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.

 

Read more
  • South

Thackeray, William Makepeace

1811-1863

Vanity Fair (1848) and other titles. The writer spent his formative years at Charterhouse.

Underhill, Rev. Stanley

1927-

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

Walton, Izaak

1593-1683

The Compleat Angler (1653). Walton retired to Clerkenwell sometime before 1650 and wrote his celebration of the art of fishing there.

Watts, Isaac

1674-1748

Logick: or, the Right use of Reason in the Enquiry After Truth (1726)

The minister, logician, poet and hymn writer’s work was buried in Bunhill Fields. His work on logic was the standard text on the subject for over 100 years. He published over 600 hymns including many that remain as standard.