7cDQ/viewform)

🎡 Explore the Santa Cruz Wharf and Boardwalk on Wednesday evening
(https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe6IqzUx7EWMpeVFhuqGxug0Z8uGKkDogKpIpvE4KI8yg14qA/viewform)

💃 Take Victorian dance lessons with Annie Laskey (drop-in)

Tally-ho!

🎨 Ever wanted to bring Dickens to life through art?

This year at the Dickens Universe, illustrator Gerry Mooney will lead a week-long linoleum printmaking workshop inspired by Bleak House. Participants will learn the art of linocut printmaking and create their own prints, notecards, and more. Gerry's striking illustrations capture the fog, mud, and unforgettable characters of Dickens's world through a Victorian-era printmaking technique that feels right at home in Bleak House. Spots are limited, so be sure to sign up soon!

Read more: https://dickens.ucsc.edu/learn-the-art-of-linoleum-print-with-gerry-mooney/

📚 Missed a Bleak House discussion? Catch up anytime!

All available Santa Cruz Pickwick Club discussions on Bleak House are now available online through our YouTube channel. Whether you're reading along, revisiting favorite chapters, or preparing for upcoming conversations, you can watch presentations and discussions at your convenience.

Explore the full collection here:
https://dickens.ucsc.edu/programs/santa-cruz-pickwick-club/bleak-house-2/

Thank you to all of our presenters and participants for helping bring Dickens’s remarkable novel to life.

Dear Dickensians--Do you sing? Perform? Recite? Dabble in the dramatic arts (or the delightfully absurd)?

We’re hosting a Dickens Universe Talent Show, and we want you to take the stage. In the spirit of Victorian parlor entertainments, where music, recitation, and spectacle reigned, this is your chance to share your talents (or hidden party tricks) with the community.🎭

🎤All acts are welcome! From the sublime to the ridiculous.

We can’t wait to see what you bring to the stage—whether it’s brilliance, chaos, or something in between.

💌Email [email protected] if you're interested in performing!💌

✨Yours in anticipation (and mild theatrical suspense),
Gabriela & Victoria.✨

You’re invited… ✨

Step into a night of elegance and spectacle at the Turveydrop Gala—an evening inspired by Victorian grandeur (and perhaps a touch of fashionable deportment).

🗓 July 31
🕰 8:30–11:00 PM
📍 Stevenson Event Center, UC Santa Cruz

Join us for:
🎻 Live music
💃 Victorian dance
🎲 Casino games
🎁 Auction & refreshments

Hosted by The Dickens Project at UC Santa Cruz, this is one of the highlights of the Dickens Universe week—you won’t want to miss it.

🎟 Tickets available now — link in bio

Step into the redwoods for a week of literature, community, and Bleak House 🌲📖

The 2026 Dickens Universe returns to UC Santa Cruz from July 26–August 1—bringing together scholars, teachers, students, and readers for lectures, discussions, film, tea, and dance.

Whether you’re a longtime Dickensian or just curious, this is your chance to immerse yourself in a truly unique humanities retreat.

✨ Scan the QR code or visit the link in bio to register!

The Dickens Universe Winter 2026 Graduate Student Conference, hosted by the Southern Methodist University Department of English and co-sponsored by Rice University and The Dickens Project, brought together graduate students and scholars from across the country for a weekend of lively discussion, collaboration, and community (March 6–8).

We’re so grateful to our hosts for creating such a welcoming and intellectually vibrant space—these photos capture just a glimpse of the conversations, connections, and ideas that made the weekend so memorable.

Thank you to everyone who presented, attended, and helped make this conference such a success. We’re already looking forward to what comes next ✨