I’ve just finished reading The Writer’s Room by @Katie Da Cunha Lewin, published by @elliottandthompson and out in September. It’s a work of non-fiction and looks at the writing rooms of different authors through the ages and also asks the question of what makes a writing space - does it need to be a particular room, or can it exist in any space indoors or out? I loved the examination of how different writers worked and what they had with them and of their particular writing style in order to produce their books. This has also inspired me to read other books mentioned throughout the text too - Hemingway has been pulled off the shelf to be started shortly!

Why are we fascinated with where writer’s write? I often daydream about an author sitting in a beautiful room filled with books and looking out at a garden filled with flowers and leading into a wonderful landscape beyond. I have visited a great many writer’s rooms and each is so different in a very personal way.
This book has allowed me to reflect on the fact that each writer has their own individual place to write, not always a room even and often far away from my imagined space. It looks at individual authors and where they write but it also seems a deeply personal reflection on the author’s own writing experience.
I loved the balance between the authors and the writers she is writing about. A very reflective book.

Many thanks to Elliot & Thompson and NetGalley for the ARC! The Writer’s Room is being released on September 11 2025.

As someone who loves reading books about books and writers, I thought this book would be for me. And it didn’t disappoint! In The Writer’s Room, Katie da Cunha Lewin reflects on the mythology surrounding the spaces authors write in, how they are preserved as museums, how they are portrayed in media, and how they impacted the authors. Da Cunha Lewin explores far more than just rooms belonging to single authors–she discusses shared rooms, cafés, and rooms that no longer exist. She touches on Virginia Woolf, the Brontë sisters, James Baldwin, and more.

This book is incredibly well-researched and features some excellent analysis of films. However, there is also an aspect of memoir that I really enjoyed. Da Cunha Lewin talks about her experiences and journey to claiming the title of writer for herself. Even with the discussions of some of my absolute favorite authors’ writing spaces, these personal parts were what I liked best. It kept things engaging for the reader and ensured that the book didn’t get too bogged down in the more historical and academic aspects. And I especially loved the descriptions of her visits to various writers’ museum houses! That was a lot of fun.

Overall, The Writer’s Room is a great mix of history, analysis, and memoir. If you’re interested in the writer and their space as concepts, this is the book for you!

A thoughtful well-researched book about the creative process and some of the mythology around the act of writing which as an artist and reader I found interesting and relatable. Of course in the 5 chapters there’s not room to include everyone who ever wrote but the Author chooses writers who bring different aspects to the process and who have a diversity of voice and opinion. There are conversations about what a writer looks like, where they work, how their writing is funded and the impact of these elements on the outcome and modern written word. I found this book thought provoking and reflective and enjoyed the writing style.

I am a prime audience for a book like this. I am a fan of Olivia Laing and other similar authors who made their careers on light cultural analysis musings, I love unusual/literary travelogues (think A Flat Place, Haunted States: An American Gothic Guidebook, Ghostland: In Search of a Haunted Country, A Tomb with a View or From Here to Eternity), and I literally research the history of bibliotourism for a living. Maybe my standards a bit too high, but this book left me with mixed feelings.

I really enjoyed the premise - focusing on writer's rooms as both tourist attractions and cultural spaces. I really liked the first couple of chapters which focused on specific empirical case studies and provided a good mix of light analysis and fascinating anecdotal detail of the writing spaces of Dickens, Woolf, Freud and others. I also appreciated the attention the author paid to power imbalances in her discussions of who gets to have a dedicated writing space or a 'writer's room'.

