From James Bond’s violent assassinations to Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Though perhaps his name is not as instantly recognisable as other successful authors, Ian Fleming’s work is some of the most successful of all time. He is the writer of the James Bond books which have since been developed into a high-grossing film series and also Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, a children’s book which has also been adapted for the big screen. Ian Fleming himself was born in 1908 into a wealthy family which lived in Mayfair. He was not particularly academic at school, and was moved around by his family who wanted to get the best out of him. Once an adult, the similarities between Fleming, and his world-renowned character, James Bond, become clear. Upon the start of the Second World War, Fleming was recruited to become the personal assistant to the Director of Naval Intelligence, a role which resulted in him being commissioned into the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve. He rose to the rank of Lieutenant Commander during his time there. In 1942 he formed a unit of commandos, composed of specialist intelligence troops, who worked to seize enemy intelligence. His unit eventually grew to having around 150 troops. Fleming’s time in the military was clearly a formative period in his life, as both James Bond, and Caractacus Pott (the father in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang) were both formerly Royal Naval Commanders. During his time working in the military, it was noted that Fleming expressed a desire to write a spy novel. Post-war Fleming became the foreign manager in the newspaper group which owned The Sunday Times. This gave him the opportunity to take three months’ holiday every year, which he took in Jamaica. Much of this was spent on the Goldeneye Estate, a place which a later James Bond film took its name from. The first novel Fleming wrote was Casino Royale. Despite initial difficulty in persuading the publishers Jonathan Cape to print it, once it was okayed in 1953, three print runs were actually needed to cope with demand! The main character of the novel, Bond, was inspired by a variety of sources. Fleming decided that he should resemble good looking celebrities such as the singer Hoagy Carmichael, as well as himself. There were further elements of Fleming’s own personality which filtered through to Bond’s: his taste for scrambled eggs, and the use of the same brand of toiletries, for example. More profound inspiration for Bond’s character was found in all the secret service personnel Fleming encountered during his time in the Navy. The knowledge on espionage that he gained during this time was also clearly also useful in writing such a convincing spy novel. Following the success of the first, Fleming wrote a further eleven Bond novels, and two short story collections. Even after Fleming’s untimely death in 1964 (aged just 56), the strength of the character he’d created meant that eight other authors have subsequently written authorised Bond novels. Most recently, this has been Anthony Horowitz; the next of his Bond novels, With a Mind to Kill, is set to be released later this year. Fleming’s brilliance is further emphasised through the overwhelming success of James Bond films which are now the fifth-highest-grossing film series of all time. Many of the actors who play Bond, such as Sean Connery and Daniel Craig, are now best known for their portrayals of Fleming’s famous character. There have now been 25 Bond films produced, with the most recent coming out last year. Although the storyline has had to be extended from what Fleming could write in his lifetime, his inspiration is still seen. For example, in his book Thunderball, Bond fights against the terrorist organisation, ‘Spectre’. This is echoed in the 2015 film named Spectre. On top of this, Ian Fleming’s work has been adapted for television, radio, comics, and even video games! Fleming’s style of writing in these novels has been praised. It was said by Raymond Benson (who later wrote some of the authorised Bond novels) that by Thunderball – published in 1961 – he was ‘a master storyteller’. It is recognised that Fleming’s journalistic beginnings helped him to progress the narrative quickly, without dragging it out. This, along with the hooks at the end of every chapter, help to engage readers. It’s clear that Fleming’s most renowned novels are still a success today, particularly through the continuing adaptations they have encouraged. Fleming’s other notable work is the children’s book, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. In a similar way to the Bond series, he is sometimes forgotten as the creator, again due to the success of the film adaptation. The book centres around a car, named ‘Chitty Chitty Bang Bang’ (called that due to the noise it makes). Throughout the book, the car slowly gains the ability to take independent actions, often rescuing the family in times of need and helping them to do good in defeating the gangsters. Ian Fleming’s children’s book was published in 1961, at the height of the success of his James Bond series. Just as in the Bond series, Fleming took inspiration from his own life. The car in this book was somewhat based on his own Standard Tourer, which he drove in the 1920s. Similarly, one of the children in the novel was called Jemima, named after a previous boss’ daughter. It was clearly a brave step for the already-successful author to take. It was somewhat of a turn away from his more adult spy novels, though they share the element of adventure. Nonetheless, the review upon release was overwhelmingly positive. One reviewer in The Times actually commented that this was a perfect novel for ‘junior Bonds-men’. The strength of the story is again reflected by the fact it was later turned into a film, starring Dick van Dyke and Sally Ann Howes. It's undeniable that Fleming had the ability to write a great story. Though the fame has slightly been stolen from him by the production of films, it’s important to acknowledge him as the mastermind behind these well-loved tales. If you want to read more articles from Writer's Path, please go to our home page and subscribe to our emailing list. Our articles will come straight into your inbox.

