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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  • LGBT+

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).

Charlesworth, Kate

Sensible Footware – A Girl’s Guide (2019) The LGBT+ cartoonist and activist lived in Rawstorne Street, Clerkenwell.

Jackson, Mike

Pride (2017) Jackson, contributor to the book and the movie ‘Pride’ was a squatter at 39 Lloyd Baker Street whilst he was Secretary of Lesbians and Gays Support the Miners during the 1984/5 Miners’ Strike.

Jarman, Derek

1942-1994

The artist, filmmaker, LGBT activist and writer lived at 60 Liverpool Road at the beginning of his career from 1967-69.

Orton, Joe

1933-1967

Entertaining Mr Sloane (1964), Loot (1965), What the Butler Saw (first performance 1969) and other titles. Orton lived with his partner Kenneth Halliwell at 25 Noel Road from 1959, writing his best known works in the bedsit flat until his death in 1967.

Underhill, Rev. Stanley

1927-

Coming Out in the Black Country (2018). The Reverend is currently one of the 41 residents of Charterhouse.

Waugh, Evelyn

1903-1966

Decline and Fall (1928) and other titles. Waugh lived at 17a Canonbury Square from 1928-29.

Wilde, Oscar

1854-1900

Wilde was imprisoned in Holloway Prison, awaiting trial for gross indecency and then in Pentonville Prison after his conviction in 1895.

Young, Ian

1945-

London Skin and Bones: The Finsbury Park Stories (2017). The short stories are set in the Finsbury Park area.