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European Literary Map of London Featured in UCL’s Portico Magazine Spring 2025 Edition
2 May 2025
What began as a lockdown teaching tool has grown into a cross-cultural initiative connecting literature, place, and policy. Portico’s Spring 2025 issue traces the European Literary Map of London’s evolution with insights from Dr Uta Staiger and Lucy Shackleton.
How did a pandemic-era teaching tool grow into an international cultural phenomenon? The Spring 2025 issue of Portico, UCL’s alumni magazine, explores the remarkable journey of the European Literary Map of London with the UCL European Institute’s Dr Uta Staiger (Director) and Lucy Shackleton (Head of Public Policy and Partnerships).
Born in lockdown to bridge the gap for students unable to experience London firsthand, the map has since evolved into a pan-European initiative. The Portico article reveals how the project:
- Curated 80+ multilingual texts – from centuries-old manuscripts to contemporary works – organised around themes like Poverty & Plenty and Fantasy & Banality
- Overcame technical challenges to inspire Lost & Found, a travelling exhibition that has sparked cultural dialogue in Brussels, Madrid, Stockholm, and beyond
- Helped shape UCL teaching, including creative translation projects and a Writer in Residence scheme supporting new writing on London from a European perspective
- Strengthened partnerships with the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and EU cultural and literary organisations, positioning UCL as a hub for European literary and cultural scholarship
Read the full feature to discover how adversity fuelled innovation, and learn about alumni contributions – from IOE alum Jessica Dunks’ teaching resources to opportunities for global engagement.
Image © UCL Alumni 2020