A RELATIVE of Charles Dickens will be appearing in Malton as part of the town's Christmas celebrations.

Lucinda Hawksley, the great, great, great granddaughter of Dickens, will officially launch the festive season at The Talbot Hotel on Saturday, November 29.

She will be reading extracts from one of her ancestor’s most famous books, ‘A Christmas Carol’ and take part in a question and answer session before signing her new book 'Moustaches, Whiskers & Beards'.

Lucinda is a lecturer in literature and art history and a regular speaker at the National Portrait Gallery in London. She is also Patron of the

Dickens Museum London and has written 20 books.

Lucinda, who is the newly appointed patron of the local charity 'Dickens Gift to Yorkshire', which helped secure the purchase of a rare edition of A Christmas Carol last year, said: “I was born in Yorkshire and I always love to return to my home county.

" I am thrilled to join the campaign in Yorkshire to reclaim my great, great, great grandfather’s legacy.”

Lucinda added: “A Christmas Carol was one of Dickens most loved books and the charity’s work to reignite not just his connections to Yorkshire, but also the philanthropy and social reform he pioneered is humbling.

"Dickens helped bring about enormous changes in his local society and the world at large, and I wish Yorkshire the best success taking such a lovely legacy into the future

Clair Challenor-Chadwick, trustee of the charity and whose firm, Cause UK is sponsoring the event said: “This endorsement direct from the Dickens’ clan is a triumph for Yorkshire, and all those who have worked so hard since 2012 to reclaim Yorkshire’s literary heritage, our Dickens legacy has been long overdue for celebration.”

Afternoon tea, canapes and Smoking Bishop, the mulled wine recipe made famous in ‘A Christmas Carol’, will be served to guests from 3 pm.

David MacDonald, manager of The Talbot, said: “We are delighted to be welcoming Lucinda to The Talbot to officially kick start our Christmas celebrations.”

Tickets are £25, and proceeds will ‘Dickens Gift to Yorkshire,’ which was established to manage and conserve the signed 1844 edition of A Christmas Carol.

The book will be on view at the event.

For more information and to book contact The Talbot on 01653 639096 or go www.talbotmalton.co.uk