The New Alternative Literary Tube Map of London!

Great expectations for London’s next alternative tube map?

In The Book’s literary-themed map replaces stations with famous novels based on the area they were set in London.

Literary Tube Map London — © Local Book Donations

The result is a comprehensive geographical mapping of London’s greatest novels and poems throughout history. From modern day thrillers such as The Girl on the Train taking Euston’s place, to fabled classics such as The Canterbury Tales substituting Borough, we feel that writing has a unique way of painting surroundings like nothing else.
For instance, we found it fascinating how certain genres and authors were married with certain parts of the map: Dickens’ London dominates the Central Line, while gothic Victorian works Dracula, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and The Picture of Dorian Gray can all be found haunting the Piccadilly Line. Zadie Smith’s works were located on the northwest Jubilee Line while Martin Amis’ novels were more prominent around West London.

Most Represented Authors

Charles Dickens

Charles Dickens (7 February 1812 – 9 June 1870), regarded as one of the greatest authors of the Victorian era, leads the way in terms of novels featured on the map. His writing is synonymous with the City and he has a total of seven novels featured.

Novels Featured: The Pickwick Papers (1837), Little Doritt (1857), Bleak House (1853), Oliver Twist (1839), Great Expectations (1861), A Christmas Carol (1843), A Tale of Two Cities (1859)

Colin MacInnes

Colin MacInnes (20 August 1914 – 22 April 1976), with a reputation for depicting London youth and black immigrant culture in the 1950s, has three novels on the map.

Novels Featured: City of Spades (1957), Absolute Beginners (1959), Mr Love and Justice (1960)

Graham Greene

Henry Graham Greene, known better by his pen name, Graham Greene (2 October 1904 – 3 April 1991) is one of the most memorable writers of the 20th century. A master of thriller fiction, most of Greene’s literature depicted far away places, though he has two novels on the map.

Novels Featured: The End of the Affair (1951), The Ministry of Fear (1943)

Margaret Harkness

Margaret Elise Harkness (28 February 1854 – 10 December 1923), published five works under the pseudonym John Law, depicting the conditions of the London poor. Writing prolifically on socialism, Harkness has two novels on the map.

Novels Featured: Out of Work (1890), In Darkest London (1889)

Martin Amis

Martin Louis Amis (born 25 August 1949) is renowned as one of Britain’s greatest writers since 1945. The son of Sir Kingsley Amis, he has followed in his father’s footsteps as a prolific author of prose and fiction. Amis’ novels on the map, Lionel Asbo and London Fields, are both set in West London.

Novels Featured: Lionel Asbo (2012), London Fields (1989)

Zadie Smith

Zadie Smith (born 25 October 1975) is an established author and essayist of contemporary fiction. Her featured novels, both on the Jubilee line, are synonymous with North West London.

Novels Featured: White Teeth (2000), NW (2012)

Click here to see the map on the official website