The real Alice turns 160 years old & Wales celebrates

FRIDAY, MAY 4: Many libraries around the English-speaking world are hosting Alice in Wonderland events this week, marking the 160th anniversary of Alice Liddell, the real-life child who was the model for one of the world’s most popular fantasy novels. But the epicenter of any global Alice birthday bash is Wales, where the Liddell family’s holiday home was situated. C.M. Rubin, who wrote a memoir of her distant ancestor called The Real Alice in Wonderland also has published the best online coverage of the Wales birthday party.

For the rest of us, Wikipedia also has a pretty good overview of Alice Liddell’s life. And here’s another cool tip, if you’re an Alice fan! Most of the classic illustrations in Alice books have now moved into public domain and Wikimedia Commons has an extensive group of both the Rackham and Tenniel illustrations you can see, save and use to decorate your own projects. If you visit that page, click into the various sub-links at the top. There are hundreds of Alice images, in total.

Also for this occasion, author Jane Wells has published a special column, called Six Impossible Things: How Alice Liddel Still Inspires Dreamers.

Originally published at readthespirit.com, an online magazine covering religion and cultural diversity.

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