People
Officers
Michaela Mahlberg, President (term ends 1 September 2028)
Sara Malton, Vice President (term ends 1 September 2028 and President-Elect)
Ben Moore, Secretary (term ends 1 September 2027)
Registered Agent
Lydia Craig (State of Illinois)
Leslie Simon, Treasurer (term ends 1 September 2028)
Trustees
Term ending 1 September 2027: James Armstrong (City University of New York), Sophia Jochem (Freie Universität Berlin), Magdelena Pypec (Warsaw University), and Gillian Piggott (American University of Afghanistan).
Term ending 1 September 2028: Lillian Nayder (Bates College), Angelika Zirker (Universität Tübingen), Jude Nixon (Salem State University), and Claire Woods (Ulster University)
Term ending 1 September 2029: Chen Houliang (Huazhong University of Science and Technology), Caterina Colomba (University of Salento), Melanie Lewis (Independent Scholar), and Adrianne Wojcik (US Department of Defense Education Activity/Northern Virginia Community College).
Blog Team
Céleste Callen, Blog Editor
Mads Golding, Staff Writer
Communications Committee
Mads Golding, Communications Committee Co-Chair (Senior) (term ends 1 September 2026)
Céleste Callen, Communications Committee Co-Chair (Junior)
Lydia Craig, Webmaster
Communication Committee Members: Spencer Dodd, Melisa Kaya, Zhamir Washington
Society Statements
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January 8, 2021
In light of the murder of George Floyd by members of the Minneapolis Police Department, the even more recent shooting of Jacob Blake, and the other unconscionable acts of violence inflicted lately and too routinely upon members of BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) communities in the United States and around the world, the Dickens Society affirms that it stands in solidarity with BIPOC individuals and organizations. We stand with the courageous protestors demanding racial justice, and we repudiate the institutions and individuals who would deny them the justice to which they are entitled. We reject the police state, white nationalism, white supremacy, and bigotry of all kinds. We affirm that Black Lives Matter.
We study the life and works of Charles Dickens not only because he was a great artist but because, among other reasons, doing so promotes a more complete understanding of racial, economic, and other forms of injustice during the nineteenth century and in our own time. Much discomfort inheres in studying an author who expressed contradictory, sometimes unsatisfactory opinions about people of color during his life. But studying Dickens’s works can illuminate the attitudes about white superiority that undergirded racial oppression and imperial expansion during the Victorian period, and the ways in which such thoughts and attitudes, when rendered artistically by an enormously popular writer, can create durable perceptions of racial difference. Dickens’s extraordinary popularity in the United Kingdom, in the United States, and throughout the British Empire during the last two thirds of the nineteenth century created monumental social and cultural impacts. Yet the period of extraordinary economic expansion that permitted him to have a lucrative career as an editor and popular novelist was built upon the contemporary and historical legacy of slave labor and racial exploitation at home and abroad. In India, Jamaica, Australia, and across Africa, among other places, the national prosperity that sustained Dickens’s career depended upon systematic racial oppression, religious intolerance, resource extraction, and other forms of bigotry and exploitation that in some cases originated and have certainly sustained the very injustices that BIPOC individuals continue to struggle against today.
We recognize that the Dickens Society, and Dickens studies generally, have not acknowledged often or forcefully enough the troubling ways in which Dickens’s works address race, even though a growing number of important critical voices have begun addressing his engagement with fugitive slave narratives, wider forms of economic exploitation grounded in the trans-Atlantic slave trade, and fraught structures of imperial expansion. We support and encourage this work. We recognize, but we have not explored fully, the manifold ways in which Dickens’s life and career must be considered in light of their implicit dependence upon the structures of racism that make movements such as Black Lives Matter necessary in the twenty-first century. We commit, therefore, to the crucial task of foregrounding BIPOC voices in and beyond the Dickens Society, encouraging anti-racism among our members and in the study of Dickens generally, and addressing thoughtfully and rigorously the considerations of race that shape both the artistry and materiality of Charles Dickens’s works.
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As a scholarly community, we embrace open discourse and dialogue about Dickens and invite varied approaches to his life and work. We foster a welcoming and inclusive environment at our annual Symposia, at allied events and special panels, in online conferences and sessions, and in our interactions with the Society’s social media channels. We do not tolerate discrimination against or harassment of Society members or of visitors to Society events based on age, gender, sexual orientation, disability, nationality, race, religion, or other protected characteristics. We agree to cultivate a respectful atmosphere at Dickens Society events. This means that presenters and audience members will interact and share space collegially.
