About this Event
You are warmly invited on a Virginia Woolf Winter Walk: ‘Oxford Street Tide’ — from Oxford Street to Bloomsbury, marking Virginia Woolf’s birthday.
Liz will lead participants on a walk through the bustling area around Oxford Street to the quieter Bloomsbury streets ending in Tavistock Square Gardens. We will go in search of the London streets and places that served as literary inspiration for Virginia Woolf as well as the shops that she liked to frequent when she was in need of a new hat or pair of gloves, or some books to read.
“The garishness and gaudiness of the great rolling ribbon of Oxford Street has its fascination. It is like the pebbly bed of a river whose stones are for ever washed by a bright stream. Everything glitters and twinkles.”
From Virginia Woolf’s Oxford Street Tide
The walk was originally inspired by Louisa Albani’s pamphlet Virginia Woolf in the City: Oxford Street Tide (Night Bird Press/Louisa Albani, 2025) which is in turn a reimagining of Woolf’s essay Oxford Street Tide.
About Liz Ison
Liz enjoys bringing literature to life through leading shared reading groups and literary walks and poetry workshops. Liz has led literary walks in association with The Poetry Ph*rm*cy, Oxford University, Batsford Books, Hachette Publishers, Night Bird Press and for school and university groups. Liz has edited anthology A Literary Letter for Every Day of the Year which features some of Woolf’s letters as well as six poetry anthologies. She is a freelance museum educator at the Charles Dickens Museum, has designed a literary tour for the National Portrait Gallery and a poetry tour for Sir John Soane’s Museum and delivered poetry for well being workshops for Camden Libraries and Kingston Libraries. Instagram @liz.ison
Feedback from Liz’s previous walks
“It was a wonderful morning! I loved the way you incorporated Virginia Woolf’s writing alongside her significant places, and took us all on our own London Haunting”
“The Woolf walk was hugely enjoyable and enlightening. Liz had some fascinating historical images of each site where Woolf visited/shopped as well as the perfect quote. And each stop was excellently contextualised. The stops neatly aligned with descriptions in the accompanying pamphlet (which is yet another beauty!)”
“Liz has been very lovely. Very friendly & cool people. Will come back for another walk”
“Exactly what I needed! Loved uncovering all these special corners of London.”
“Informative, inspiring & hugely enjoyable. Liz is a superstar. Will definitely look out for more”
“A wonderful morning – as someone who has worked in this area for most of my career it was so enlightening to learn something new”
Event venue & nearby stays
Hanover Square, Hanover Square, London, United Kingdom
Concerts, fests, parties, meetups — all the happenings, one place.