THE scale of Ealing’s literary heritage is revealed this week with the launch of a detailed timeline of Ealing Writers and Books.

Nearly 200 authors who have lived in, or written about, the borough of Ealing have been identified by researchers for the Chiswick Book Festival.

Writers range from Henry Fielding, born in 1707, to Phoebe Waller-Bridge (1985) and include such diverse names as Agatha Christie, Ho Chi Minh and E L James.

The list was compiled by Roger Green, the festival’s Ealing co-ordinator, with the help of The Pitshanger Bookshop and Ealing borough archivist and author Jonathan Oates.

The timeline can be found on http://www.chiswickbookfestival.net/in-ealing/timeline-ealing-writers-books-year-year/  It includes writers of plays, films and music, and lists them by subject area.

“A year ago, The Observer wrote that ‘Chiswick may be Britain’s most literary location’ after we listed 250 authors on the Chiswick Timeline of Writers and Books” said Torin Douglas, festival director.  

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“We issued a challenge to other book festivals, libraries and local history societies to come up with their own lists of writers – and we’ve discovered that our neighbouring borough of Ealing is close behind.”

The festival undertook the research to mark its links with Ealing, after holding its first event there at Gunnersbury Park and Museum, the museum for Ealing and Hounslow.

This year, subject to COVID-19 restrictions, more Ealing events are planned, including one that ties in with the major Hogarth exhibition, scheduled at Pitzhanger Manor.

Chiswick Book Festival was started after the closure of Ealing Literary Festival, and significant parts of Chiswick W4 lie within Ealing borough.

Torin added: “We’re keen to hear of any authors we’ve missed so we can be sure to give Ealing its full literary due. We think the lockdown is the perfect time to explore the stories and literary heritage revealed on our timelines.”

Planning is continuing for the 12th Chiswick Book Festival, from September 10-14, subject to Government restrictions connected with the COVID-19 outbreak. http://www.chiswickbookfestival.net/