Help to create a literary map, from Land’s End to John O’Groats and beyond.

The British Library has launched an online literary map alongside its major summer exhibition, Writing Britain: Wastelands to Wonderlands. Writing Britain is a once in a lifetime chance to see such treasures as John Lennon’s original lyrics for The Beatles’ ‘In My Life’, J K Rowling’s handwritten first draft for the first Harry Potter novel and the original manuscripts of Jane Austen, William Blake, Charlotte Bronte, Arthur Conan Doyle, J G Ballard, Charles Dickens and many more.

However, the Library is asking the public to help to curate this landscape-inspired collection beyond the walls of exhibition with an interactive map, ‘Pin-a-Tale’.

Everyone is welcome to choose a literary work, from any period and in any form, and add, or ‘pin a tale’, to the literary map, whether it is a Led Zeppelin song about obscure Welsh cottage, Bron-yr-Aur, or a comparison drawn between J R R Tolkien’s Two Towers and Leeds’s Tower Works. How has the author captured the spirit of a place and what does it mean to the person posting it?

The curators’ favourite contributions then become part of the physical exhibition, displayed on a digital projection of a map with twinkling lights representing each entry. The Library is also archiving each of the entries to be added to its digital collections for use by future researchers.

Visit www.bl.uk/pin-a-tale to contribute to our online literary landscape.

Curated by the British Library’s English and Drama team, the Writing Britain exhibition takes visitors on a journey through six different landscapes: rural, industrial, wild, ‘watery’, suburban and the capital. While the exhibition covers over 150 works, including many first-time loans from overseas and directly from authors, spanning the past 1000 years to the present day, it will inevitably miss out some much-loved and possibly little-known literary works.

Highlights of the exhibition include:

J K Rowling’s original manuscript for Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone – the original manuscript for Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, lent personally by the author, describes Harry Potter’s first encounter with platform 9 ¾ in London’s King’s Cross station. The manuscript, famously drafted in an Edinburgh café, is scattered with doodles and corrections, and this chapter is inspired by London’s King’s Cross station.

J R R Tolkien’s original artwork for The Hobbit – ‘The Hill at Hobbiton’ is one of the most unusual representations of rural England. It is described as a small, beautiful country with an extensive pre-industrial farming industry. In The Lord of the Rings, the damage done to the Shire by Saruman seems to be partially based on Tolkien’s childhood memories of changes to the Worcestershire countryside by industrialisation.

John Lennon’s handwritten early draft of In My Life. These draft lyrics describe the bus journey from Lennon’s childhood home into Liverpool town centre, recording landmarks passed on the way. The draft includes references to ‘tramsheds with no trams’ and to the demolition of ‘The Dockers’ Umbrella’ – a name for the elevated railway which followed the line of the Liverpool Docks, recalling the specific urban landscape of Liverpool which Lennon experienced as a child.

Jamie Andrews, Head of English and Drama, British Library, and lead curator of the exhibition, says: “We’re really excited at the prospect of uncovering hidden gems that people hold dear and that truly help to build a shared literary landscape. Writing Britain celebrates the incredible collection of great literary works held at the British Library, spanning the last 1000 years and this is a fantastic addition to the Library’s unparalleled collection.”

Free curator-led tours are currently available for visitors to the exhibition.

A youth engagement project, supported by the Paul Hamlyn Foundation, also runs alongside the exhibition. Young people aged 18 – 21 will produce photographs and creative writing in response to the exhibition themes. A display of their work will be shown in the British Library’s café over the summer.

Writing Britain is part of the London 2012 Festival, a spectacular 12-week nationwide celebration from 21 June and running until 9 September 2012 bringing together leading artists from across the world with the very best from the UK.

Booking information

To book tickets for Writing Britain visit www.bl.uk/writingbritain, call 01937 546546 (Mon – Fri, 09.00 – 17.00) or buy tickets in person at the British Library.

Exhibition opening hours

Monday 09.30 – 18.00, Tuesday 09.30 – 20.00, Wednesday – Friday 09.30 – 18.00, Saturday 09.30 – 17.00, Sunday and English public holidays 11.00 – 17.00

All galleries are accessible by wheelchair. Information can be requested from Visitor Services staff on: T +44 (0)20 7412 7332.

Source: British Library