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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Pilger, Zoe

1984-

Eat my Heart Out (2014). The novel is set in part in Islington.

Rushdie, Salman

1947-

Satanic Verses (1988). Rushdie stayed in Lonsdale Square when he was in hiding, while living under a fatwa, after the book’s publication.

Rowling, J.K.

1965-

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2003). The Order’s headquarters are at a fictional address in Islington, at 12 Grimmauld Place.

Rourke, Lee

1972-

Regent’s Canal (2002). The book is set on and around the canal.

Soans, Zeb

1976-

Gaspard the Fox (2018). BBC presenter and author lives in Islington.

Spark, Muriel

1918-2006

The Symposium (1990). The novel is set around a dinner party in Islington, ending with the murder of the murder of one of the guests.

Sanderson, Lesley

1963-

The Woman at 46 Heath Street (2019) and other titles. The author and secondary school librarian lives near King’s Cross. [CT]

Sansom C.J.

1952-

Revelation (2008). The book is set, in part, on the site of the dissolved Charterhouse monastery.

Sayers, Dorothy L.

1893-1957

The Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club (1928). Sayer’s fourth Lord Peter Wimsey novel features George Fentiman who lives in Finsbury Park.

Schillinger, Naomi

Veg Street: Grow Your Own Community (2013). The gardener, writer and photographer lives in Finsbury Park.

Seskis, Tina

1966-

One Step too Far (2013). Crime and thriller writer, who lives in Archway.

Shakespeare, William

1564-1616

Henry IV Part 2 (c1600). Falstaff complains how Justice Shallow boasts about ‘the wildness of his youth and the feats he has done about Turnbull Street” (now Turnmill Street).