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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  • Science fiction

Adams, Douglas

1952-2001

Hitchhikers’ Guide to the Galaxy (1979) and other titles. Adams lived in Duncan Terrace and used the estate agent Hotblack Desiato’s name as a character. He also lived in a flat on Upper Street and sofa-surfed in a friend’s house in Arlington Avenue.

Cavendish, Mary Duchess of Newcastle-upon-Tyne

1623-1673

The Blazing World (1666). She wrote what is regarded as one of the first science fiction novels and lived in Clerkenwell after the Restoration in 1660. Samuel Pepys (1633-1703) thought her a “conceited ridiculous woman.”

Higson, Charlie

1958-

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

Hollis, J S

A Rational Man (2018). The book is set in Islington in the near-future, where Sebastian grows up on the current site of Pentonville Prison.

Pemberton, Victor

1931-2017

Doctor Who, Adventures of Black Beauty and other plays and scripts. The scriptwriter and television producer was born in Islington and wrote for the BBC and ITV.

Wingrove, David

1954-

Chung Kuo Series (1989–1997) and other titles. The science fiction writer lives in Barnsbury.