Hackney Writers Legacy Steps
HACKNEY WRITERS LEGACY STEPS.
Celebrating the writers who helped write Hackney’s story and inspiring the next generation to write theirs.
48 names. 48 stories. One extraordinary borough.
The Hackney Writers Legacy Steps, created by the Children’s Black Book Fair UK (CBBF UK) in partnership with Hackney Libraries, celebrate 48 writers and storytellers with significant connections to Hackney.
Installed on the main staircase of Dalston CLR James Library, the Steps recognise the borough’s remarkable contribution to literature, journalism, publishing, poetry, theatre, television, music and culture.
The names include authors, poets, publishers, editors, journalists, playwrights, screenwriters and songwriters, because stories are not only written inside books.
WHY THE STEPS MATTER
A library staircase is somewhere a child might normally hurry through.
The Legacy Steps invite us to stop. Look. Read. Ask questions. Dream.
A young person might recognise a famous name or discover a writer who once lived on their estate, attended their school or worked in their community.
Great writers have come from Hackney.
Great writers are in Hackney.
And the next great Hackney writer could be you.
CREATED WITH YOUNG PEOPLE
Young people are at the heart of the Legacy Steps. As part of CBBF UK 2026, young people, library staff and community members researched around 100 writers before selecting the final 48.
The Steps celebrate both familiar names and lesser-known figures whose stories have shaped Hackney’s cultural history.
EXPLORE THE LEGACY
Discover the 48 writers and storytellers, explore their work and uncover their connections to Hackney.
Because legacy isn’t only about remembering those who came before us. It is about leaving something behind that helps the next person climb.
Children’s Black Book Fair UK
WE BELONG IN EVERY STORY.
Find out more about the names on the steps! COMING SOON.
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