As an allied organization of the Modern Language Association, the Dickens Society follows its definition of harassment which includes, but is not limited to:
bullying behaviors;
using information systems, tools, and platforms, such as social media, to transmit sexually explicit messages and/or images, ethnic or racial slurs;
deliberate intimidation or stalking;
unwanted audio or visual recording;
sustained disruption of talks or other events, including through the use of features such as videoconference chat and reactions;
verbal comments and nonverbal expressions that reinforce social structures of domination related to gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, ethnic and linguistic backgrounds, employment status, physical appearance, body size, race, age, religion, marital status, political affiliation, or physical or cognitive ability;
inappropriate contact, or the suggestion thereof, including physical contact;
unwelcome sexual attention;
advocating for, or encouraging, any of the above behavior, including implied endorsement.
We also refer you to our Anti-Racism Statement, which commits to “foregrounding BIPOC voices,” “encouraging anti-racism,” and studying race “thoughtfully and rigorously” in the context of Charles Dickens’s works.
If participants experience or directly witness specific incidents of harassment, they are asked to contact an Officer of the Society or send an email to the Dickens Society Secretary at dickenssocietysecretary@gmail.com. Individual cases will always be handled sensitively and confidentially. If the Executive Committee decides that the Code of Conduct has been breached, sanctions such as exclusion from Dickens Society events may be considered. This Code of Conduct is envisaged as a set of guidelines to enable a respectful and courteous environment at all of our events.
Society Bylaws and Amendments
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(Last Updated: 1 September 2023)
Mission Statement: The purpose of the Dickens Society is to conduct, further, and support research, publication, instruction, and general interest in the life, times, and literature of the late English man of letters Charles John Huffam Dickens (1812-1870).
The officers of the Corporation shall be a President, a Vice President, a Secretary, and a Treasurer.
There shall be a Board of Trustees of twelve members and the four aforesaid officers ex officios.
The Board of Trustees fills a strategic role for the Corporation, with the right to employ such agents and start such initiatives as it sees fit in order to fulfill the mission of the Corporation. A Quorum shall consist of seven members.
The President shall preside at the meetings of the Board of Trustees, the Executive Committee, and at the meetings of the Corporation.
If the President is absent, the Vice-President shall preside in their place. If both are absent, then the Secretary shall preside, or if the Secretary is also not present, the Treasurer shall preside.
The Treasurer shall have the custody of the Property of the Corporation. Their accounts shall be audited and certified by a three-person Audit Committee appointed by the President. The Treasurer shall issue an interim report of the financial transactions of the Corporation during the year past at the annual meeting of the members, and they shall also cause a final report to be published in the Dickens Quarterly in the issue following the end of the fiscal year.
The Secretary shall keep a record of the proceedings of the Corporation and its members and cause the Annual Meeting minutes to be published in the Dickens Quarterly in the issue following the end of the fiscal year.
The members of the Corporation shall consist of: Honorary Members, Life Members, Contributing Member, and Active Members.
Honorary Members shall be those who have made notable contributions to the furtherance of the stated purposes of the Corporation. They shall be elected by the Board of Trustees from nominations made by at least five members of the Corporation. A majority of the Board of Trustees who vote shall be necessary for election. Honorary members shall be exempt from any dues.
Life Members shall consist of members of the Corporation who have subscribed at any one time such sum as shall be determined by the Board of Trustees.
Contributing Members shall consist of members of the Corporation who shall subscribe annually such sum, in addition to the dues of an Active Member, as shall be determined by the Board of Trustees.
Active Members shall consist of persons who have applied for admission to the Corporation, who have been approved by the Board of Trustees, and who shall subscribe annually such sum as shall be set by the Board of Trustees.
Only individuals shall be eligible for membership in the Corporation. Libraries and other organizations may subscribe to the publication of the Corporation on such terms as shall be set by agents of the Corporation.
There shall be an Executive Committee comprised of the officers, the editor and review editor of the Dickens Quarterly, and two members of the Board of Trustees appointed by the Board for a term of one year. The role of the Executive Committee is to manage the affairs of the Corporation and vote on matters pertaining to the future welfare and activities of the Corporation and its journal. The Executive Committee shall have the power to transact current business through the Secretary and the Treasurer and to recommend action to the Board of Trustees on other matters.
There shall be a Nominating Committee, composed of four members of the Corporation named by the President for a term of two years and a chairperson who shall previously have served as an ordinary member of a Nominating Committee.
The Nominating Committee shall nominate at least one member of the Corporation for each vacancy on the Board of Trustees. It shall nominate one member of the Corporation for vacancies in the offices of President, Vice-President, Secretary, and Treasurer. The Committee shall also nominate candidates for such other positions as are necessary to carry out its business. The Committee shall have responsibility for conducting the online election process.
Other nominations for Trustees or Officers of the Corporation may be made by written petition signed by at least fifteen members of the Corporation at least eight weeks before the date of the start of the election.
The Trustees and Officers of the Corporation shall be elected via online voting to take place during the last week of the fiscal year, and shall take office at the start of the fiscal year.
The President and Vice-President shall serve for a term of three years, or until their successors are chosen, and shall not be eligible for re-election to the same post for a period of three years. The Vice-President shall serve as President-Elect and automatically become President at the end of their term.
