Literary Road Map of Islington

Celebrate our borough's long, rich heritage of authors, screenwriters, poets and writers who live or work here

Literary Road Map of Islington celebrates our borough’s long, rich heritage of authors, screenwriters, poets and writers who have lived here, and the literary works which have been inspired by or set here.

Search the list below to see the novels, plays and poems which were written about Islington and the authors, such as Andrea Levy (1956-2019), who were born or lived in the borough, or Charles Dickens (1812-1870, who used various locations around Islington in their novels.

Also, look at our interactive map to see the literary connections to your area of Islington. To do this click on ‘Show Layers’, ‘Recreation & Leisure’ and check the ‘Literary Road Map’ box.

 

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  • Crime/Thriller

Aaronovitch, Ben

(1964-)

Whispers Under Ground (2012). The third Rivers of London novel is set in Tufnell Park. [CT]

Ackroyd, Peter

1949-

Clerkenwell Tales (2003) and other titles. His stories are set in and around Clerkenwell and in The House of Dr Dee (1993), Dr Dee lives at the site of what is the Clerks’ Well (14-16 Farringdon Lane).

Arnott, Jake

1961-

The Fatal Tree (2017). Arnott’s work of historical fiction looks at the life and crimes of Jack Sheppard from the point of view of his wife Edgeware Bess, as they move around Clerkenwell and other parts of London.

Barrat, David

Islington Murder Mystery (2012). An army officer’s wife is found dead in the front hall of her home in Islington.

Busby, Sian

1960-2012

A Commonplace Killing (2012). The novel was set around Holloway Road, Seven Sisters Road and Caledonian Road.

Channing Wright, Sarah

The Angels of Islington (2014) A gothic thriller set in Islington following a group of vampires who have successfully integrated themselves into the goth scene of nineties.

Conan Doyle, Arthur

1859-1930

Photograph of Arthur Conan Doyle Photograph of Arthur Conan Doyle
The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle (1892). Ryder tells of “a friend once called Maudsley, who went to the bad, and has just been serving his time in Pentonville.”

Dunant, Sarah

(1950-)

Fatlands a Hannah Wolfe mystery (1993). The author lived in Highwood Road.

Eddleston, John J.

1952-

Foul Deeds in Islington (2010). An account of true crime in the borough.

Grimes, Martha

1931-

Richard Jury series (1981-). Scotland Yard inspector, Richard Jury, lives in Islington.

Herron, Mick

1963-

Slough House Series (2010-) Jackson Lamb works in Slough House, an “administrative oubliette” for disgraced MI5 operatives situated in Aldersgate Street in the former Metropolitan Borough of Finsbury.

Higson, Charlie

1958-

The Enemy series (2009-). Islington features throughout Higson’s post-apocalyptic, young adult horror series.