The Literary Nerd's Guide to London

Ah! The literary brilliance of LONDON! If you are a lover of classical pieces of literature, then nothing could be better than an escape to London to visit all the historic places where the great ones created their masterpieces.

No literary trip to London could ever be considered complete without seeing a production of a Shakespearean play in the Wooden O! Any time of year, you can go on a tour of the Globe Theater. Your ticket (about $20.00) will get you a 30-45 minute guided tour of the Globe and all day access to the exhibition. If you want to see a play (and doesn't everyone!), you need to plan your trip around the globe's theater season. Tickets run from $24 to $66 per seat, but it is an unforgettable experience, and one that is well worth the cost of admission. The season usually starts in mid-April and ends in early October, so make sure you plan to visit London during those months.

As you walk around in London city, you can visit several literary giants' former places of residence all within a few blocks: T.S. Elliot, Ezra Pound, and James Joyce. You can tour T. S. Elliot's apartment. There are a few online guides and printed flyers in London for walking tours that include most of Ezra Pound's London. There are several guided walking tours that feature James Joyce's haunts.

You should also make time to visit and spend several in Westminster Abbey. If you can work it into your schedule, you should attend a service in the Abbey. You will not regret it. You should also visit Poets' Corner, which is very close to Westminster; the writer in you will treasure the experience. Since you are one a literary tour of London, the bibliophile in you will enjoy visiting a couple of the most famous bookstores in the world. Even on the tightest budget window-shopping is free, so take a stroll through Hatchards, Foyle's, and Daunt Books.

The Charles Dickens Museum would be a wonderful start to any day. For about $12, you can spend a few hours in the house that was his for a few years in London and also view an extensive collection of his works and surviving possessions. It is a delightfully pleasant museum with tons of character in its four floors of Dickens' memorabilia. If you are an avid Dickens fan, you can go to the museum's website and see when it hosts special readings and other events.

And after the morning at the Dickens Museum, you should also spend the afternoon in the British Museum. Visiting and enjoying most of the museum is free. There is so much to see, you could easily wander for hours - so plan for at least a full afternoon. You can enjoy all of the art in the museum and also have lunch, tea, and/or dinner in the Court Restaurant. You will enjoy yourself as the restaurant serves in the Great Court, and you can select from a wide variety of international dishes or just indulge the traditional British afternoon tea. Prepare yourself ahead of time though because you can spend anywhere from $5 to $50 on refreshment here.

No literary tour would be complete without a tour of the British Library. You could easily spend a year in the Library and still not see everything. You should attack the library with a plan: here are the things I must see, like Shakespeare's will, the original copy of one of his folios, some of Jane Austen's works, etc. Check them off as you experience them, and then allow yourself at least two hours just to browse and enjoy!

There are so many other things you can enjoy while in London: several graveyards which are the eternal resting places for several literary greats, several churches which were attended by the likes of James Joyce, Shakespeare, Milton, and other smaller museums. However, this basic guide should give you literary nerds, like me, plenty to experience and to entertain you! Cheers!

Helpful Links

http://www.britishmuseum.org/default.aspx

http://www.westminster-abbey.org/

http://www.shakespeares-globe.org/

http://www.dickensmuseum.com/

http://www.bl.uk/