This blog post is inspired by this article by Claire Wong, in which she makes the interesting argument that she treats the settings for her books as if they were people.



This has been on my mind a lot, because I am currently reading Stonehenge: The Story of a Sacred Landscape by Francis Pryor, having been to visit Stonehenge (for the first time) this past bank holiday weekend, which so beautifully evokes that iconic place.

Here are my top 5 books, in which the location is treated like a character:



1. The Birdwatcher by William Shaw
A slow-burning police procedural, set in the bleak and isolated landscape of Dungeness on the Kent coast.



2. The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins
Arguably the first detective novel, and as memorable for its scenes featuring the Shivering Sand near the Verinders' house in Yorkshire, as for those featuring the eponymous stolen jewel.



3. Ayiti by Roxane Gay
A collection of moving and often brutal short stories, which aim to explore the Haitian diaspora experience.



4. Common People: An Anthology of Working Class Writers edited by Kit de Waal
A powerful and exciting collection of essays, poems, and pieces of personal memoir from thirty-three established and emerging working-class writers across the UK.



5. Pictures From Hopper by Neil Campbell
An evocative collection of short stories inspired by the paintings of Edward Hopper.