Sylvia Plath’s The Bell Jar explores isolation, identity and the pressures of societal expectations. Sylvia Plath’sThe Bell Jar, attracted mediocre reviews upon its publication in 1963. Since then, however, its insight into Plath’s life, and the issues of mental health, and women’s rights, which were widely ignored at the time, are demonstrative of why it’s now considered such a powerful novel. The BBC even put it on their list of ‘100 stories that shaped the world’ in 2019. Plath herself was born in Massachusetts in 1932 to Austrian parents. She studied at Smith College in the early 1950s and later won a Fulbright fellowship to study at Cambridge University, England. This is where she met Ted Hughes, who she married within a year. They both became increasingly successful writers, and moved between America and England. However, within a few years, there arose difficulties as jealousy grew between Plath and Hughes due to Hughes’ increasing success; there are even rumours of domestic abuse occurring between the pair. They divorced in 1962. The Bell Jar focuses on an adolescent girl, Esther, who goes to study at a summer writing course in New York. The story starts here, but jumps around with flashbacks to Esther’s past, and its progression into the future. The novel may not appear massively autobiographical from its plot outline, but within the story, there are many details which link it to Plath’s life. As will be discussed, it is possible that these details were part of Plath’s confessionalism. The Confessional Movement emerged in the 1950s and 60s, and involves writers discussing deeply personal subjects such as trauma, death and depression, but through a fictional medium. Esther’s mind – sometimes narrated through a stream of consciousness – is presented as a whirlwind of deteriorating mental health, spurred on by societal pressures she faces and the inequality of women. This narration emphasises the fact that many of Esther’s experiences were actually Plath’s own. For example, Esther’s father died when she was nine, and Plath’s did when she was just eight. In fact, this part of the storyline is identical as Esther mentions her father’s interest in insects, and Plath’s own father was an entomologist. Interestingly, Plath seemed to have an obsession with her father which ranged from her love and admiration for him (sometimes verging on an Electra Complex) to her hatred for him “abandoning” her. In her poem, Daddy, she even calls him a ‘bastard’ and says ‘the villagers never liked you’. Plath’s mental state at this time – just four months before her death – was likely disturbed. Nonetheless, the parallels between Esther and Plath continue, both being rejected from prestigious writing courses, both receiving electroconvulsive therapy in psychiatric hospitals, and both writing poetry, just to name a few. Perhaps through these parallels, Plath is trying to lay out her the blame for her mental deterioration. Just as Esther’s mental state deteriorates, Plath’s does similarly. With regards to this mental deterioration, again The Bell Jar is important historically, and in understanding Plath’s own life further. In the novel, Esther describes a level of dissociation and disconnection from reality. She says that she ‘wasn’t steering’ herself, even describing her own reflection as ‘the face in the mirror’, rather than her face. Moreover, Esther uses different names for herself, creating the persona of Elly Higginbottom in the first chapter, and Elaine about halfway through the novel. Similarly, and unfortunately, Plath herself struggled severely with mental health, describing the level of her despair as “owl’s talons clenching my heart”. Before her death in 1963, she had already tried to kill herself by taking her mother’s sleeping pills ten years before, and later by driving her car off the road. She received both electroconvulsive shock therapy and insulin shock therapy before she had left college (for her depression), and struggled with insomnia. Like her protagonist, Plath also used different names, publishing The Bell Jar under the name of Victoria Lucas. Finally, Plath committed suicide on 11th February 1963, less than a month after the publication of her novel. At that time – during the worst winter for a century – she had been divorced from Hughes for just four months, and she was single parenting two children in a London flat without a telephone. She was found with her head in the oven by her the live-in nurse that was coming to ensure she was alright until her anti-depressants kicked in. Whilst very sad, this element of Plath’s life is clearly represented in the confessional nature of The Bell Jar. In more of her material, this was explored further. For example, in her poem, Daddy, she talks about attempting suicide at age twenty. Similarly, Suicide Off Egg Rock – another of her poems – is a reference to the rock mentioned in The Bell Jar which Esther aims towards when she tries to swim until she drowns. Notably, Plath won a Pulitzer Prize for her Collected Poems published posthumously in 1982, showing the impact of such poems such as these. On the important issue of women’s rights, too, The Bell Jar is influential. It is perhaps because of Esther’s incongruity with the group of girls she is put with that readers have their attention drawn to the stereotypical presentation of women and girls in the 1960s. The reference to them as ‘the girls’ highlights their uniformity, but Esther’s blunt statement that the girls she was staying with ‘make me sick’ demonstrate her contrast to them. Whereas they relish the opportunity to be showered with gifts, Esther ‘hid them away’; whilst the girls mostly eat salad for lunch, Esther ‘picked the richest, most expensive dishes’ to gorge on. These differences highlight the stereotypical assumptions many people made about women in the 60s. Furthermore, when debating what life choices she had with the Fig Tree analogy, Esther notes the appeal of having ‘a husband, and a happy home, and children’, but ultimately, she rejects that stable, conventional offer in the form of Buddy Willard, who is training to become a doctor. This epitomises the feeling that whichever choice she makes, Esther will be losing out on another, and potentially disappointing the people around her. Again, the confessional nature of the novel enhances the power of this image, and demonstrates the importance of The Bell Jar. Ultimately, The Bell Jar is both a masterpiece of confessionalism, and an eye-opening novel about the societal pressures of the 20th century. It draws attention to specific problems faced by Plath herself, and relates these problems to American society as a whole, showing why it is such a powerful book. If you want to read more articles from Writer's Path, please go to our home page and subscribe to our emailing list. Our articles will come straight into your inbox.

