The British Library has extensive collections of fiction from many parts of the world. In particular, it has especially rich collections of modern British fiction. We are obliged to receive one copy of every book, newspaper and periodical published in the United Kingdom and, via different legislation, one copy of every book published in the Republic of Ireland.
Overview | Finding fiction in the British Library | Other British Library fiction resources | Other libraries with fiction collections
Novels, collections of short stories, stories and extracts in periodicals and newspapers, writers' manuscripts, and sound recordings make the Library's British fiction collections the greatest of their kind. The literary criticism that supports the interpretation of fiction is also well represented.
Finding fiction in the British Library
The Library's fiction collections and supporting materials can be located on the Library's catalogues, listed below, and consulted in our Reading Rooms.
| Type | Location | Catalogue |
|---|---|---|
| Novels, short story collections, literary criticism, periodicals | St Pancras | Explore the British Library |
| Newspapers | Colindale | Newspapers Web Catalogue |
| Authors' & publishers' manuscripts, including correspondence | St Pancras | Manuscripts Online Catalogue |
| Sound recordings | St Pancras | British Library Sound Archive Catalogue |
Other British Library fiction resources
- Information on English literature reference works held in the Humanities Reading Room, including electronic resources, as well as links to other English literature sites.
- Featured Authors
Information on the Library's special collections of printed books associated with modern authors, with finding lists and websites for a small selection of featured authors. - British writers - The Spoken Word
Other libraries with fiction collections
Many institutions have special book and manuscript collections associated with authors of the British Isles, including:
Many manuscript collections in Britain can be located using the UK National Register of Archives.
