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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Wollstonecraft, Mary

1759-1797

A Vindication of the Rights of Men (1790) and A Vindication of the Rights of Women (1792) and other titles. The writer, teacher and feminist, opened a school for girls at Newington Green in 1784. [NF]

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.

Williams, Kenneth

1926-1988

The actor and writer was born in a house off Caledonian Road, where 13/15 Bingfield Street is now located.

Wingrove, David

1954-

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

Young, Hugo

1938-2003

One of Us: Life of Margaret Thatcher (1989). The journalist, biographer and political commentator lived in Islington.

Young, Ian

1945-

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