Kipling House On a busy street running between the Strand and the Thames stands a London home connected with one of Britain’s best-known writers. Rudyard Kipling lived at 43 Villiers Street from 1889 to 1891, and today a blue plaque marks his time here. Now known as Kipling House, the building provides a surviving connection with an important period in the writer’s early career in London. Rudyard Kipling’s London Home at 43 Villiers Street Kipling arrived in London in 1889 after several years working as a journalist in India. He moved into rooms at 43 Villiers Street, close to Charing Cross and the Thames. The location placed the young writer in the heart of late Victorian London. Villiers Street runs downhill from the Strand towards the Embankment, with Charing Cross Station just a short distance away. Kipling remained here until 1891, during a period in which his reputation as a writer was rapidly developing. Kipling’s Writing in London By the time Kipling came to Villiers Street, he had already begun attracting attention for stories and poems inspired by his experiences in British India. His years in London coincided with an important stage in his literary career. The Light That Failed, Kipling’s first novel, appeared during this period, while poems that would become associated with Barrack-Room Ballads were also being written around these years. Kipling would go on to produce works including The Jungle Book, The Second Jungle Book, Captains Courageous, Kim and the Just So Stories, as well as poems including If— and Mandalay. In 1907, he became the first English-language writer to receive the Nobel Prize in Literature. The Rudyard Kipling Blue Plaque Visitors to 43 Villiers Street can still see the blue plaque commemorating Kipling’s residence. The current plaque was erected by the London County Council in 1957 and records that Rudyard Kipling, poet and story writer, lived here from 1889 to 1891. It replaced an earlier brown plaque installed in 1940. The plaque makes this more than simply a building named after a famous writer. It identifies the surviving location as a place where Kipling actually lived during his early London career. Kipling House Today The building is now known as Kipling House, preserving its association with its former resident. Villiers Street itself is very different from the London Kipling would have known. Today it is a busy pedestrian route connecting the Strand and Charing Cross with Embankment and the Thames. Yet amid the shops, restaurants and commuters, the blue plaque remains easy to miss. Look above street level at 43 Villiers Street and there is still a small reminder that, more than a century ago, a young Rudyard Kipling called this corner of central London home. For anyone exploring literary London, it is a surviving link between Kipling’s life, his early literary success and the city in which his international reputation began to grow. Location: 43 Villiers Street, Charing Cross, London WC2N 6NE Nearest Underground station: Embankment if you want to find more hidden literary gems in London visit our Writer's Path Map https://www.writerspath.co.uk/literary-map 👈⁠⁠ ⁠

Explore literary London through famous authors, literary locations and our interactive literary map of London, from writers’ homes and plaques to pubs and memorials. Untitled Untitled Untitled Welcome Blog Products Subscribtion Explore Literary London Literary Map Discover writers’ homes, favourite haunts and hidden corners with our interactive literary map of London. To play, press and hold the enter key. To stop, release the enter key. 144+ Literary Locations 66 Writers 1 Literary City NEW ON THE LITERARY MAP The Head of Oscar Wilde Oscar Wilde • Chelsea • Sculpture You can now find The Head of Oscar Wilde on our Literary Map of London. Discover this striking bronze sculpture in Dovehouse Green and its connection to Wilde’s Chelsea. View on the Map Hi Literature Lovers Writer’s Path is a literary map of London that lets you explore the city through the lens of literature. On our map, you can discover literary landmarks such as famous authors’ homes, iconic bookstores, literary pubs and settings from beloved novels. Whether you’re a book lover, a history enthusiast or simply looking to experience the magic of literary London, Writer’s Path offers a unique and immersive way to enjoy the city’s rich literary heritage. Dive deep into the stories behind the city’s most famous literary spots — and explore our collection of literary gifts and book lover gifts inspired by writers and London’s literary history. Discover Our Blog Articles on famous writers, literary sites and literary gift Ideas Literary Map of London: Discover Iconic Literary Landmarks with Real-Time Location & Distance Updates Virginia Woolf and Women in Literature: A Room of One’s Own Discover Unique Writer Gifts: A Literary Journey with Writer's Path Discover Explore Our Literary Gifts Explore our full collection of literary gifts designed for book lovers. New Arrival Mark Twain Literary T-Shirt – Writing Is Easy Price £19.00 James Joyce T-Shirt with Word Art Design Price £19.00 Framed William Shakespeare Poster – Word Art Print Price £29.00 Framed Karl Marx Poster- Word Art Literary Gift Price £29.00 Tsundoku Mug - Japanese Literary Gift Price £12.00 Edgar Allan Poe Mug - Word Art Literary Gifts Price £12.00 Mark Twain Mug -Literary Quote Price £12.00 Oscar Wilde Mug - Word Art Design Price £12.00 James Joyce Mug - Word Art Literary Gifts Price £12.00 Virginia Woolf Mug - Word Art Literary Gifts Price £12.00 Guy de Maupassant Mug - Literary Quote Price £12.00 Shakespeare Mug - Word Art Literary Gifts Price £12.00 Karl Marx Mug - Word Art Literary Gifts Price £12.00 Shop Now Subscribe for Articles, Lierary Gift Ideas and Updates I accept terms & conditions View Privacy Policy Subscribe Thanks for submitting!

