Making a capital read...
"Cor blimey guv'nor!" - Renee practises her best English accent for her role as London lass Bridget Jones
11 April 2012
London has been the favoured setting for many great authors, not least Charles Dickens whose colourful descriptions brought Victorian London to life. With the capital continuing to inspire modern-day authors, we take a look at some of the latest writers to put London on the literary map...
Bridget Jones's Diary
by Helen Fielding
Bridget is of course a London lass, which meant Renee Zellewegger had to adopt an English accent for the film version of the book. After reports that she felt ‘obnoxious’ due to her American accent while filming in London, she may want to make that British accent a permanent thing.
- Brick Laneby Monica AliDespite receiving harsh criticism from the Bangladeshi community for perpetuating stereotypes, Monica Ali’s debut novel received high praise from the literary world. Focusing on the life of Nazneen, a Bangladeshi woman living in a small flat in a high-rise block in East London, the novel explores the themes of race, assimilation and survival in modern-day Britain.
- White Teethby Zadie SmithThis celebrated novel was epic in its choice of locations, but the main action takes place in a scrubby North London borough, home of the book's two unlikely heroes, Archie Jones and Samad Iqbal. Londoners will recognise many of the details and geographical references, which are based on Smith’s own experiences of growing-up in Willesden.
- Fever Pitchby Nick HornbyProbably Nick Hornby's most famous novel, this autobiographical homage to football was the first to be transferred to the big screen. It's a must for any Arsenal fan who will revel in Hornby’s detailed match recollections as he reveals his obsession with the club from childhood to fully-grown adult who should know better...
- The Long Firmby Jake ArnottArnott's first novel is a 60s London gangland tale about Harry Starks, a club owner, racketeer and porn king, and his attempts to 'go legit' in which the capital is swinging but has a dark underground scene. Arnott is a fan of London and based his next two hard-hitting novels He Kills Coppers and Truecrime in the capital.
