Neil Gaiman to offer a live reading of ‘A Christmas Carol’, December 18th and 19th

A decade after Neil Gaiman’s live reading of A Christmas Carol at The New York Public Library, the hugely popular author will reprise his role as Charles Dickens for two nights only this holiday season. Gaiman will be presenting Dickens’ original version of A Christmas Carol at New York’s Town Hall December 18th and 19th.

As shared by The New York Public Library, “To celebrate the 175th anniversary of the Dickens classic—and to keep the holiday tradition alive—we’re sharing this exceptional reading of A Christmas Carol by novelist and comic book creator, Neil Gaiman, that took place at NYPL in 2013. Gaiman delivered a performance worthy of Dickens himself—who was by all accounts a sensational performer of his material—all while transformed into a Dickens lookalike at the hands of makeup artist Jeni Ahlfeld. What made Gaiman’s reading particularly special was that the text he used is a scarce version of A Christmas Carol, which just so happens to call The New York Public Library its home.”

Charles Dickens wrote A Christmas Carol in 1843 as a response to British social attitudes towards poverty, and in particular, child poverty. Dickens wanted to use his book to bring awareness to those less fortunate. 180 years later, A Christmas Carol is still immensely popular and remains an enduring classic.

Dickens’ first public reading of A Christmas Carol was in December 1853, and he used that event to help raise funds for the Birmingham and Midland Institute (BMI). He performed his book to massive audiences more than 100 times during his lifetime.

The 2013 Gaiman reading is currently being offered for free by the NYPL;

Tickets are almost sold out, and range from $106- $166, with VIP options including:

1 x prime seating in first two rows
1 x pre-show meet and greet & photo w/Neil
1 x limited edition A Christmas Carol show print signed by Neil
1 x commemorative A Christmas Carol tote bag
4 x limited edition full-color prints. See neverwear.net for examples
1 x pen/magnet set
1 x 15 piece postcard/sticker/bookmark set

Gaiman is the bestselling author of, Neverwhere, Anansi Boys, Norse Mythology, Smoke and Mirrors, Fragile Things, Trigger Warning: Short Fictions and Disturbances, The Ocean at the End of the Lane, The Sleeper & the Spindle, Hansel and Gretel, The View from the Cheap Seats (non-fiction essays), and The Neil Gaiman Reader: Selected Fiction (with a forward by Marlon James).

He is also the author of American Gods, which has sold over 1 million copies worldwide and was turned into top-rated TV series (2017-2021). In addition, his series, Good Omens (with Terry Pratchett), has sold over 5 million copies and was just renewed for a 3rd season for its TV adaptation on Prime.

Winner of the Hugo, Nebula, Bram Stoker, and Locus awards and proclaimed one of the 125 most important books of the last 125 years by the New York Public Library, Gaiman describes his artist process as “I make things up and write them down”.

One of the most celebrated writers of our time, Gaiman’s popular and critically acclaimed works bend genres and reach audiences of all ages and walks of life.