The novella "A Christmas Carol" was written by Charles Dickens. It was first published in London by Chapman & Hall in 1843. Dickens wrote this now-classic story during a period when British Christmas traditions were being re- evaluated, and it has had a significant cultural impact, popularizing phrases like "Merry Christmas" and the character Scrooge as a symbol of miserliness. Dickens wrote it in just six weeks under financial pressure, inspired by social issues he witnessed, especially the plight of the poor in industrial England.