If you come to the rural jewel that is Gloucestershire it’s not hard to see why it has an abundance of writers living in it or having come from it. It might not have the dramatic pzazz of the big towns and cities but it more than makes up for that with its tales of romance, Romans, adventures, country life and even the spectre of a little folk horror thrown in. You only have to look at the popularity of Park Homes Gloucester as an example to see that people want to come and live here. You could be one of them if you go to parkhomelife.com/our-parks/orchard-park-homes-gloucester-gloucestershire and see what’s on offer. Here are some of the writers of fiction and non fiction that were born or have made their home here.
- Daisy May Cooper. One half of the writing team behind “This Country” along with her brother Charlie. Daisy grew up and went to school in Cirencester. She based the successful show on her life living with Charlie in the town. It is filmed in the smaller town of Northleach just up the road.
- Laurie Lee. Probably the best known Gloucestershire writer, his first book, Cider with Rosie documented the life he led in the country around the valleys of Stroud and to his home in Slad in the Cotswolds overlooking the Severn Valley. Lee’s book is thought to be a perfectly documented tale of what life was like for the rural poor in the early twentieth century. His second and third books tell of his leaving of the county to go to London and Spain and his role in the Civil war there.
- J K Rowling. Born in Yate in South Gloucestershire Rowling needs no introduction as the famed writer of the Harry Potter series. She based much of Harry’s world around the county. Gloucester cathedral was a great influence on her setting of Hogwarts, much of the film was shot in the Cloisters of the great building and also her time in the Forest of Dean. The character of Herminone Granger name checks the place when they are trying to hide from Lord Voldemort.
- Edith Tolkein. Not actually a writer as such but she does have a major role to play in the world of literature. Edith was a Gloucester born woman who would help to shape the world of Middle Earth and the passage of the story. She was the inspiration for the major female characters Lúthien Tinúviel and Arwen Undómiel. These were Elves who decided to marry Humans.