Join The Dickens Project for The Curiosity Gala on July 25, 2025, as we celebrate the 45th annual Dickens Universe Conference!

Now open to the public, this enchanting evening invites community members to don their finest Victorian attire and enjoy a night of lively entertainment—including Victorian dance lessons, casino tables, a raffle, postprandial potations, and a live auction!

Hosted by The Dickens Project, The Dickens Universe is a unique cultural event that brings together scholars, teachers, students, and members of the general public for a week of stimulating discussion and festive social activity on the beautiful Santa Cruz campus of the University of California—all focused on one or two Victorian novels, with this year’s novel being Charles Dickens’ The Old Curiosity Shop.

Tickets are $50 with all purchases from the evening’s activities going to support The Dickens Project’s educational programs.

Gala Details (This event is 21+):

• 6:30 PM: Doors Open
• 7:00-8:00 PM: Live Auction – Bid on Dickens-related items, including a first-edition of The Old Curiosity Shop by Charles Dickens
• 8:00 PM: Announcement of the 2026 Dickens Universe Novel – Purchase a copy from local bookseller Liz Pollock of the Cook’s Bookcase
• 8:15-11:00 PM: Victorian Ball and Gaming – Dance to nineteenth-century music performed by the Great Expectations Orchestra, with dances led by dance instructor Annie Laskey

Questions about The Curiosity Gala? Email: mabingha@ucsc.edu

About The Dickens Project: The Dickens Project is a Multi-campus Research Unit (MRU) of the University of California. Its research activities have been supported by extramural grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities, the U.S. Department of Education, the California Council for the Humanities, the California Arts Council, the Exxon Education Foundation, dues from member schools, and private gifts. Activities for the general public are supported in part by contributions to a private, non-profit organization, the Friends of the Dickens Project.