I found the writing style, the repetitiveness of case studies and the balance between breadth and depth less compelling. Every chapter reads like a journalistic essay, and almost every paragraph comes across as a conclusion. I wonder if the material could have been organised in a more coherent way to tell a more engaging story. I was also not very impressed of how narrowly focused the book was - the author mentioned several British case studies, and a couple of American ones (eg James Baldwin). As the book does not really provide much depth on the case studies the author chose to include (eg Woolf or the Brontës), the material came across as repetitive and the non-fiction narrative ran out of steam before the halfway point. Even if the author has limited linguistic expertise, they could have broadened their idea of Anglophone literature (and writers who get or don't get to have 'writer's rooms') to cover examples from beyond the UK and the USA (Canada? India? Jamaica? Singapore? Australia?). The author was clearly happy to use virtual tours and online research, so the limitation here is not defined by accessibility, but by an active choice to cover X and not Y or Z. As a result, the book has a very white (and, despite the author's examination of the power dynamics in question, quite a middle class) focus with a couple of Black American case studies to mix it up. I am not even mentioning that in the age when other languages are more accessible than ever, more effort could have been put to at least give an overview of 'writer's rooms' in non-Anglophone cultures, or, worst comes to worst, a bit more of an exploration of non-European writers' rooms in the UK, if the author really wanted to keep the UK/USA focus. Why did we need Keates and not Sosemi? The book could have also explored the phenomenon of 'writer's rooms' museums from before the 19th century - the concept was neither invented nor popularised in that time period.

Worst of all, most of the time I did not feel like I was learning anything particularly new from this book, and that sort of defeats the purpose of reading a non-fiction book.

Nevertheless, the book gave me some food for thought. What happens to writers' rooms when a writer fades into obscurity, or at least becomes less popular? Or, the other way round, what about people whose posthumous fame takes a couple of decades to develop (we truly are living through a Derek Jarman Renaissance, for example). The book really inspired the questions, rather than provided the answers, though.

This book is a reflective and somewhat philosophical look at the spaces we might call a "writer's room," a phrase which has a lot of cultural weight to it but which can actually mean lots of things -- or not exist, as such, at all.
It touches lightly on several specific rooms or homes belonging to a number of both American and European authors, and considers what we hope to see or imagine by visiting them as literary tourists. It also discusses what the creative process can mean in different settings or circumstances. I found it relatively interesting, but I'm approaching it from the standpoint of an eager literary tourist and a reader--not so much a writer. I'd say it would be even more congenial reading for people who have devoted significant energy and time to creating.

In this the author takes a look at writers houses and their writing rooms within those houses, but she also looks at various spaces, aware that not all writers have the luxury of 'A room of ones I'm it is packed full of information, but at the same time very personal, and she frequently related back to get own writing. The bit talking about AI writing is interesting in light of the whole controversy surrounding The Salt Path, as she says she believes people will reject AI writing, seeking instead more authentic writing; (I mean, I would hope so), but even then we can't guarantee authenticity. We want what we read to have been worked at. I loved some of the info about writers homes as museums, I haven't visited nearly as many as I would like.

I would say this would be really appreciated by a writer, or someone who would like to be a writer. There is an awful lot to enjoy for the reader as well.

*Many thanks to Netgally and the publishers for a copy in exchange for an honest opinion.*

4.5 stars

I do love books about books and authors and writing.

This is a mixture of things. It looks at specific authors and their writing rooms and writing paraphernalia and whatnot, but it's also a deeply personal exploration of Katie's own experience, which was a nice balance.

I know a lot of people don't understand the need to see something that once belonged to a celebrity. And I do understand what they mean in a way, I'm not one for fawning over celebrities. But if you pit me in Charles Dickens' study and allow me to touch the paper, his desk, his pens, anything he has touched, then I'm afraid you'll see a different side of me. And I can't quite explain why but I think people who admire books and have favourite authors will understand.

In a way, it's less about the writer's space and more about them as a person, how they write, where, when, why, with a backdrop of location. It's not a how-do, it doesn't give advice on how to set up your own space.

I'd have liked some more photos, but I'm aware I had a digital ARC and so that may change before publication.

