The Most Prominent UK Cities in Literature

From London's distinct character to the gothic ambience of Edinburgh, bustling cities make the perfect backdrop for novels, fanning the creative flames of writers alike for centuries.

But which UK cities are the most written about in literature?

The printing experts at Aura Print combed through the vast expanse of the Google Books corpus (a repository boasting 25 million books) to identify the cumulative mentions of 31 prominent UK cities across books spanning from 1920 to 2019.

Aura Print sought to determine the most popular UK cities within the realm of literature. It turns out London is the most popular UK cities in books.

 

Most Popular UK Cities in Books Revealed:

 

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Coming as no surprise, London snags top spot and takes the crown as the most popular British city in literature.

Being featured an astonishing 286,675,501 times, this is nearly five times more than all other cities analyzed. Dubbed by Charles Dickens as the 'magic lantern' that fired his creativity, the British capital has played host to a multitude of novels over the last century.

London book recommendations: A Tale of Two Cities, Sherlock Holmes, The House by the Thames

In second place is Cambridge (52,028,629 mentions) with Oxford (51,723,380 mentions) trailing behind as the two age-old rivals clash once again.

From the beautiful banks of River Cam to the well-trodden cobble streets, Cambridge proves itself as a more idyllic setting for authors compared to its historical counterpart, Oxford, in which both make a sound backdrop for crime and mystery novels.

Cambridge book recommendations: The Longest Journey, Death of an Expert Witness, The Versions of Us

Oxford book recommendations: Brideshead Revisited, The Last Enchantments, His Dark Materials

Manchester claims the fourth spot whipping up an impressive 23,578,466 mentions in books over the past 100 years. Infused by a revolutionary spirit, the great city in the 'south of the north', home to a rich industrial past and hidden quarters, serves as a wellspring of inspiration for Gothic and horror writers.

Manchester book recommendations: Mary Barton, Vurt, Sirens

Rounding off the top five most written about UK cities is Birmingham. Amassing a respectable 22,321,473 references in books, Birmingham has entranced novelists for decades, boasting a 74% greater share of literary attention than neighbouring city, Worcester in tenth (11,808,009 mentions).

Birmingham book recommendations: The Trick to Time, The Rotters' Club, What Was Lost

 

Top 20 Most Written About UK Cities:

Rank

City

Most popular decade

Total occurrences in books (1920-2019)

1

London

1960s

286,675,501

2

Cambridge

2010s

52,028,629

3

Oxford

2010s

51,723,380

4

Manchester

1920s

23,578,466

5

Birmingham

1920s

22,321,473

6

Edinburgh

1920s

19,169,975

7

Glasgow

1920s

16,127,504

8

Bristol

1930s

15,725,827

9

Liverpool

1920s

15,034,699

10

Worcester

1920s

11,808,009

11

Durham

1950s

11,514,229

12

Plymouth

1920s

10,261,300

13

Bradford

1920s

9,251,856

14

Newcastle

1930s

8,453,660

15

Sheffield

1920s

8,192,209

16

Leeds

1920s

7,919,754

17

Winchester

1920s

7,213,953

18

Portsmouth

1920s

6,862,315

19

Gloucester

1920s

6,462,949

20

Derby

1920s

6,345,864