Kent's Literary Heritage

The landscape, buildings and people of Kent have provided inspiration for writers for centuries. Whether the writers were natives of the county itself or came as visitors, its coastline, orchards, towns and villages have helped shape the imaginations of some of the most influential of authors.

Among the many writers associated with Kent are Geoffrey Chaucer, who set his famous The Canterbury Tales on the pilgrims’ route to Thomas Becket’s shrine in Canterbury Cathedral. Charles Dickens spent his formative years in Kent and later returned to the county when he bought his mansion Gads Hill Place and his holiday home at Broadstairs. Kent provided the setting for many of his novels. Charles Darwin worked on his ground-breaking books on evolution at Down House in Kent, many of Winston Churchill’s writings including his speeches were created at his house at Chartwell and more recently, Ian Fleming was a regular visitor to Kent and the county features in several of his novels and H. E. Bates set his popular series of stories about the Larkin family in Darling Buds of May in Kent.

This book explores the fascinating history of Kent’s remarkable literary heritage as well as being a guide to the locations where that heritage can still be found.