It got me thinking about the spaces I write in. I do have an office of sorts, which is basically a desk I bought in lockdown shoved to the wall in the spare bedroom. That's where I should write. But I also write on the sofa, at the dining table, in bed, in the notebook I've shoved in my handbag when I'm out. And sometimes I write in my head. Part of me wishes I had more discipline, because when I used to work a "proper" job, I went to my desk, logged on at 8am and worked there until whatever time the day finished. But now, I probably only work in the office once week, but I do admit I certainly get more done at the desk, but it feels more official and, at times, more pressurised to create something.

I do want to go on a tour of writer's workspaces now.

It's a very information heavy book, which I liked. It showed the amount of research Katie must have had to do in order to give this book such gravitas.

This book surprised me in the best way that is possible.

The book is divided into five chapters of different types of writer’s room. I liked the categorizations. It made me feel excited for each chapter.

Before I started to read the book I was expecting it to be a sort of an academical writing. However, the author reflects on the writer’s rooms with her own experiences and understandings of life. Besides the categorizations, the book does not really follow a strict writing but follows the mind of the author. This by no means it is all over the place. The book made me feel like I was talking to my friend. Maybe it is because I too am fascinated by the lives and workplaces of authors (and also had a portrait of Lord Byron next to my desk when I was a teenager like the author), that I could relate to the author a lot. However, at the end, I think it is not just about my own interests but it also has to do with the writing capabilities of the author that manages to portray their interests in the most lovable way that is possible. You just get excited to hear the thoughts of the author.

The only thing I would wish would be more pictures but I liked the book regardless.

I am sure I will be buying paperback copy of this book and add it to my collection. I think it needs to be in every literature lover’s collection.

Thanks to Netgalley, Elliott & Thompson, and Katie da Cunha Lewin for this advanced reader copy.

Thank you, NetGalley, for the opportunity to read an ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

I was excited to read about what some of my favourite writers' rooms were like. The author did such a fantastic job of bringing them to light. The way the various rooms were described, I could see them in my mind's eye—a beautiful threading of the author’s writing experience with other writers. After years of writing in a variety of spaces and during interruptions, I now have a dedicated space to call my own. I used to think that I wasn't a real writer until I did. This book was a balm for that notion.

The bibliography is a great resource list to learn more. What a great gift for the writers in your life!

Thoroughly researched and thoughtful, this book delves into the spaces that our favorite authors wrote in and the connection between the writers desk and the story being written. I think it would be an interesting and compelling book for other writers and literary fiction lovers.

The Writers Room was a fascinating read,so well written so involving.Seeing the places these authors wrote in the personal environments that inspired their writings.A gem of a book that I will be gifting.#NetGalley #thewritersroom

This book made me want a beautiful desk in a room overlooking the countryside, surrounded by nature, books, and old photographs; a quiet space to read and write in peaceful solitude. But it also challenged that idea. It explores the evolving concept of the writing room, and what it even means to be a writer today. Does writing have to be done alone? In a set place? Or can it happen anywhere, woven into daily life?

I found this really readable, interesting and a page turner. It delves into the fascination we have with writers and where they write. What actually makes someone a writer? And if you are one, can you ever really stop being one, even when you're on holiday, running errands, or caught up in everyday life?

I especially enjoyed the reflections on writers who resist the spotlight. Do we need to know who the writer is if they don’t want to be known? Isn’t the writing enough, without the marketing of a person as well?

The historical sections were a highlight for me, especially the tension between domestic life and creative work for women in the past. The book blends the personal with the historical beautifully, and shows how writing habits, note-taking, and creative spaces have shifted in modern life.

Thoroughly researched, thoughtful, and full of detail. I’m very grateful to have received an ARC from NetGalley. This is my honest review, and I’m really glad I had the chance to read it.

Literary, sharp, and utterly addictive ✒️📚. The Writer’s Room offers an insider glimpse into the world of words, ambition, and hidden rivalries. Katie da Cunha Lewin promises complex characters, clever observations, and plenty of drama behind the scenes. A must-read for fans of books about books, creativity, and the messy world of writers.

