Writers Revealed: Treasures from the British Library and the National Portrait Gallery, London

A magnificent collection of portraits combined with selections from the archives of great writers

Telling the stories of the best-loved writers in English literature, Writers Revealed investigates their enduring appeal from the 16th century to today through the collections of the National Portrait Gallery and the British Library. The Portrait Gallery’s outstanding collection of author portraits are paired with intimate handwritten manuscripts, letters and notebooks, as well as rare first editions of books from the British Library. From William Shakespeare to Zadie Smith, Writers Revealed features over 70 poets, novelists and academics. Each short profile—which provides insight into the writers’ inspirations, struggles and working practices—is beautifully illustrated with a portrait and manuscript or rare book. Readers will enjoy in-depth encounters with some of the world’s most talented writers, including James Joyce, Virginia Woolf, Bram Stoker, Jane Austen, Benjamin Zephaniah and Angela Carter, and discover just what it is that makes these individuals so endlessly compelling.