The world of literary scholarship is mourning the loss of Professor Michael Slater, a pre-eminent authority on the life and works of Charles Dickens, who has died at the age of 88.
A Life Defined by Dickens
For decades, Michael Slater dedicated his academic career to illuminating the full breadth of Charles Dickens's output, moving far beyond the well-trodden path of the major novels. He passionately believed in engaging both academic and general readers with the richness and diversity of the author's writings. His magnum opus, the acclaimed 2009 biography Charles Dickens: A Life Defined by Writing, meticulously charted the intricate connections between Dickens's personal experiences and his prolific literary creation.
His scholarly mission was to bring the writer's lesser-known works into the light. He spearheaded a monumental four-volume edition of Dickens's Journalism (1994-2000) and served as series editor for the comprehensive Everyman Dickens collection. This project made accessible not just the novels, but travel books, children's writing, and a wealth of previously overlooked short stories from Dickens's periodicals.
Bridging Academia and Public Appreciation
Slater was a pivotal figure in fostering dialogue between different communities of Dickens enthusiasts. As editor of The Dickensian journal from 1968 to 1977, he introduced new academic rigour while maintaining its appeal to the fellowship's members. In 1986, he founded the influential Dickens Day at Birkbeck College, University of London, creating a unique forum that brought together scholars, students, and devoted fans.
His groundbreaking 1983 study, Dickens and Women, offered a nuanced analysis of the author's complex relationships with women, both in life and fiction, dispelling long-held myths. This work even led to unexpected theatrical appearances, where he fielded audience questions during Miriam Margolyes's celebrated Dickens' Women stage show. Later, in The Great Charles Dickens Scandal (2012), he provided a definitive examination of Dickens's relationship with actress Ellen Ternan.
From Childhood Reader to Global Authority
Born in Reading in 1936, Slater's fascination with Dickens began early, with childhood readings of Oliver Twist and Nicholas Nickleby. He often said the colourful characters he encountered at school seemed to step directly from the pages of Dickens's world. After national service, where he learned Russian and was stationed in Berlin, he read English at Oxford's Balliol College.
Finding limited academic interest in Dickens at Oxford at the time, he pursued his doctorate under the tutelage of leading scholar Kathleen Tillotson in London. In 1965, he began a 36-year tenure at Birkbeck, rising to become Professor of Victorian Literature in 1991. His global influence was cemented through presidencies of both the Dickens Fellowship (1988-90) and the Dickens Society of America, frequent international lectures, and his role as an adviser to the Charles Dickens Museum in London. He was appointed MBE in 2014.
Michael Slater shared his life in Bloomsbury with his partner, John Grigg, who predeceased him in 2013. He is survived by four nephews and a niece. He once admitted that Dickens "has to a large extent been my life", a testament to a scholarly devotion that has permanently enriched our understanding of one of Britain's greatest literary giants.
