Chiswick Timeline of Writers & Books: How it grew

2FCA5CD7-E305-49F7-BF59-2FDED09A32C3


In the beginning…

In January 2018, the walls underneath the bridges at Turnham Green tube station were transformed by a wonderful mural – the Chiswick Timeline: A History in Art and Maps. It combines historic maps, showing the development of Chiswick through the centuries, with works of art depicting local landmarks by some of the best-known artists who have lived and worked here, from William Hogarth to Sir Peter Blake, and historic local images such as the one of Fuller’s Brewery on the River Thames (above).
.


The Timeline was opened on January 28th 2018 in front of large crowd by Sir Peter Blake (pictured below right, with Karen Liebreich and Chiswick Book Festival director Torin Douglas) and by two other distinguished local artists Jan Pienkovski and Marthe Armitage. See more at Abundance London.
.

Chiswick Timeline launch with Peter Blake IMG_1764 crop


To mark the 10th Chiswick Book Festival in September 2018,  we created a new online timeline – a literary archive celebrating the writers who have lived here or written about the area – spearheaded by a Writers Trail of notable dramatists, novelists and poets.


We’re very grateful to the Chiswick Timeline creators, Karen Liebreich and Sara Cruz of Abundance London for their help and support. Nor could we have created it without the work of local historians such as Val Bott of the Brentford & Chiswick Local History Society and the late Gillian Clegg and David Budworth; several editors of ChiswickW4.com and The Chiswick Calendar; and other local enthusiasts. Thanks also to Horton & Garton and Foster Books for supporting the Chiswick Timeline and the Writers Trail; and to Bown Design & Build who sponsored the original Exhibition.


Launch of the Writers Trail: September 2018

We asked you to help us choose Chiswick’s top writers and books with ChiswickW4.com.
Read more about the project and the Writers Trail in its article here.


The First Edition of the Chiswick Timeline Writers Trail lists 21 notable novelists, poets and playwrights who have lived in Chiswick.


Phase 1: 175 writers on the Timeline: October 2018

Chiswick Timeline of Writers and Books Now Lists 175 Writers –
And see who won the prize of a 19th Century edition of Vanity Fair
ChiswickW4.com.


Phase 2: 250 writers on the Timeline: April 2019

Chiswick Timeline of Writers and Books hits 250 entries – Chiswickbuzz.com
Put the word out: Chiswick may be Britain’s most literary location – The Observer
(below)

The Observer, April 7th 2019


Phase 3: 350 writers on the Timeline: November 2019

Around 350 names ‘likely to be final total’ for Chiswick Timeline of Writers and Books – The Chiswick Herald
Timeline of Chiswick Writers and Books Now Totals nearly 350ChiswickW4.com


Phase 4: 400 writers on the Timeline: January 2020

Ant and Dec bring the Chiswick Timeline of Writers total to 400: ChiswickW4.com
plus The Chiswick Calendar


Phase 5: Timeline of Ealing Writers launched: May 2020

Timeline of Ealing Writers & Books: The writers range from Henry Fielding, born in 1707, to Honor Blackman (1925) and Phoebe Waller-Bridge (1985) – and include such diverse names as Agatha Christie, Ho Chi Minh and EL James.
Chiswick Book Festival creates a timeline of Ealing writers – The Chiswick Calendar


Phase 6. ‘Writers Lives’ launched by the CWRG: October 2020

‘Writers Lives’ pages:  written by members of the Chiswick Writers Research Group (CWRG), brought together by the Brentford & Chiswick Local History Society


Phase 7: Exploring Chiswick launched: January 2021

Exploring Chiswick: As the Government urges people to “stay local”, the Chiswick Book Festival and other cultural groups encourage residents to explore the area’s arts heritage.

Exploring Chiswick campaign launchedChiswickW4.com
Explore Chiswick’s cultural history, online and on footThe Chiswick Calendar
EM Forster, Nancy Mitford, Iris Murdoch, Harold Pinter – Profiles on The Chiswick Calendar


Phase 8: First additions to the Writers Trail: May 2022

Dylan Thomas and James Berry added to Chiswick Writers Trail
Michael Flanders and Stephen Potter added to Chiswick Writers Trail
Six centuries of famous Chiswick poets


Phase 9: WB Yeats Smartphone Trail launched: January 2023

WB Yeats Bedford Park Artwork Project
Launch of WB Yeats trail in Bedford ParkThe ChiswickCalendar


Phase 10: Second edition of Writers Trail to be launched: May 2023

Scroll to Top