Novel locations
England’s fair and pleasant land has shaped and inspired great literary classics for centuries. Authors such as Shakespeare and Beatrix Potter have delighted our imaginations with their incredible stories and unforgettable characters.
The Bard and his books
For rich literary and cultural heritage, the land that gave birth to William Shakespeare is second to none. Stratford-upon-Avon is home to a number of attractions dedicated to the Bard which offer a fascinating insight into the life of England's most famous playwright.
Keeping the connection with Warwickshire, both George Eliot and Rupert Brook were born, grew up, wrote in and drew inspiration from the Heart of England region. There are other more contemporary literary figures that have their roots in the region, with A. E. Houseman, author of 'A Shropshire Lad', and Arnold Bennett, who wrote about the 'Five Towns' of the Potteries in Staffordshire - although there are in fact six.
More info about William Shakespeare and Stratford-upon-Avon
From hobbits to Herefordshire
Now immortalised through the critically acclaimed films of Peter Jackson, much of the original inspiration for J.R.R. Tolkien's 'Lord of the Rings' came from this region. Many of his ideas in the famous books stem from his childhood memories of the Birmingham area: from Sarehole Mill and Moseley Bog, Perrotts Folly and the Victorian Tower at Edgbaston waterworks, which inspired the Two Towers!
More info about J.R.R. Tolkien and his early life in Birmingham
From the Brontes to Barbara Taylor Bradford
Yorkshire has also inspired many major writers. The Brontë sisters are indelibly linked to the dramatic, highly atmospheric moors around Haworth. J. B. Priestley hailed from Bradford and you can see a statue of the prolific writer outside the city’s National Museum of Photography, Film and Television (www.nmpft.org.uk/).
The work of poet Ted Hughes, one of the 20th-century’s great writers, is infused with the landscapes of the Calder Valley, and international bestseller Barbara Taylor Bradford was born and brought up in Leeds.
More info about the Brontë Sisters
Be inspired by Beatrix Potter
Visitors to the Lake District should not miss the chance to meet the wonderful creations of Beatrix Potter at The World of Beatrix Potter Attraction (www.hop-skip-jump.com/). Follow Lucie as she discovers Mrs. Tiggy-winkle's hillside home and encounters the famous hedgehog as she washes the clothes of Peter Rabbit and his friends. The Beatrix Potter Emporium is packed full of splendid gifts and you can also get involved with events like Hedgehog Days and Mrs. Tiggy-winkle Tea Parties.
Incidentally the character of Mrs. Tiggy-winkle was inspired by an acquaintance of the young Beatrix Potter, Kitty MacDonald, an old Scottish washerwoman she described as "a comical, round little old woman, as brown as a berry" who "wears a multitude of petticoats".