Browse an A–Z list of famous authors connected to London. Read brief introductions to each writer and learn how their lives or works intersect with the city’s literary history. Writers Famous authors whose paths crossed with London. Explore an A–Z list of writers connected to the city’s rich literary history, each with a brief introduction. A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P R S T U V W X Y Z Anchor - A Agatha Christie Writer Dame Agatha Christie (1890-1976) was an English author famed for writing detective novels, short stories, plays and poems. Some of her well-known works include Murder on the Orient Express, Death on the Nile, The Murder at the Vicarage, Partners In Crime, and The Mousetrap which featured the celebrated detectives, Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple. Christie was awarded a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1971. Antony Trollope Novelist Anthony Trollope (1815-1882) was an English novelist, short story writer and playwright; he was one of the most prolific writers of the Victorian era writing fourty-seven novels. Some of Trollope’s notable works were The Way We Live Now, The Macdermots of Ballycloran and The Warden, as well as The Chronicles of Barsetshire which comprised of six novels based on this imaginary county. He was also the creator of pillar boxes! Arthur Conan Doyle Writer Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (1859-1930) was a writer best known for the creation of arguably the most famous fictional detective, Sherlock Holmes. Scottish-born Doyle wrote four novels and more than fifty short stories featuring Detective Holmes, as well as exploring the genres of fantasy and science fiction, humorous stories, plays, romances, poetry, non-fiction and historical novels in books like The Lost World, showing just what a prolific writer he was. Anchor - B Beatrix Potter Writer The writer and illustrator, Beatrix Potter (1866-1943), was best known for her famous children's book, The Tale of Peter Rabbit. She wrote thirty books in total, twenty-three of them being children's tales. Even today, more than two million Beatrix Potter books are sold across the world every year, showing just how influential her writing has been. Bram Stoker Writer Abraham Stoker, widely known as Bram Stoker (1847-1912), was an Irish writer. He was also a manager and personal assistant of the actor, Sir Henry Irving. One of Stoker’s most popular works is the Gothic horror novel, Dracula and whilst he wrote twelve novels in total, none of them could match the success of Dracula. He was also friends with Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, William Butler Yeats and Oscar Wilde, the latter friendship being significant due to the fight between the two men over Florence Balcome, Stoker’s wife. Anchor - C Charles Darwin Naturalist The much-acclaimed English naturalist, geologist and biologist, Charles Robert Darwin (1809-1882), was best known for his scientific theory of evolution by natural selection. His notable works were The Voyage of the Beagle, On the Origin of Species and The Descent of Man. Charles Dickens Writer Charles Dickens (1812-1870) was an English novelist and, ultimately, one of the most distinguished authors of the Victorian era. He wrote over fifteen novels and short stories, including A Tale of Two Cities, Oliver Twist, David Copperfield, Nicholas Nickleby, A Christmas Carol, The Pickwick Papers, Little Dorrit and Great Expectations. Anchor - D Daniel Defoe Writer Daniel Defoe (1660-1731) was an English trader and writer. Defoe is best known for writing Robinson Crusoe; this book is so popular that it is the second most translated book (after the Bible). His other important works were Memoirs of a Cavalier, A Journal of the Plague Year, Colonel Jack, Moll Flanders and Roxana: The Fortunate Mistress. Daphne du Maurier Author Daphne du Maurier (1907-1989) was an English author and playwright whose most famous novels include Rebecca, Jamaica Inn and Frenchman's Creek. Moreover, both her short story, The Birds, and her novel, Rebecca, were made into films directed by Alfred Hitchcock. D. H. Lawrence Writer The English writer and poet, David Herbert Lawrence (1885-1930), was a very influential and prolific writer of his time. He wrote novels, short stories, poetry, plays and literary criticism. Some of his best-known works include Sons and Lovers, The Rainbow, Women in Love, John Thomas and Lady Jane and Lady Chatterley's Lover. Dorothy L. Sayers Writer As well as translating Dante’s 14th century narrative poem, Divine Comedy, the English writer and poet, Dorothy Leigh Sayers (1893-1957), was best regarded for her crime novels and poetry. Her most acclaimed works include, The Nine Tailors, Murder Must Advertise, Strong Poison, Have His Carcase and Gaudy Night. Douglas Adams Writer Douglas Adams (1952-2001) was an English author famed for the pentalogy, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, which sold more than fifteen million copies as a novel (although it was originally broadcast as a radio show). Some of his other well-known works were Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency (which was made into a Netflix Series), The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul and Last Chance to See. Dylan Thomas Poet Although he died young at the age of thirty-nine, the Welsh poet, writer and reporter, Dylan Marlais Thomas (1914-1953), was a very successful poet. Some of his best works include And Death Shall Have No Dominion, A Child’s Christmas in Wales and Do Not Go Gentle into that Good Night. The last of these was narrated throughout Chris Nolan’s blockbuster film, Interstellar, showing the power evoked in Thomas’ work. Anchor - E Edgar Allan Poe Writer Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849) was an American writer, poet and literary critic regarded highly for his Gothic – and often macabre – literature such as The Raven, The Cask of Amontillado, The Masque of the Red Death, and The Fall of the House of Usher. As well as this, Poe’s short story, The Murders in the Rue Morgue was considered to be the first detective story. E. M. Forster Novelist Edward Morgan Forster (1879-1970) was an English author