by Matt Wingett
First published 2018
Matt Wingett takes readers on a personal journey through Portsmouth's literary landscape. He traces the footsteps of famous writers who lived in or wrote about this naval city, from Charles Dickens and H.G. Wells to Arthur Conan Doyle and Beatrix Potter. The tour spans Portsmouth's geography, moving from Portsdown Hill to Portsea's busy streets, from Old Portsmouth's disorder to Southsea's coastline. Wingett reveals what these authors thought about the city and uncovers forgotten stories about the people who inhabited it. Readers meet colorful historical figures and fictional characters: drinking sailors, clever bumboat women, fortune-telling obsessives, and dubious landladies. The book answers curious questions about Portsmouth's past, including which local woman penned America's first bestseller and why a monkey named St Jago gained fame at The Common Hard. With 111 illustrations drawn from the author's collection, this exploration blends documented history with local legends to create a portrait of Portsmouth's literary heritage.
Genres: history, literary-fiction, 20th-century, biography-memoir, 21st-century, 19th-century
Vibes: atmospheric, emotional, thought-provoking
Tropes: historical, non-fiction
Setting: Portsmouth, Portsdown Hill, Portsea, Old Portsmouth, Southsea
Period: 19th-century, 20th-century
96 pages · Paperback · Life Is Amazing
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