Although not many famous writers were born in Norfolk, many famous novels mention Norfolk and many famous novelists have visited the county.

AUTHORS WHO WERE BORN IN NORFOLK

The children’s classic, "Black Beauty", was written by Anna Sewell, who was born in Yarmouth. The horse that is said to have inspired Black Beauty was stabled in Norwich.

Philip Pullman, author of the modern-day fantasy novels "His Dark Materials", was born in Norwich.

"King Solomon’s Mines", another famous novel, was written by Sir Henry Rider Haggard, who was born in Bradenham.

John Skelton, who styled himself as a poet laureate, was probably born in Diss in the 15th century.

AUTHORS WHO LIVED IN OR VISITED NORFOLK

Daniel Defoe, thought to have been born in London, toured Norfolk in the 1720s and saw the grave of one Robinson Cruso in King’s Lynn. This is commonly thought to have been the inspiration for the name of his hero in "Robinson Crusoe"; in the novel, Crusoe was shipwrecked near Winterton.

The author of the children’s classic "The Children of the New Forest" was Captain Marryat. Marryat was born in London but is buried in Norfolk at Langham.

Charles Dickens, born near Portsmouth, stayed at the Royal Hotel, Great Yarmouth, in 1849 and used it as a setting for "David Copperfield". An upturned boat on the beach is thought to have been the inspiration for Peggotty’s house.

The "Biggles" stories about the pilot and adventurer James Bigglesworth were created by W.E. Johns who worked in Swaffham. The young Biggles is said to have spent his holidays with an eccentric uncle in Norfolk.

P.G.Wodehouse was a frequent guest of the Le Strange family in Hunstanton. He wrote "Money For Nothing" at Hunstanton Hall.

The Lake District’s William Wordsworth visited his uncle at Forncett St Peter rectory in 1788 as his sister, Dorothy, was living there at the time. It is possible that, had events worked out differently, Norfolk and not the Lake District could have laid claim to this great poet – Wordsworth’s uncle had intended to find him a local parish, but, after discovering that Wordsworth was the father of an illegitimate child, refused to do so and the poet returned to the Lake District.

WRITERS WHO MENTION NORFOLK IN THEIR WORK

Arthur Ransome, famous for writing "Swallows and Amazons", was born in Yorkshire but set two of his novels - "Coot Club" and "The Big Six" - on the Norfolk Broads.

P D James sets "Devices and Desires" in Norfolk.

In Jane Austen’s "Emma", Norfolk is fleetingly mentioned in the line: "Percy was a week at Cromer once".

In "The Canterbury Tales", Geoffrey Chaucer mentions the "Holy Cross of Bromholm".

Poet Laureate John Betjeman wrote to Mary Wilson (wife of the former Labour prime minister): "Dear Mary, Yes, it will be bliss, To go with you by train to Diss".