This book feels like a history journal about writer’s, yet also like a literary reportage.
The author researched how other author’s wrote, or where their writing took place.
She refers to a special kind of solitude on which the labor of writing is based. According to her, there’s a relationship between what happens in the writer’s room and the world the writer attempts to comprehend. A strange dance between public and private aspects of life.
The writer’s room entails a space that give a true sense of a writer’s creative life. Writers seem to have unique powers of looking, a capability to record what they see. So this room is a protective bubble, keeping the writer in and the rest of the world out.
The author asks herself “how many other versions are there of the writer, except the one she imagines?”

I found the journey behind the doors of writers from the past interesting and compelling.

Ostensibly about the spaces writers inhabit, this book is actually more about how we think about writers, the act of writing and creativity. Specifically, da Cunha Lewin takes issues with the cultural image of the solitary writer labouring away in silence at their desk; the room they inhabit in our mind is free of distractions, free of commitments, precarity and all the things that make writing difficult. Curated spaces that preserve, say, Virginia Woolf’s writing desk at Monk’s House, buy into this image a little bit, and give visitors what they expect to say rather than the strict truth. Woolf used a writing board more than she used a desk. Through an exploration of the various spaces writers use to write – not all of them a singular room, or even a room at all – da Cunha Lewin points out how much more varied and peripatetic writing life is.

I loved the observations of how every-day, non-writing life shaped the writing space. She is clear about the barriers that limit access to the familiar idea of the writing room. Who can afford a home with that much space? Who has the time to sit and write for hours at a time? The spaces da Cunha Lewin explores are not always rooms, and not always even physical places. Cafés, buses, zoom calls. Mara Angelous rented hotel rooms and stripped them of any identifying features. But no writer really labours alone. At every turn, she reminds us that writing is an activity that is interwoven with life. There are people supporting artistic endeavours: people who turn writers’ homes in residencies, people who clean and tidy curated spaces, people who look after childcare and domestic responsibilities and people who just lend and ear.

It’s not a book of writing advice, but a book about valuing and protecting the act of writing, wherever it takes place.

Out in September from Elliot & Thompson. Thanks to them and Netgalley for the ARC.

This book was clearly written to me. I did not want this to finish, because it was so much to learn. I am a writer and a reader, have been since could do both. And I have never felt I read a non-fiction book describing the art of a writers room this well. I want the physical book in my home-library, I need it. Its the best book for ANY person who want a writing rooom. BRAVO!!!
Thank you so much to the publisher and NetGalley for my copy and letting me give my honest review.

The Writer's Room is about so much more than the spaces where writers work.

Katie da Cunha Lewin takes us on a thoughtful and reflective journey into the past of familiar writers such as Virginia Woolf and Maya Angelou, while beautifully weaving in her own journey with writing.

Her exploration of financial stability and on gender and racial divides as factors in the writing process was done with such care and self-awareness. Katie da Cunha Lewin takes what could have easily been a niche deep dive that excluded many people into one that is a unpretentious and quiet celebration of artists and creativity in its essence.

A beautiful read from start to finish — Katie da Cunha Lewin's prose is introspective and invites the reader to sit at the table and participate too.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Elliott & Thompson for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This was a really fascinating read featuring a range of interesting writers. I particularly enjoyed the chapter on temporary spaces which I found to be the most original part of the book. I only wish there had been more photos interspersed throughout to illustrate the text.

A niche topic depending on who you ask, but this was so appealing to me. This was interesting even if only for its voyeuristic element. If you've ever written anything, whether academically, professionally, leisurely, you will find yourself in one of the writing spaces mentioned. Perhaps you write at the kitchen table, or on the bus, in a coffee shop, or the library.

Lewin's work is thoughtful and diverting. A nice non-fiction. One of the ones worth having a physical copy of!