The Secretary and the Treasurer shall each serve for a term of three years, or until their successors are chosen, and shall be eligible for re-election. If the Secretary or Treasurer is a citizen of the State of Illinois, they shall be the Registered Agent of the Dickens Society and their office shall be the principal office of the Society. If both are citizens of another state, then the principal officer of the Society shall be the Treasurer’s office, but the Registered Agent shall be appointed by the Board of Trustees from among the members of the Society who are citizens of the State of Illinois.
The Trustees shall serve for a term of three years each, or until their successors are chosen, and shall not be eligible for re-election for a period of three years from the end of their tenure of office.
In case of the death or resignation of any of the Officers or Trustees of the Corporation, the vacancy or vacancies may be filled by Executive Committee appointment until the next election cycle.
The Annual Meeting of the members of the Corporation shall be held at a time and place to be fixed by the Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees and announced in advance to the members of the Corporation by the Secretary.
Special Meetings of the members of the Corporation may be called by the President and a majority of the Board of Trustees upon notice to members of the Corporation by the Secretary.
A quorum of the members of the Corporation shall consist of twenty-five members, at least five of whom shall be members of the Board of Trustees and/or Executive Committee.
The Corporation shall publish a quarterly entitled Dickens Quarterly which shall be sent to all classes of members not in arrears and to all subscribing libraries and other institutions. The dues of each class of members shall be considered to include the subscription price thereof. Editors shall be appointed by majority vote of the officers and the Board of Trustees, and shall be confirmed by a majority vote of the members of the Corporation during the next following election cycle.
These Bylaws may be amended by a vote of two-thirds of the members of the Board of Trustees who vote, with assent of a majority of the members of the Corporation who vote.
No part of the earning of this Corporation shall inure to the benefit of or be distributable to its members, Trustees, Officers, or other private persons, except that this corporation shall be empowered and authorized to pay reasonable compensation for expenses incurred and services rendered and to make payments and distribution in furtherance of the purposes set forth in Article 5 of the Article of Incorporation of the Dickens Society. No substantial part of the activities of the Corporation shall be the carrying on of propaganda, or otherwise attempting to influence legislation, and the Corporation shall not participate in, or intervene in (including the publishing or distribution of statements concerning), any political campaign on behalf of any candidate for public office. Notwithstanding any other provision of these articles or the Articles of Incorporation, this Corporation shall not carry on any other activities not permitted to be carried on: (a) by a corporation exempt from federal income tax under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 (or the corresponding provision of any future United States Revenue Law), or (b) by a corporation, contributions to which are under section (c)(2) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 (or the corresponding provision of any future United States Revenue Law).
Upon the dissolution of this Corporation, the Board of Trustees shall, after paying or making provision for the payment of all the liabilities of the Corporation, dispose of all of the assets of the Corporation in such manner, or to such organizations organized and operated exclusively for charitable, educational, religious, or scientific purposes as shall at the time qualify as an exempt organization under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 (or the corresponding provision of any future United States Revenue Law), as the Board of Trustees shall determine. Any of such assets not so disposed of shall be disposed of by a court of competent jurisdiction in which the principal office of the Corporation is then located, exclusively for such purposes or to such organization or organizations, as such court shall determine, which are organized and operated exclusively for such purposes.
The purpose or purposes for which the Corporation is organized are: charitable, educational, and scientific, and more specifically to conduct, further, and support research, publication, instruction, and general interest in the life, times, and literature of the late English man of letters Charles John Huffam Dickens (1812-1870) by such means as may be desirable, and to hold property for such purposes. All above purposes and activities shall be conducted for exclusively educational purposes within the meaning of section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 (or the corresponding provision of any future United States Revenue Law).
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Bylaws originally adopted 1981.
Amended December 1983 by mail ballot: changed all references (articles 6 and 26) to Dickens Studies Newsletter to Dickens Quarterly
Amended 1986: changed sexist language to be gender inclusive (he became he/she, etc.)
Amended 1 January 2015: outlined new responsibilities for Officers, Board of Trustees, and Executive Committee; changed term length of officers from one to three years and moved start date to beginning of fiscal year; reduced number for a quorum from 30 to 25; and added provision for optional waiver of registration fees for officers without sufficient institutional support.
Amended 18 June 2017: moved the elections of officers and trustees to a secure, online platform and aligned election timing with our fiscal year instead of our annual meeting.
Amended 25 March 2018: split the position of Secretary-Treasurer into two separate roles: Secretary and Treasurer.
Amended 1 September 2023: extended term limit of the Nominating Committee and chairperson from one to two years, waived annual symposium fees for Society officers lacking institutional funding if Society income permits, and changed gendered pronouns to gender neutral pronouns (he/his and she/hers became they/theirs, etc.).
[1] Conference fees for the annual Dickens Society Symposium may be waived for the President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer and Communications Committee Co-Chairs if such expenses are not covered by their home institution, with the stipulation that the fees be waived only if the Society income permits.