A book lover’s guide to London: 10 literary things to do in the city of Dickens and Conan Doyle

Few cities in the world wear their literary lineage as openly as London. From Charles Dickens’s fog-shrouded alleys to Zadie Smith’s multicultural North London, every corner is alive with stories. It’s a city where you can sip tea in a cafe frequented by Virginia Woolf, browse books aboard a barge, or stand where William Shakespeare’s words first echoed along the Thames.

London has been both muse and stage for centuries, and even today it seems to be a time capsule of literature for booklovers. Whether you’re tracing the footsteps of Romantic poets, listening to sonnets under the stars, or thumbing through yellowed paperbacks on a canal boat, London offers a deeply atmospheric way to experience literature.

Here are 10 things to do in the city of Dickens and Woolf.

1. Browse books on water at Word on the Water

Moored along Regent’s Canal near King’s Cross, Word on the Water is a 1920s Dutch barge turned floating bookshop. On its snug, wood-lined hull, you’ll find everything from poetry to second-hand novels. In summer, the roof deck hosts jazz sessions and poetry readings, enhancing the appeal of one of London’s most-loved literary spots.

2. Walk in the footsteps of writers

University of London-owned Gordon Square is a public park in Bloomsbury. Alamy

Explore Bloomsbury and Clerkenwell on a walking tour that maps the city through its great authors.