whose works include A Room with a View, Howards End and A Passage to India. Forster was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature sixteen times but never actually won! Elizabeth Bowen Novelist Elizabeth Bowen (1899-1973) was an Irish-British author and short story writer who was awarded a CBE for her work. She is best known for fiction about life in wartime London and her works include The Last September, The House in Paris, The Death of the Heart, The Heat of the Day and Eva Trout. Elizabeth Gaskell Novelist Often referred to as just Mrs Gaskell, Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell (1810-1865) was an English novelist, short story writer and biographer. As well as writing books such as Cranford, North and South, and Wives and Daughters, Gaskell contributed to Charles Dickens' periodical magazine, Household Words and was also friends with Charlotte Brontë (incidentally writing her biography, The Life of Charlotte Brontë). Emile Zola Novelist Émile Zola (1840-1902) was a French novelist, playwright and journalist. He was a naturalist writer and arguably the most influential French novelist of the late 19th century. Zola was nominated for the first ever Nobel Prize in Literature, in 1901 and subsequently also in 1902, but he never won. Some of his best works were Les Rougon-Macquart, Thérèse Raquin, Germinal and Nana. Ezra Pound Poet Ezra Pound (1885-1972) was an American poet and critic and an important figure in the Modernist poetry movement. Some of his notable works were Ripostes, Hugh Selwyn Mauberley, The Cantos – which he never finished – and The Pisan Cantos, for which he was awarded the Bollingen Prize in poetry in 1949. Anchor - G Gavin Maxwell Poet Gavin Maxwell (1914-1969) was a Scottish writer and naturalist. He is best known for his non-fiction writing on natural history, travel literature and otters! His notable work was Ring of Bright Water which sold more than a million copies and was made into a film in 1969. Some of Maxwell’s other works were Harpoon at a Venture, The Rocks Remain, God Protect Me from My Friends and The Pains of Death. Geoffrey Chaucer Poet Geoffrey Chaucer (1343-1400) was an English poet and writer widely acknowledged as the father of English literature; he was also the first poet buried in Poets' Corner of Westminster Abbey. Chaucer’s most celebrated work, The Canterbury Tales, which contains several different stories within the main plot (of pilgrims travelling to Canterbury) is considered one of the greatest poetic works in the English language. George Bernard Shaw Playwright George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950) was an Irish playwright, critic and political activist. After his novels were rejected by publishers, he started to write plays of which he wrote more than sixty. Some of his important works were Pygmalion, Saint Joan, Heartbreak House, Candida and Man and Superman. Bernard Shaw was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1925 and also won an Academy Award for the Best Adapted Screenplay of his play, Pygmalion, in 1938. George Eliot Novelist Mary Ann Evans (1819-1880) – under the pen name of George Eliot – was an English novelist, poet and journalist. She was one of the most influential writers of the Victorian era. Her most important works were The Mill on the Floss, Silas Marner, Romola, Middlemarch and Daniel Deronda. George Gissing Novelist George Robert Gissing (1857-1903) was an eminent figure in 19th century Naturalist literature, writing twenty-three novels. Some of Gissing’s well-known works include The Nether World, New Grub Street, Born In Exile and The Odd Women. George Orwell Novelist Under the pen name of George Orwell, Eric Arthur Blair (1903-1950) was a hugely successful English novelist, political essayist and journalist, known for his left-wing, anti-totalitarian views. Orwell wrote six novels and most of them were semi-autobiographical. Some of his best-known works were Animal Farm, Nineteen Eighty-Four, Homage to Catalonia and Down and Out in Paris and London. Henry James Author Henry James (1843-1916) was an American-British writer and an important figure in 20th century literary realism. He was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature three times and was also awarded the Order of Merit by King George V in 1916. Some of his notable works were The Portrait of a Lady, The Ambassadors, and The Wings of the Dove. Anchor - H H. G. Wells Writer Herbert George Wells (1866-1946) was an English author and an early pioneer of the science fiction genre. Wells wrote copiously throughout his life: he wrote more than 100 books in many genres such as novels, short stories, satire, history, biography and autobiography. Some of his well-known fictional novels were The Time Machine, The Invisible Man, The War of the Worlds, The Island of Doctor Moreau and The First Men in the Moon. Herman Melville Novelist Herman Melville (1819-1891) was an American novelist, short story writer and poet and is best known for his novels about the sea life. Melville wrote fifteen books, the most notable of which is the American classic, Moby Dick. Some of his other works include Typee: A Peep at Polynesian Life, Omoo, and Billy Budd; the last in the list was published posthumously thirty-three years after Melville’s death. Anchor - I Ian Fleming Author Ian Fleming (1908-1964) was an English suspense-fiction novelist and journalist, most eulogised as the author of James Bond; he wrote twelve James Bond novels as well as collections of short stories. In addition to these revered works – many of which have been turned in to successful films such as Dr No, Goldfinger and Thunderball – Fleming was also the author of well-known children's story Chitty-Chitty-Bang-Bang. The Times ranked Ian Fleming 14th on its list of "The 50 greatest British writers”. Italo Svevo Writer Actually the pen name of Aron Ettore Schmitz (1861-1928), Svevo was an Italian writer, novelist, playwright and short story writer; he was renowned throughout Italy for his psychological novels such as A Life, Zeno’s Conscience, A Perfect Hoax and The Nice Old Man and the Pretty Girl. Svevo was also a close friend of the famous Irish author, James Joyce. Anchor - J