Great-Great-Great Granddaughter of Charles Dickens to be Guest of Honor at Galveston’s Dickens on the Strand Festival This Weekend
Lucinda Dickens Hawksley to Offer Lectures and Book Signings Dec. 3-4 in Galveston

[November 30, 2011] - The great-great-great granddaughter of Charles Dickens will be the guest of honor at this weekend’s Dickens on the Strand, an award-winning Victorian festival held annually in Galveston to celebrate the life and characters created by the iconic author. 

Lucinda Dickens Hawksley, who descended from Charles Dickens’ eighth child Sir Henry Fielding Dickens, is an expert on Dickens family life and a patron of the Charles Dickens Museum in London. She will arrive in Galveston Friday and is scheduled to offer two lectures and five book signings while in town. Her lecturew will focus on her newest book, a biography of Charles Dickens, and include rare facts about his life

Lucinda Dickens Hawksley is a biographer, art historian, voice-over artist, public speaker and award-winning travel writer. She is the author or co-author of more than 20 books. To learn more about Hawksley and her literary works, visit www.lucindahawksley.com.

Hawksley’s dinner lectures will take place at 7 p.m. Dec. 2 and 8 p.m. Dec. 3 at Ashton Villa, 2328 Broadway Avenue in Galveston. The meals will be catered by internationally renowned chef, Louis Cressy and Cardinal Special Events. After the lecture, to be delivered during dessert, Hawksley will be available to sign books. Dinner tickets, at $75 each or $140 a couple, must be purchased in advance and are available at www.dickensonthestrand.org.

Hawksley will also be available to sign books at each of the Dickens Country Breakfasts scheduled for 10 a.m. Dec. 3 and Dec. 4 at Garten Verein Pavilion, 2704 Avenue O in Galveston. Breakfast tickets, at $35 each, must be purchased in advance and include a complimentary Dickens on the Strand festival ticket. Tickets are available at www.dickensonthestrand.org.

Dickens on The Strand, an annual holiday street festival based on 19th-century Victorian London, features parades, non-stop entertainment on five stages, strolling carolers, roving musicians, bagpipers, jugglers and a host of other entertainers. Costumed vendors will peddle their wares from street stalls and rolling carts laden with holiday food and drink, Victorian-inspired crafts, clothing, jewelry, holiday decorations and gift items.

The festival, organized by the Galveston Historical Foundation, has been named one of the top 100 events in the U.S. by the American Bus Association for its 2012 Top 100 Events contest.

This year's event runs 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Dec. 3 and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Dec. 4. Tickets purchased on or before Dec. 2 are $12 for adults and $6 for children ages 7-12. Purchase tickets online at www.dickensonthestrand.org, by calling 888-305-7627 or at area Kroger stores.

Galveston Historical Foundation Media Contact:
Will Wright, Galveston Historical Foundation, at 409-765-3404 or will.wright@galvestonhistory.org.

For Additional Information, Media Are Invited to Contact:

Leah Cast
Public Relations Manager
Galveston Island Convention and Visitors Bureau
Direct: (409)682-3029
lcast@galvestoncvb.com

About Galveston Island...
Galveston Island is a historic beach town located on the Gulf of Mexico just 50 miles from Houston. The island is best known as a vacation destination, offering 32 miles of beaches, a variety of family attractions, Texas’ premier cruise port and one of the largest and well-preserved concentrations of Victorian architecture in the country. For more information on Galveston Island visit www.galveston.com or call 1-888-GAL-ISLE.

About Galveston.com & Company...
Galveston.com & Company, Inc. is a destination marketing corporation based in Galveston, Texas. The company specializes in destination portals, as well as online lodging, cruise, parking, and transportation reservations; and event ticketing via its proprietary DestinationNext module.

For more information, contact Galveston.com & Company at via phone (409)763-8676 or email at websites@galveston.com.

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