to
For centuries, writers have come to London from across Europe and beyond – as honoured guests and anonymous aliens; tourists and refugees; students and wanderers. In the squalid slums of the East End, in the glitter and glamour of Belgravia, in the unspoilt expanse of Hampstead Heath, these writers lose – and find - themselves. Their encounters with the city leave a mark: on the writer, on their work and, sometimes, on London itself.
Drawing on an interactive digital map of London which features over 80 entries in over 20 European languages, the Lost & Found exhibition in UCL South Cloisters, curated by UCL European Institute, Arts & Humanities and the Bartlett Centre for Advanced Spatial Analysis, invites you to explore London through the eyes of European writers, artists and intellectuals, and highlights the city as a where journeys intersect; where people and cultures meet and are transformed.
The exhibition features the writings of Hans Christian Andersen, Giacomo Casanova, Joseph Conrad, Ananda Devi, Simonetta Agnello Hornby and many others.
Join the conversation
Share your experience of how London has changed you using the hashtag #europeanliterarylondon #howhasLondonchangedyou
Contribute an entry
The team behind the Map is also actively seeking new entries for the map. We are looking for descriptions of different sites/encounters with London, by writers writing in European languages other than English, from any time period and across literary genres.
- Text excerpts (ideally in both the original language and in translation) should ideally be between 300-500 words. They can be drawn from novels, diary extracts, short stories, poetry or song lyrics. Contributors will be recognised on the map, unless preferred otherwise.
- Entries by writers from diverse backgrounds, or otherwise under-represented groups, would be particularly welcome.