James Joyce Novelist James Joyce (1882-1941) – as well as speaking seventeen languages – was an Irish author, short story writer, and poet. He was a hugely salient writer in the 20th century, particularly as his style of writing was experimental and Modernist: he pioneered the stream of consciousness as a literary technique, for example. Joyce was also a drinking partner of Ernest Hemingway. Some of his well-known works include Ulysses, Dubliners, A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man and Finnegans Wake. J. M. Barrie Novelist Sir James Matthew Barrie (1860-1937) was a Scottish novelist and playwright. He was the creator of the timeless play and then novel, Peter Pan. Upon his death, J.M. Barrie gave his copyrights of Peter Pan to Great Ormond Street Hospital – a children's hospital in London. Some of his other notable works were The Little White Bird and The Admirable Crichton. Jane Austen Novelist Jane Austen (1775-1817) was an English novelist who wrote six completed novels: Sense and Sensibility; Pride and Prejudice; Mansfield Park; Emma; Northanger Abbey; and Persuasion. Austen’s final two novels were published posthumously. She wrote about ordinary middle-class people in everyday England and used a modern and realistic approach in her writing (as well as occasional comedy), making her work accessible and relatable for many readers. Jean Rhys Novelist Jean Rhys (1890-1979), also known as Ella Gwendolen Rees Williams, was a West-Indian novelist, short story writer and essayist. Her most notable works were Good Morning, Midnight, Voyage in the Dark and Wide Sargasso Sea. As well as winning the 1967 WH Smith Literary Award with her novel, Wide Sargasso Sea, Rhys was awarded a CBE in 1978. John Betjeman Poet The English poet, writer and broadcaster, Sir John Betjeman (1906-1984), was the UK’s Poet Laureate from 1972 until his death twelve years later. Some of his most notable works were Mount Zion, Collected Poems, High and Low, A Nip in the Air and Uncollected Poems. He also helped to save St. Pancras Station from demolition. John Keats Poet John Keats (1795-1821) was a Romantic English poet; although he only published fifty-four poems (dying prematurely at age 25), he is one of the most well-known poets in English Literature. As well as giving up his career in medicine to become a poet, Keats was not even appreciated in his own time. Fortunately, his popularity has grown significantly since his passing. Some of his notable poems were Ode to a Nightingale, To Autumn, Ode on a Grecian Urn and On First Looking into Chapman’s Homer. John Polidori Writer As well as a physician, John William Polidori (1795-1821) was an English author and poet. Some of his notable works were The Vampyre, Ernestus Berchtold; or, The Modern Oedipus and The Fall of the Angels: A Sacred Poem. His short story, The Vampyre, was the first published modern vampire story and he has seen by some as the creator of this offshoot of fantasy fiction. This book came about as a result of a contest between Polidori, Mary Shelley, Lord Byron and Percy Shelley held in The Villa Diodati in 1816. Another significant product of this contest was Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. Joseph Conrad Writer Joseph Conrad (1857-1924) was a Modernist, Polish-British writer who wrote novels as well as short stories. Although it wasn’t his first language, Conrad was nonetheless an eminent English writer. Some of his important novels were Lord Jim, Nostromo, The Secret Agent and the short story, Heart of Darkness. The latter was also the inspiration and the basis for Francis Ford Coppola's 1979 film, Apocalypse Now. Anchor - K Karl Marx Philosopher Karl Heinrich Marx (1818-1883) was a German revolutionary, author and philosopher. Marx was one of the most important political theorists of the 19th century best known for his ideas about communism and capitalism. Because of his political views and publications, Marx had to live in exile with his family in London until his death in 1883. Some of his notable works were his 1848 Pamphlet, The Communist Manifesto, and the three-volume critique of capitalism, Das Kapital. Katherine Mansfield Short Story Writer Kathleen Mansfield Murry (1888-1923) was a short story writer and poet. She was born in New Zealand and moved to England at the age of nineteen. Mansfield made friends with D. H. Lawrence and Virginia Woolf and although her literary career was very short (as she sadly died at thirty-four owing to tuberculosis), she is seen as one of the best short story writers of all time. Some of her best-known works were The Garden Party, A Dill Pickle, Mr and Mrs Dove, and The Fly. Anchor - L Leonard Woolf Author As well as being the husband of Virginia Woolf, Leonard Sidney Woolf (1880-1969) was a publisher, author and political theorist; together they founded Hogarth Press in 1917. Some of Virginia Woolf's novels and also T.S. Eliot's Modernist poem, The Waste Land, were published by Hogarth Press. Some of Leonard Woolf's own notable works were The Village in the Jungle, The Wise Virgins and Essays on Literature, History, Politics. Lord Byron Poet, politician George Gordon Byron (1788-1824) – widely known as Lord Byron – was an English poet and politician. He was considered as a leading figure in Romanticism and one of the greatest poets in English literature. Some of his best-known works were Don Juan, Childe Harold's Pilgrimage, Oriental Tales, The Corsair, and She Walks in Beauty. Anchor - M Madame d'Arblay Novelist Frances Burney (1752-1840), also known as Fanny Burney, was an English satirical novelist and playwright (who also wrote some journals and letters). D’Arblay was one of the most popular writers of the 18th century. Her notable works include Journals, Evelina; or, A Young Lady's Entrance into the World, Cecilia, Camilla, The Wanderer and her play, The Witlings. Mark Twain Writer Samuel Langhorne Clemens (1835 -1910) – widely known as Mark Twain – was an American author, humourist and also inventor. He was seen as the father of American literature; in fact, Ernest Hemingway said, "All modern American literature comes from one book by Mark Twain called Huckleberry Finn." His most notable works – as well as