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 is a literary installation created by the Children’s Black Book Fair UK (CBBF UK) in partnership with Hackney Libraries, celebrating 48 writers and storytellers with significant connections to Hackney.

Installed on the main staircase of Dalston CLR James Library, each step carries the name of a writer who was born, raised, lived, studied, worked or created in Hackney, recognising the remarkable contribution the borough has made to British 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.

They are written in newspapers.
Performed on stages.
Spoken through poetry.
Created for television and film.
And sometimes sung into microphones.

CREATED WITH YOUNG PEOPLE

At the heart of the Legacy Steps are young people.

As part of the Children’s Black Book Fair UK 2026, young people, alongside library staff and members of the community, researched and considered around 100 writers with connections to the borough before the final 48 names were selected.

The aim was not simply to celebrate familiar names.

It was also to uncover the people whose writing, publishing and creativity helped shape our cultural history but whose stories may be less widely known.

That is why the information behind every name matters.

Through these profiles, visitors can discover who each person is, what they contributed and, importantly, their connection to Hackney.

WHY THE STEPS MATTER

A library staircase is something children normally hurry up and down without giving it a second thought.

We wanted to turn those stairs into something that might make them stop. Look. Read. Ask questions. And dream.

A young person might recognise a world-famous name.

Another might discover that an important writer who once attended their school, lived on their estate, worked around the corner or spent time in the very same Hackney library.

Suddenly, achievement doesn't feel quite so far away.

The message behind the installation is simple:

Great writers have come from Hackney.

Great writers are in Hackney.
And the next great Hackney writer could be you.

48 STEPS. 48 LEGACIES.

From internationally celebrated literary figures to pioneering publishers, community writers, journalists, poets and songwriters, every name contributes another chapter to Hackney's extraordinary creative story.

Explore the writers of the 48 Legacy.

Discover their work.
Discover their Hackney connection.
And perhaps discover a name you didn't know before.

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.

Caption: Pioneering publisher and editor Margaret Busby CBE, Hon. FRSL stands on her Hackney Writers Legacy Step at Dalston CLR James Library. Pictures: Emma Winch