 Frontispiece of the (first series) first edition, February 1836. Illustration by George Cruikshank | |
| Author | Charles Dickens ("Boz") |
|---|---|
| Original title | Sketches by "Boz," Illustrative of Every-day Life and Every-day People |
| Illustrator | George Cruikshank |
| Cover artist | George Cruikshank |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Sketches |
| Published | 1833–1836 in newspapers and periodicals; in 1836 (two series); first one volume edition 1839 |
| Publisher | John Macrone, St. James's Square |
| Publication place | England |
| Followed by | The Pickwick Papers |
Sketches by "Boz," Illustrative of Every-day Life and Every-day People (commonly known as Sketches by Boz) is a collection of short pieces the English author Charles Dickens originally published in various newspapers and other periodicals between 1833 and 1836. They were re-issued in book form, under their current title, in February and August 1836, with illustrations by George Cruikshank.
The first complete one volume edition appeared in 1839. The 56 sketches concern London scenes and people, and the whole work is divided into four sections: "Our Parish", "Scenes", "Characters" and "Tales". The material in the first three sections consists of non-narrative pen-portraits, but the last section comprises fictional stories.