For a town famous for shoring up some of the UK’s greatest athletes and entertainers, it’s no surprise Northampton has also been home to some of our most celebrated writers.
Masterpieces written by the town’s pensmiths go as far back as religious writings of the 16th Century.
Meanwhile, Northampton’s modern authors have composed best-selling novels, superhero comics which have taken Hollywood by storm and a string of hit Mills & Boon romances.
Without further ado, here’s our countdown of ten great authors from Northampton.
1. Mark Haddon
The author of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, Mark Haddon, 61, is credited with changing the nation's attitudes to autism and won a host of awards after the book's release in 2003. Photo: Mark Haddon
2. Alan Moore
Alan Moore, 70, is arguably the world's most famous comic book writer. A lifelong Northampton resident, his graphic novels Watchmen, V For Vendetta, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, From Hell and Batman: The Killing Joke were all adapted for the big screen. Photo: National World
3. Elizabeth Bowen
Elizabeth Bowen (1899-1973) was an Anglo-Irish writer famous for her biting novels The Last September (1929), which described Irish society at the height of the country's War of Independence, and The House In Paris (1937) which tells of two children caught up in Paris in the First World War. She moved to Northampton after her marriage. Photo: NA
4. Anne Bradstreet
Anne Bradstreet was born in Northampton in 1612 and was one of the first English pilgrims to make her home in the new world. After moving to Massachusetts, she became a prominent poet - her first volume of poems The Tenth Muse Lately Sprung Up in America was published in 1650. She died in 1672. Photo: NA