Some of the most famous books in English fiction have been set partly or mostly in Brighton.

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen mentions the soldiers who were then based in great numbers in the resort.

William Makepeace Thackeray had a substantial section of his best known book, Vanity Fair, based in Brighton although when it was filmed, Tenby in South Wales had to be used instead because there were too many yellow lines on the streets

Charles Dickens used Brighton in Dombey and Son. Both he and Thackeray knew the town well because they used to give readings from their works to packed and appreciative audiences.

William Harrison Ainsworth named his most famous work Ovingdean Grange after the house he occupied in the mid 19th century. He was a popular writer then but is little read today.

Graham Greene liked Brighton a lot although he never lived there, He used to frequent Dr Brighton’s seaside pub named after a celebrated line by Thackeray.

When Brighton Rock came out in 1938, the book caused consternation among councillors because it showed the resort as menacing and dangerous.

There was an even greaterfuss after the Second World War when the film was released starring Richard Attenborough but it undoubtedly brought many more people to Brighton.

Greene said the best book written about Brighton was The West Pier by Patrick Hamilton – high praise indeed.

The book was the first part of a trilogy about a conman named Gorse and it captured supremely well the sleazy nature of Brighton’s underworld. Hamilton did know the place intimately, having lived there for some time.

Another writer who appreciated the seedy side of Brighton was Keith Waterhouse who lived in Embassy Court for several years. His novel Palace Pier, written in 2003, featured the town.

Arnold Bennett, a big name in books a century ago, wrote most of his best work Clayhanger in Brighton, staying in the Royal Albion Hotel at the guest of its flamboyant proprietor Sir Harry Preston. Oddly the book was set in the Potteries like most of Bennett’s novels.

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle set Rodney Stone partly in Brighton but he is better known for his work in Crowborough.

Likewise Henry James, whose book The Golden Bowl mentions Brighton, is connected to Rye as is E F Benson who featured Brighton in The Blotting Book.

Francis King was a well-regarded Brighton author who set several of his novels in Brighton. Nancy Spain, very popular in the post war period, based Poison for Teacher in the resort.

Three are many writers currently writing about Brighton, using it as a backdrop, and by far the biggest name is Peter James.

His Roy Grace stories are all placed in Brighton and feature a policeman who solves a series of sensational crimes.

James is one of the best-selling authors In Britain and is known for his meticulous research. His books are a long way from those of Jane Austen but are justly popular.