Dickens Fellowship

In 2002 we had the opportunity to interview Kathy Broz, the founder of the Cleveland branch of the Dickens Fellowship.  She told us about the International Dickens Fellowship as well as the Cleveland branch. 

Q - The International Dickens Fellowship lists among it's objectives a "campaign against those 'social evils' that most concerned Dickens" and an effort to preserve historical buildings associated with Dickens or mentioned in his works. Has the Cleveland Dickens Fellowship had the opportunity to advance either of these goals? If so, how?

A - Living in Cleveland, we don't have any Dickensian sites to protect; although Dickens did spend a morning strolling around downtown in the course of his American tour in l842. The historic Golden Lamb Inn in southern Ohio preserves the room Dickens and his wife used during the tour. 

However, as a branch we have contributed to various funds in England such as The Dickens House in London, where Dickens lived early in his career and which is now the headquarters of The Dickens Fellowship; the restoration of the graves of Catherine Dickens (Dickens' wife) and their infant daughter, Dora Annie; and Gad's Hill Place in Kent, Dickens' last home. 

One year, we hosted an essay contest with the English-Speaking Union, supporting one of Dickens' favorite causes: education.

Q - What is the relationship between the Cleveland Fellowship and the International Fellowship?

A - The Dickens Fellowship, with its headquarters in London, has branches throughout the world from Japan and India to Argentina and Australia.  The Cleveland Branch is one of 19 branches in the U.S. and has its own charter and pays yearly dues to London. We try to have representation at the annual conference, which is hosted each year by one of the branches but are represented by a proxy who keeps us informed and votes for the Cleveland Branch at council meetings. Of course, many friendships have been formed with fellow Dickensians in England and other far-flung locales.

Q - How was Cleveland Fellowship formed? Were/are there a few key people driving it?

A - The Cleveland Branch was formed in February 1984. I had been an individual member of the Fellowship since receiving membership as a birthday gift in 1970. Reading the literature from the Fellowship, including news of other U.S. chapters, I wished there was a branch near me. In 1983, I realized that if I wanted to attend a local branch, I would have to start it myself!  About 14 came to an informational meeting, and several are still members today.  After proving we had a viable group with regular meetings, we received our charter. We are lucky in having a dedicated chairman, treasurer, and editor as the backbone of the group, as well as many members willing to share their talents.

Q - Can you talk a little bit about the membership? Do they have a common background, coming from the same university for example, or is it a broader lot. Is the love of Dickens and his works the main thing that holds them together or are they a closer knit group of friends? Are there a few important things, about the Fellowship, that bring the members together (if so, what are they) or do most members come together for different reasons?

A - Our members prove Dickens' wide appeal. The men and women who come to our meetings share a love of Dickens and probably little else.  At various times in our history, we have had students as well as senior citizens. We were fortunate to have the Dickens scholar, Dr. Arthur Adrian, in our group until his death in l996; and now we are lucky to have another distinguished professor, Dr. Fred Schwarzbach, who is generous with his time and expertise.  We would define ourselves as Enthusiasts; and while several of our members can hold up the scholarly end, none of us is shy about voicing our opinion!

Q - Is there a lot of interest in Dickens' life or is the Fellowship mainly interested in his work?

A - We have a book of the year that the membership reads during the summer. In l998, we began reading Dickens' works chronologically. Throughout the meeting year (September--June), we devote meetings to programs on various aspects of the book but are not averse to going farther afield and looking into Dickens' life and times for topics. 

Q - What are the meetings like? Are they large enough to require a formal structure and agenda or are they smaller informal affairs? Do they have an academic air to them, with discussion and debate, or is there a social aspect to them?

A - Our meetings are informal affairs, with any business (local or from headquarters) quickly dispatched. We have excellent and informative member-generated discussions and presentations and have made trips to libraries and universities, bookstores, and performances, as well as having holiday parties. Several times a year, we bring in guest speakers, and to our great delight, we have had several Dickensians from England visit our branch!

Please check out our web site, www.clevelanddickensfellowship.org, for more information or to contact us! We would love to hear from you!