What’s the most interesting trivia about writers in London?

We’ve recently been enjoying the wonderful book, Literary London, by Eloise Millar and Sam Jordison. It’s that rare thing: a book that includes something interesting on every page. There are many good books available about London’s literary heritage and its connections with famous authors, but Literary London is the best yet: it’s a raft of great trivia about the capital and the writers who have eaten, drunk, lived, and died there. If you enjoy books about London or books of literary trivia, we recommend getting hold of a copy, pronto.

Below we’ve listed some of our favourite literary facts about London which we learned from Millar and Jordison’s wonderful book. This really is just the tip of the iceberg: you’ll have to get hold of the book to discover the many more treasures it contains. For instance, we haven’t included here any details about real-life spy locations around the capital (haunted by, among others, Ian Fleming and John Le Carré). The chapters of Literary London are short, engagingly written, and very informative – the writers pack a lot of useful information into the book’s 224 pages. They are thematic but also follow a rough chronological progression charting London’s development over the centuries. And it contains such gems as these: Read the rest of this entry →