World Book Day 2024 is on Thursday 7th March. Want some Yorkshire inspiration for your celebrations? Look no further…
Yorkshire as a region of literary inspiration
World Book Day is a cherished global celebration of reading, storytelling, and the enduring power of books. It’s a day dedicated to authors, illustrators, books, and, most importantly, reading. The aim is to encourage people, especially the younger generation, to discover the joys of reading and to explore the vast landscapes of literature that await them. In Yorkshire, this day takes on a special significance as we pay homage not only to the universal magic of stories but also to the rich literary heritage rooted in our own scenic and diverse region.
Yorkshire, with its rolling dales, historic cities, and rugged moorlands, has long been a fertile ground for literary inspiration. The county’s breathtaking landscapes and unique cultural history have given birth to some of the world’s most beloved narratives and characters. From the Brontë sisters, who immortalized the wild moors of Haworth in their unforgettable novels, to the contemporary voices shaping modern literature, Yorkshire’s contribution to the literary world is both profound and unparalleled.
As we celebrate World Book Day, we turn the spotlight on Yorkshire’s settings and authors, inviting readers of all ages to delve into the stories that have been woven from the very fabric of our region. It’s a day to honor the legacy of the literary giants who walked these lands and to discover new voices that continue to capture the essence of Yorkshire’s spirit and landscape.
Join us as we embark on a literary journey through Yorkshire, exploring the settings that have inspired generations of writers and the tales that have emerged from this land of natural beauty and historical depth. Whether you’re revisiting old favorites or finding new adventures, World Book Day in Yorkshire is an opportunity to celebrate the power of books to transport, transform, and transcend.
Books featuring Yorkshire settings and characters (sorted by year of publish)
- Nicholas Nickleby by Charles Dickens, 1839
- Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë, 1847
- Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë, 1847
- The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Brontë, 1848
- Shirley by Charlotte Brontë, 1849
- Dracula by Bram Stoker, 1897
- The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett, 1910
- Inheritance by Phyllis Bentley, 1932
- South Riding by Winifred Holtby, 1936
- The Road to Wigan Pier by George Orwell, 1937
- Testament of Friendship by Vera Brittain, 1940
- An Inspector Calls by J.B. Priestley, 1945
- Venetia by Georgette Heyer, 1958
- Billy Liar (Billy Liar #1) by Keith Waterhouse, 1959
- A Kind of Loving (Vic Brown Trilogy #1) by Stan Barstow, 1960
- The Nonesuch by Georgette Heyer, 1962
- Kirkland Revels by Victoria Holt, 1962
- A Kestrel for a Knave by Barry Hines, 1968
- All Creatures Great and Small (If Only They Could Talk) by James Herriot, 1970
- A Clubbable Woman (Dalziel & Pascoe #1) by Reginald Hill, 1970
- A Long Way from Verona by Jane Gardam, 1971
- Saville by David Storey, 1976
- A Woman of Substance (Emma Harte Saga #1) by Barbara Taylor Bradford, 1979
- A Month in the Country by J.L. Carr, 1980
- The Woman in Black (The Woman in Black #1) by Susan Hill, 1983
- Gallows View (Inspector Banks #1) by Peter Robinson, 1987
- Possession by A.S. Byatt, 1990
- Bones and Silence (Dalziel & Pascoe #11) by Reginald Hill, 1990
- A Share in Death (Duncan Kincaid & Gemma James #1) by Deborah Crombie, 1993
- Behind the Scenes at the Museum by Kate Atkinson, 1995
- In a Dry Season (Inspector Banks #10) by Peter Robinson, 1999
- The Hundred and Ninety-Nine Steps by Michel Faber, 2001
- My Summer of Love by Helen Cross, 2001
- The Peppered Moth by Margaret Drabble, 2001
- If Nobody Speaks of Remarkable Things by Jon McGregor, 2002
- Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke, 2004
- Harriet by Jilly Cooper, 2005
- Raven’s Gate (The Gatekeepers #1) by Anthony Horowitz, 2005
- Sovereign (Matthew Shardlake #3) by C.J. Sansom, 2006
- My Best Friend’s Girl by Dorothy Koomson, 2006
- The Damned Utd by David Peace, 2006
- The Tales of Beedle the Bard (Hogwarts Library) by J.K. Rowling, 2007
- God’s Own Country (Out Backward) by Ross Raisin, 2008
- The King’s Grace by Anne Easter Smith, 2009
- The Very Thought of You by Rosie Alison, 2009
- Ours Are the Streets by Sunjeev Sahota, 2011
- A Countryman’s Lot: Tales From The Dales, 2011
- Walking Home: A Poet’s Journey by Simon Armitage, 2012
- The Lavender Garden (The Light Behind the Window) by Lucinda Riley, 2012
- The Inn at the Top: Tales of Life at the Highest Pub in Britain by Neil Hanson, 2013
- To Catch A Rabbit (Sean Denton #1) by Helen Cadbury, 2013
- The Gospel of Loki (Loki #1) by Joanne M. Harris, 2014
- The Year of the Runaways by Sunjeev Sahota, 2015
- The Lost Child by Caryl Phillips, 2015
- Common Ground by Rob Cowen, 2015
- Neither Nowt Nor Summat: In Search of the Meaning of Yorkshire by Ian McMillan, 2015
- A Fine Summer’s Day (Inspector Ian Rutledge #17) by Charles Todd, 2015
- The Ballroom by Anna Hope, 2016
- Crowned and Dangerous (Royal Spyness #10) by Rhys Bowen, 2016
- House of Secrets by Lynda Stacey, 2016
- The Cottingley Secret by Hazel Gaynor, 2017
- Elmet by Fiona Mozley, 2017
- Miss Moonshine’s Emporium of Happy Endings by Mary Jayne Baker, 2018
- A Summer of Secrets by Lorna Peel, 2018
- The Girl at the Window by Rowan Coleman, 2019
- A Class Act by Gervase Phinn
- Last Day of School by Jack Sheffield, 2022
…and if you’ve read all that, it’s time to take a walk.
Non-fiction Yorkshire books
Visit a historic library

Well-known Yorkshire book characters for fancy dress
- The Vet from All Creatures Great and Small by James Herriot, 1970
- Vampire from Dracula by Bram Stoker, 1897
- DCI Banks (shabby suit) from the Inspector Banks series by Peter Robinson, 1987
- A kestrel on the arm from A Kestrel for a Knave by Barry Hines, 1968
- Historic poor boy costume from Nicholas Nickleby by Charles Dickens, 1839
- 1800’s lady from Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë, 1847
- 1800’s lady or man from Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë, 1847
- 1800’s lady from The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Brontë, 1848
- 1930’s labourer from The Road to Wigan Pier by George Orwell, 1937
- Woman in black from The Woman in Black (The Woman in Black #1) by Susan Hill, 1983
What’s your favourite Yorkshire book?
Tell us about your favourite Yorkshire book in the comments below.
Three authors about tales of Yorkshire which I enjoy are Jack Sheffield, Max Hardcastle and Gervase Phinn. Worth investigating.
Thanks Lily – added to the list