The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, of course – are The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court. Mary Shelley Novelist Not only was Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley (1797-1851) married to famous poet Percy Shelley, but she was hugely successful in her own right: for a woman to write a book as popular as Frankenstein in the 19th century was shocking (which is shown by the fact that many believed her husband, Percy, had written the book as it was published anonymously). Frankenstein proved the importance of women in literature and change people's beliefs; Mary Shelley put her name in the second edition which was published in 1823. Some of her other notable works include Valperga, The Last Man, Lodore and The Fortunes of Perkin Warbeck. Mary Wollstonecraft Writer Mary Wollstonecraft (1759-1797) was Mary Shelley’s mother – hence the similar name – who devoted herself to women’s rights and equality; she had a great influence and contribution to the feminist movement. Wollstonecraft is best known for her work, A Vindication of the Rights of Woman . Sadly, she died after giving birth to her daughter. Anchor - N Nathaniel Hawthorne Novelist Nathaniel Hawthorne (1804-1864) was an American novelist and short story writer. He had a great influence and contribution to the transcendentalist movement as well as an important role in the developing of American literature overall. Morality, religion and history were the main focuses in his writings. Some of his best works were Twice-Told Tales, The Scarlet Letter and The House of the Seven Gables . Natsume Sōseki Writer Natsume Sōseki (夏目 漱石) (1867-1916) was a Japanese novelist who wrote both short stories and poetry. The relationship between Japanese and Western cultures was the main subject in much of his writing. Some of his best-known works were Kokoro, Botchan, I Am a Cat and (the uncompleted) Light and Darkness. His portrait was on the front of the Japanese 1000 yen note for 20 years. Anchor - O Oscar Wilde Poet Oscar Wilde (1854-1900) was a famous Irish writer, poet and playwright best known for his contribution to the aesthetic movement in the 19th century. Wilde was imprisoned because of his homosexuality, and this “punishment” ultimately led to his death in 1900. He only wrote one novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray, but his other notable works include The Importance of Being Earnest, Lady Windermere’s Fan, The Ballad of Reading Gaol and De Profundis. P. L. Travers Writer Pamela Lyndon Travers (1899-1996) was an Australian-English writer, actress and journalist. Her most successful work was the children’s book series, Mary Poppins, which comprised of eight books by the time it was finished. After resisting for twenty years, Travers sold the film rights of Mary Poppins to Walt Disney. She was also friends with famous Irish poet, William Butler Yeats. Anchor - P Percy Shelley Poet Percy Bysshe Shelley (1792-1822) was an English Romantic poet, dramatist, essayist and novelist; his theories of economics and morality influenced Karl Marx and many others. Some of his notable works were Ozymandias, Ode to the West Wind, To a Skylark, Music, When Soft Voices Die, The Cloud, The Cenci, Queen Mab, Alastor, Adonaïs, Prometheus Unbound and Hellas: A Lyrical Drama. Shelley’s wife – Mary – was also a hugely successful author in her own right (writing lauded works such as Frankenstein). Anchor - R Rose Macaulay Writer Dame Emilie Rose Macaulay (1881-1958) was an English writer and novelist. She was a prolific writer who produced twenty-three novels in addition to other works including criticism, travel,history and poetry. She was awarded by the James Tait Black Memorial Prize for her novel, The Towers of Trebizond. Some of her other notable works include They Were Defeated, The World My Wilderness and Going Abroad. She was made a Dame Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (DBE) in 1958 and was also notably friends with Virginia Woolf, E. M. Forster and Elizabeth Bowen. Rudyard Kipling Journalist Best known for writing The Jungle Book – later to become a hugely successful Disney film – Rudyard Kipling (1865-1936) was an English journalist, short-story writer, poet, and novelist. He is also acclaimed as the pioneer of the art of short story. Kipling was born in India and the inspiration he drew from that culture is evidenced in many of his works. Kipling wrote several other successful stories, such as Just So Stories, Kim, The Man Who Would Be King, Mandalay, Gunga Din, The Gods of the Copybook Headings, The White Man's Burden and If—. In 1907, Kipling was also the first English writer awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature. Anchor - S Samuel Beckett Novelist Samuel Barclay Beckett (1906-1989) was an Irish writer, playwright and dramatist; he wrote his works in both English and French. He is best known for his absurd play, Waiting for Godot, but he produced many others such as Endgame, Krapp’s Last Tape, Happy Days, Molloy, Malone Dies and The Unnamable. As well as being awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1969, he was presented with the French War Cross for his resistance work in World War Two. Samuel Johnson Writer Samuel Johnson (1709-1784), also known as Dr Johnson, was an English writer, poet, playwright, lexicographer and literary critic. He had a distinguished impact on modern English by writing A Dictionary of the English Language in 1755. His other more conventional works include A Journey to the Western Isles of Scotland, The History of Rasselas, Prince of Abissinia and Lives of the Poets. Samuel Pepys Diarist Samuel Pepys (1633-1703) was an English diarist, MP and Chief Secretary to the Admiral. He is most famous for the diary he kept from 1660 to 1669: it includes invaluable insights into 17th century England, as well as reporting on exceptional historical events such as The Great Plague, The Great Fire of London, and the Second Dutch War. Sigmund Freud Neurologist Sigmund Freud (1856-1939) was an Austrian neurologist, physiologist and the developer of psychoanalysis and psychoanalytic theory. Freud is one of the most influential thinkers of 20th century and although he was nominated