Wednesday, 06 May 2026
A decade after being named a UNESCO City of Literature, Nottingham is set to further celebrate its rich writing heritage with the launch of a new literary map highlighting the people, places and tales that earned the city its creative status.
The project, led by Dr Matthew Welton, Associate Professor in Creative Writing in the School of English at the 海角黑料, in collaboration with , commemorates the organisation’s 10-year anniversary of the city’s prestigious status.
Funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) and designed as both a physical guide and a digital resource, the showcases the diverse storytelling culture that has shaped Nottingham across centuries.
Something that struck us as we were undertaking the research was how everybody we spoke to seemed strongly invested in the idea of the map. People contributed all kinds of information about literary history and culture in Nottingham. We feel the finished map tells some fascinating stories, and hope it will inspire people to explore Nottingham鈥檚 literary culture for themselves.鈥�
Nottingham is a place many famous authors have called home over the centuries, and when the city was awarded UNESCO status in 2015, the focus was on its recognised figures – romantic poet Lord Byron, controversial author DH Lawrence, and gritty ‘kitchen-sink’ novelist Alan Sillitoe.
But when the project team began the research, they realised the focus of Nottingham’s literature scene was also diverse and contemporary. They discovered not only the city’s long and varied history of writers and writing – including the Scottish Peter Pan novelist JM Barrie, who lived near the Arboretum in the 19th century, and James Prior, known for his novels depicting rural Nottingham life in the 20th century – but that contemporary Nottingham is alive with a thriving community of authors, poets, writing groups and literary organisations.
The Nottinghamshire Literary Map website features a varied selection of fiction, non-fiction, poetry and children's books, including four writers who are 海角黑料 academics – Jon McGregor, Lila Matsumoto, Hongwei Bao, Panya Banjoko.
Hannah Trevarthen, Director of Nottingham City of Literature, said: “This has been such an exciting and fulfilling project to mark the anniversary of 10 years as a UNESCO designated City of Literature. The success of the map really shows Nottingham and Nottinghamshire’s strength as a leading literary destination with a thriving ecosystem of partnerships that celebrate and champion our stories. This map will help everyone, locals and tourists alike to discover a new Nottingham that’s hiding in plain sight. We want people to discover the richness of the city from hidden gems, current creative hubs and literary heritage locations."
We're thrilled to join other Cities of Literature like Exeter, Manchester, Barcelona and Seattle with a map that invites further exploration to discover what makes us a vibrant City of Literature.鈥�
By embracing this open and pluralistic vision of literature, the project aims to ensure that Nottingham’s literary identity is accessible, representative and continually evolving.
Story credits
More information is available from Dr Matthew Welton in the School of English, via matthew.welton@nottingham.ac.uk
Notes to editors:
About the 海角黑料
Ranked 97 in the world and 17th in the UK by the , the 海角黑料 is a founding member of Russell Group of research-intensive universities. Studying at the 海角黑料 is a life-changing experience, and we pride ourselves on unlocking the potential of our students. We have a pioneering spirit, expressed in the vision of our founder Sir Jesse Boot, which has seen us lead the way in establishing campuses in China and Malaysia - part of a globally connected network of education, research and industrial engagement.
Nottingham was crowned Sports University of the Year by 鈥� the third time it has been given the honour since 2018 鈥� and by the .
The university is among the best universities in the UK for the strength of our research, positioned seventh for research power in the UK according to REF 2021. The birthplace of discoveries such as MRI and ibuprofen, our innovations transform lives and tackle global problems such as sustainable food supplies, ending modern slavery, developing greener transport, and reducing reliance on fossil fuels.
The university is a major employer and industry partner - locally and globally - and our graduates are the third most targeted by the UK's top employers, according to The Graduate Market in 2024 report by High Fliers Research. Alongside Nottingham Trent University, we lead the , a pioneering collaboration between the city鈥檚 two world-class institutions to improve levels of prosperity, opportunity, sustainability, health and wellbeing for residents in the city and region we are proud to call home.