Rationale for A Literary London Guidebook:
Memorials and Burial Sites of Famous Literary Figures
By ----------
Purpose and Audience
The purpose of A Literary London Guidebook: The Memorials of Famous Literary
Figures is to inform (and possibly entertain) an audience of literary-minded adults,
probably Americans, by helping them to find the memorials of some of the most famous
writers in London.
Content
The guidebook contains information about writers who are buried or otherwise interred
within the city limits of London. For each cemetery, crematorium, or church that
contains one (or more) of these writers, I have included a brief history of the site, as well
as a photo. There is also important visitor information: the closest tube station, operating
hours, availability of tours, admission fees, and other pertinent information. Where
possible, I have included information about nearby places of interest. For each writer, I
have included a brief biography, a photo of the writer’s memorial or marker, and
information about finding one’s way to the writer’s marker. Other information includes
the writer’s birthdate, deathdate, and, where available, what caused his or her death. The
guidebook includes a tube map to facilitate travel. The information in the guidebook
about the history of the burial places and the biography of the writers is included to help
the user understand the historical context and importance of the places and people he will
be visiting. The visitor information is included so that the user will be able to plan ahead;
that is, so that he will bring enough money for admission, show up at the right time and
day, or know what tube station to stop at. When information about nearby attractions is
included, it is so that the user will be able to take advantage of his travel time by getting
to see another place of interest while he’s in the area.
Organization
The guidebook begins with an introduction, explaining to the user how best to utilize the
document. A table of contents is next. The table of contents lists, in alphabetic order,
each burial place; within those listings are alphabetic listings of the writers interred there.
The main content is arranged the same way (burial place, then individual burial sites). At
the back of the document is an author’s index which lists the authors’ names in alphabetic
order and the corresponding page number. I included the index so that if a user wanted to
look up a particular writer to visit, she would not have to look through the table of
contents. A tube map is printed on the inside back cover.
Style
Because my target audience is literary-minded adult Americans, I kept the tone of the text
what might be called “lightly formal.” In other words, the information (bio/history,
visitor information) is formal, but the introduction and “other information” are in a
friendly, or “light,” tone. I use American-style spelling and assume that my audience is
American.
Visuals
Because of the potentially gloomy nature of my subject, I wanted to use color in the
guidebook. At the same time, I did not want the colors to be too bright or pastel, as I
thought such a color scheme may be inappropriate for the subject. I chose a sunsetthemed palette for the accent. The photos are printed in color in order to make it easier
for the user to recognize the writer’s marker or the burial place, as well as adding visual
interest. The tube map retains the colors of the traditional tube map, making it easier for
the user who may be unfamiliar with the London tube.
Format/Layout
In order to give the user clear visual cues, I used a pattern throughout the guidebook. The
headings for the burial places are all typed in Castellar font, size 18, bold. The
subheadings for the individual writers are all typed in Century Gothic font, size 16, bold.
The reason for the difference in headings is to help the user recognize, even if
unconsciously, that she is looking at two separate listings. The font for the history and
biographical text is Century Gothic font, size 10; the font for the visitor’s information is
Century Gothic, size 9. Again, the difference in font size is to help the user recognize the
difference in information.
The sub-subheadings for the writer or burial place and for the visitor information are
Century Gothic, size 10, bold. Each set of facing pages is arranged symmetrically; the
headings, text, and photos are in the same place for each set.
The small size of the guidebook is designed to make it as portable as possible, while still
allowing the ability to read the text and see the photos. The pages and cover are heavy, to
allow the document to keep its shape even when shoved into a backpack or purse. The
heavy cover should also help keep the inner pages from getting too damp or dirty. The
binding should be able to withstand heavy use.