National Storytelling Week: Top 4 Authors From Islington

This week is National Storytelling Week, which started on Saturday 30th January and will end on Saturday 6th February. This is the Society for Storytelling’s 16th annual National Storytelling Week and we’ve picked our favourite 4 authors from Islington. This takes place in storytelling clubs, theatres, schools, care homes and hospitals, and is celebrated by people of all ages.

Charles Dickens (1812-1870): He moved to neighbouring borough Bloomsbury in 1837 when he was 25. He’s famous fornovels like ‘Oliver Twist,’ Dickens frequently mentioned places in Archway, Clerkenwell and Angel in his tales.

Nick Hornby (born in 1957): He lives in Highbury and regularly features the borough in his books. One of his novels ‘Fever Pitch’ was made into a film, which starred another Islington resident, Colin Firth.

George Orwell (1903 – 1950): He lived in one of Islington’s residential districts, Canonbury, for part of his life, and there are a number of pubs in the area named after him – notably The George Orwell Pub on Essex Road. He is most famous for his literary criticism, fiction and dystopian novels, remembered by his bestsellers Animal Farm and Nineteen Eighty-Four.

Edward Lear (1812 – 1888): He was born in Holloway and spent much of his early life in the area. Lear is remembered best for his collections of nonsense poems, songs, short stories and alphabets – perhaps most memorably children’s nursery rhyme The Owl and The Pussycat.

Last year in December, an author and artist opened up an independent bookstore in Highbury called Ink@84 so head over there to pick up a book from one of the authors on our list!