A map drawn by Roland Chambers for “The Magicians” by Lev Grossman
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To many bibliophiles, there is nothing better than getting lost in a good book. However, as many adventure-loving authors know, having a map to guide you through your text-based travels can make reading even more rewarding. Though these literary maps are often tucked behind book covers, historian Huw Lewis-Jones has placed them at the forefront with The Writer’s Map: An Atlas of Imaginary Lands.
The Writer’s Map allows readers to tour worlds created by some of literature’s greatest storytellers. The beautiful book features a full-color collection of magical maps imagined by a range of authors, from classic novelist Rudyard Kipling to contemporary children’s author Abi Elphinstone. When compiled together, these maps compose “a curious, creative gathering” any explorer is bound to enjoy.
Putting together this treasury has been a passion project for Lewis-Jones, whose experience includes both academia and working as an expedition guide. With The Writer’s Map, he is able to share the best of both worlds, offering a book that is thoughtfully “filled with insights and favorites, and some surprises too, I hope.”
To start your page-turning journey, pick up a copy of The Writer’s Map: An Atlas of Imaginary Lands on Amazon.
Historian Huw Lewis-Jones has compiled a collection of literary maps into The Writer’s Map: An Atlas of Imaginary Lands.
A map by Munro Orr for a 1934 edition of Robert Louis Stevenson’s “Treasure Island”
This whimsical book features an eclectic range of cartographical examples, ranging from detailed drawings…
A map made by Rudyard Kipling for “The Beginning of Armadillos”
A map made by Rudyard Kipling for “The Beginning of Armadillos” (detail)
A map made by Rudyard Kipling for “The Beginning of Armadillos” (detail)
…To simplified sketches.
A sketch by Abi Elphinstone for “The Night Spinner”
Explore a selection of these maps from books below.
New Switzerland from “The Swiss Family Robinson” by Johann David Wyss
A map of Verdopolis from “The History of the Young Men: From Their First Settlement to the Present Time” by Branwell Brontë
A sketch by Abi Elphinstone
A map for “Walden; or Life, in the Woods” by Henry David Thoreau
Huw Lewis-Jones: Website | Twitter
My Modern Met granted permission to use photos by Huw Lewis-Jones and The University of Chicago Press.
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