twelve times for a Nobel Prize in Medicine, and once for literature, he was never the ultimate winner. Nonetheless, Freud was awarded the Goethe Prize in literature in 1930. Some of his well-known works were The Interpretation of Dreams, Leonardo da Vinci, A Memory of His Childhood, The Ego and the Id and An Outline of Psycho-Analysis. Sylvia Plath Poet Sylvia Plath (1932-1963) was an American poet, novelist, and short-story writer. She was one of the most gifted poets of the 20th century and was deservingly awarded a Pulitzer Prize in 1982 for her works, The Collected Poems. Some of her other notable works were The Colossus and Other Poems, Lady Lazarus, The Bell Jar and Ariel. However, as expressed in much of her work, she experienced severe mental health problems and she sadly committed suicide and died young at the age of thirty. Anchor - T Theodor Fontane Novelist Theodor Fontane (1819-1898) was a German writer, journalist, novelist and poet. Although he published his first novel at the age of fifty-eight, he still became one of the most important German writers in the 19th century: Fontane was a pioneer of modern realistic fiction in Germany and some of his successful works include A Summer in London, Men and Heroes and Before the Storm. Thomas Carlyle Scottish philosopher The Scottish author, philosopher, essayist, mathematician and also historian, Thomas Carlyle (1795-1881), is an important figure in Victorian Literature, not least because his book, The French Revolution, inspired Dickens to write A Tale of Two Cities. Carlyle also produced several other well-known works such as Sartor Resartus, On Heroes, Hero Worship, and The Heroic in History. Thomas De Quincey Essayist Thomas De Quincey (1785-1859) was an English author, essayist and journalist. One of his best-known and most amusing, works was The Confessions of an English Opium-Eater; it was an autobiographical work about his laudanum addiction. Some of his other works were Lake Reminiscences and On the Knocking at the Gate in Macbeth. Thomas More Saint Sir Thomas More (1478-1535) was an English lawyer, philosopher, statesman, and an author who wrote the fictional book, Utopia, which is about the social and political system of a fictional island. He argued against Henry VIII's divorce with Catherine of Aragon and his new marriage with Anne Boleyn; More was accused of treason because of refusing to take the Oath of Supremacy and executed in the Tower of London as a result of this. His last words were: "I die the King's good servant, but God's first". The Catholic Church declared him as a patron saint in year 2000. T. S. Eliot Poet Thomas Stearns Eliot (1888-1965) was an American-born British essayist, playwright, critic and poet known best as a pioneer of the Modernist movement in poetry. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1948 for his contribution to modern poetry and was also awarded the British Honour, Order of Merit. Some of Eliot’s notable works were The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock, The Waste Land, Four Quartets and Murder in the Cathedral. Anchor - V Virginia Woolf Writer Virginia Woolf (1882-1941) was an English author, essayist, publisher and critic. She is recognised as one of the most important Modernist and feminist figures in the 20th century. Woolf was a prolific writer who explored many different forms of writing and often used new techniques such as stream of consciousness. Some of her notable works were Mrs Dalloway, To the Lighthouse, The Voyage Out, Jacob’s Room, Orlando, The Waves and A Room of One’s Own. Voltaire Writer Francois-Marie Arouet (1694-1778) – under the pen name of Voltaire – was a French writer, philosopher, satirist and playwright. Some of his notable works were his tragic play, Zaïre, the historical study, The Age of Louis XIV, and the satirical novella, Candide. He wrote in almost every literary form, including plays, poems, novels, essays, and historical and scientific works as well as writing more than 20,000 letters and more than 2,000 books and pamphlets. Anchor - W Wilkie Collins Novelist A pioneer of detective fiction, William Wilkie Collins (1824-1889), was an English author, short story writer and playwright. Collins is best known for his novel, The Moonstone: it is often regarded as the first true mystery novel. He was also a close friend of Charles Dickens and wrote for his periodicals, Household Words. Some of his other notable works were The Woman in White, Antonina; Or, the Fall of Rome, Basil, No Name and Armadale. W. B. Yeats Poet William Butler Yeats (1865-1939) was an Irish poet, writer and dramatist and an influential figure in 20th century literature. Yeats was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1923 for his inspirational poetry. Some of his important works were The Wanderings of Oisin and Other Poems, The Countless Kathleen, Deirdre, The Tower, Words for Music Perhaps and Other Poems. Yeats was also a founder of the Abbey Theatre – the national theatre of Ireland. William Caxton Merchant William Caxton (1422-1491) was an English merchant, diplomat, translator, writer and – in 1476 – the first person to introduce a printing press to England. His translation of The Recuyell of the Histories of Troye was the first book printed in the English language and other notable prints include Geoffrey Chaucer's Canterbury Tales. Caxton also made the first translation of Aesop’s Fables. Some of his own important works were Dictes or Sayengis of the Philosophres and Brut Chronicles. He now rests in St Margaret’s Church. William Shakespeare Poet The Bard of Avon, William Shakespeare (1564-1616), was an English poet, playwright and actor, commonly dubbed the greatest English writer in world literature; he is considered to be England's national poet. Shakespeare wrote around thirty-eight plays, two poems and 154 sonnets. Some of his well-known works include Hamlet, Othello, King Lear, Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet, A Midsummer Night's Dream and Two Gentleman of Verona. Explore the Literary Map of London Follow more literary locations across the city through the main Writer’s Path Literary Map of London .

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