Character parades, live music, poetry, literature and comedy performances taking place alongside a Jubilee Live Site in the Castle Gardens and in venues along Rochester High Street.
A Celebration of Dickens takes place on 4 & 5 June 2022
A celebration of Medway's connections to the great author and the sights and sounds that inspired many of his famous works, with character parades, live music, poetry, literature, comedy performances and more.
The streets of Rochester will once again be filled with Dickensian literary characters for the traditional parades as part of the weekend celebrations.
The costumed characters from the City of Rochester Society will be making their way along the High Street for two parades at 1pm on each day of the festival weekend.
A two-day literary festival doing Dickens with a 21st Century twist will take place in the Castle Moat over the jubilee weekend.
The festival is being organised by Wordsmithery who have programmed an exciting line-up of prize-winning writers and musicians to perform over the two days. Some of the writers will be taking a good dollop of inspiration from Charles Dickens and the Victorian era, and will be joined by Steampunk group Great Kentspectations, so feel free to wear your bonnet and bustle!
Find out more about the poetic, literary, musical and dramatic performs featuring at the moat.
Timings for both days are featured below:
Saturday 4 June
• 11am ‘Be a Dickens Detective’: spot the missing object with Dr Jeremy Clarke of the Guildhall Museum (EMPTY CHAIR)
• 11.30am Gerald Dickens (RAVEN)
• 12 noon 2A-LTY (EMPTY CHAIR)
• 12.30pm Thee Droods (RAVEN)
• 1pm Bridget Nolan (EMPTY CHAIR)
• 1.30pm Sascha Aurora Akhtar (RAVEN)
• 2pm Sarah Hehir (EMPTY CHAIR)
• 2.30pm Barry Fentiman Hall (RAVEN)
• 3pm Spacegirl (EMPTY CHAIR)
• 3.30pm John McCullough (RAVEN)
Sunday 5 June
• 11am Wordsmithery poets: Jon Terranova, Setareh Ebrahimi, SM Jenkin, and Rosemary McLeish Poetry Prize announcement (EMPTY CHAIR)
• 11.30am Zack Davies (RAVEN)
• 12 noon Pauline Holmes (EMPTY CHAIR)
• 12.30pm Orlando (RAVEN)
• 1pm Helen Seymour (EMPTY CHAIR)
• 1.30pm Jessica Mookherjee (RAVEN)
• 2pm Nina Telegina (EMPTY CHAIR)
• 2.30pm Jah-Mir Early (RAVEN)
• 3pm Gerald Dickens (EMPTY CHAIR)
• 3.30pm Vanessa Kisuule (RAVEN)
As a tribute to the queen’s Platinum Jubilee and to commemorate the life and works of Charles Dickens, events and activities will also take place alongside our Jubilee big screen in the castle grounds.
A four-day craft fair will run alongside the picnic site, and there will also be appearances from themed entertainers and characters.
Address
A Celebration of Dickens as part of the Platinum Jubilee
Rochester Castle and High Street
ME1 1SW
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