From the best books and places to visit to cafés and events and courses, Malcolm Burgess helps you make the very most of the literary city.
Classic books on London: Virginia Woolf, Mrs Dalloway, Charles Dickens Bleak House, Arthur Conan Doyle, The Return of Sherlock Holmes, Norman Collins, London Belongs to Me, Colin McInnes, Absolute Beginners, Virginia Woolf, The London Scene, Sam Selvon, The Lonely Londoners, John Evelyn, Diary, Samuel Pepys Diary
Recent recommended books: Monica Ali, Brick Lane, Xiaolu Guo, A Concise Chinese-English Dictionary for Lovers, Sukdhev Sandu, Night Haunts, Gillian Tindall, The House by the Thames, Rachel Lichtenstein, On Brick Lane, David Szalay, London and the South-East, Clare Clark, The Great Stink, Will Self, The Book of Dave.
Favourite literary landmarks:
Keats House, Hampstead The beautiful Regency home where the Romantic poet lived and wrote from 1818 – 20. Now a thriving museum about Keats’ life and work with related exhibitions, events and walks, plus a delightful Keats-themed garden. www.keatshousecityoflondon.gov.uk
Shakespeare’s Globe, Southwark Built close to the site of the original Thames-side Globe Theatre where many of Shakespeare’s most famous plays were first performed. Productions from Shakespeare and his contemporaries and modern playwrights from April to October with a year-round exhibition and tour. www.shakespearesglobe.com
Dr Johnson’s House, Fleet Street The wonderful Georgian home of Samuel Johnson from 1748-1759, where he compiled the first English Dictionary. Restored to its original design and full of writer memorabilia, with related literary and artistic exhibitions and events. www.drjohnsonshouse.org
Charles Dickens Museum, Holborn Dickens only surviving London home, where he lived from 1837 – 1839 holds the world’s most important collection of his rare editions, manuscripts, paintings and furniture. Special exhibitions throughout the year – 2012 is the 200th anniversary of Charles Dickens’ birth.
www.dickensmuseum.com www.dickens2012.org
William Morris Gallery, Walthamstow Writer, designer, political campaigner and founder of the Arts and Crafts movement, William Morris lived at the family home Water House from 1848 – 1856. Re-opening in July 2012 it contains an outstanding collection of textiles, wallpapers, ceramics, furniture, stained glass, books and fine arts. www.walthamforest.gov.uk/william-morris
The Sherlock Holmes Museum, Baker Street Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson lived at 221b Baker Street which is now a museum dedicated to the Victorian detectives. Includes a re-creation of the famous first floor study, life-size wax works and other visitor attractions.
Poets’ Corner, Westminster Abbey Nearly every famous writer in English Literature is either buried or commemorated in Westminster Abbey. Geoffrey Chaucer, John Dryden, Charles Dickens and Thomas Hardy are some of the writers buried here while memorials include those to Shakespeare, Emily Bronte, Henry James and John Betjeman.www.westminster-abbey.org
Carlyle’s House, Chelsea Thomas Carlyle was one of the nineteenth century’s best known historians and philosophers and lived with his wife Jane in this fine 1708 Queen Anne terraced house from 1834 – 1881 in an area rich with literary associations. Left very much as it was during Carlyle’s lifetime, it contains a wide range of books, pictures, furniture and personal possessions.
www.nationaltrust.org.uk/carlyleshouse
The British Library, St Pancras The national library of the UK has a collection of over 14 million books and moved into its impressive modern building in 1997. Fascinating themed exhibitions – currently on illustrated manuscripts – and displays. The Sir John Ritlbat Gallery has a permanent exhibition of books and manuscripts from Beowulf and The Canterbury Tales to the Magna Carta and Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. www.bl.uk
The Freud Museum, Camden The London family home of Sigmund Freud and later his daughter Anna following their exile from Austria in 1938. Contains a brilliant collection of Freud memorabilia, antiquities and furniture, together with exhibitions, and includes Freud’s study and sofa, the scene of his most famous psycho-analytic investigations. www.freud.org.uk
Best bookshops:
London Review of Books Bookshop, 14 Bury Place, WC1A2JL www.lrbshop.co.uk
Foyles Bookshop, 113-119 Charing Cross Road, WC2H OEB, St Pancras International, Euston Road, N1C4QL, Festival Hall, South Bank SE1 8XX, Westfield White City, W12 7GE, Westfield Stratford City, E20 1EH www.foyles.co.uk
Waterstone’s Piccadilly, 203 – 206 Piccadilly, W1J9LE The largest bookshop in Europe!
Daunt Books, 83 Marylebone High Street, W1U 4QW, 158 – 164 Fulham Road, SW109PR, 112-114 Holland Park Avenue, W11 4VA, 51 South End Road, NW3 2QB, 193 Haverstock Hill, NW3 4QL, 61 Cheapside EC2U 6AX
Check these out for regular readings too.
Nicest literary cafes:
London Review of Books Bookshop Cafe, 14 Bury Place, WC1A2JL www.lrbshop.co.uk
Foyles Bookshop Ray’s Cafe, 113-119 Charing Cross Road, WC2H OEB, www.foyles.co.uk
The Poetry Café, 22 Betterton Street, Wc2H 9BX www.poetrysociety.org.uk/content/cafe
Inspiring literary walks: www.walks.com Literary Bloomsbury and the Old Museum Quarter, Shakespeare’s and Dickens’s London
Useful apps: Get London Reading - wherever you are in London find out a book that’s set there - and Literary London. Both available on iTunes (Get London Reading is free)
Most interesting websites and blogs: www.londonfictions.com , www.fictionalcities.co.uk passionate enthusiasts on London writing. www.spreadtheword.org.uk for up-to-date London writing news and resources
Live events and festivals:
- South Bank Centre, Riverside www.southbankcentre.co.uk includes the summer’s London Literature Festival
- The Poetry Café, 22 Betterton Street, WC2H 9BX. Regular poetry readings www.poetrysociety.org.uk/content/cafe
- The Free Word Centre, 60 Farringdon Road, EC1R 3GA Focuses on translated writing www.freewordonline.com
Many bookshops and libraries also hold events throughout the year. For the latest literary listings information www.timeout.com/london (click books and poetry)
Short writing courses and workshops:
- Faber Academy Writing Courses with visiting writer tutors www.faber.co.uk
- Urban Arvon summer three day course in association with Birkbeck College www.arvonfoundation.org
- Groucho Club, Soho week long summer workshop, plus other longer courses www.writingcourses.org.uk
- City Lit weekend creative writing courses www.citylit.ac.uk
Also available in this series: Reading the City: Paris
Malcolm Burgess is the publisher of Oxygen Books’ city-lit London (£8.99, paperback) www.oxygenbooks.co.uk
