Locals
An Illustrated Ode to London's Pubs
Published on 21. May 2026
Book
Hardback
208 pages
978-1-3997-5633-4 (ISBN)
Description
'Shall we go to the pub?'
Pubs are where we meet our friends and family, colleagues and first dates, where strangers mingle happily, pints in hand and crisp packets spread open. Where brisk Londoners relax and tourists experience a different side of the city. Where landlords chat to regulars and conversation is accompanied by live music, TV sport or the clink of glasses. They are a place where anyone can become a local.
From historic landmarks and iconic boozers to intimate family establishments, there are pubs on the river, pubs down twisting alleyways, pubs in the shadows of skyscrapers. There are over 3,500 pubs in the capital and illustrator Lydia Wood is on a quest to draw them all.
Locals is a collection of over sixty of her favourites and their stories: an artist's celebration of their beauty and their charm, their idiosyncrasies and their histories, their landlords and their locals. (Also, their cats.)
This is London and its beloved pubs - come on in.
Pubs are where we meet our friends and family, colleagues and first dates, where strangers mingle happily, pints in hand and crisp packets spread open. Where brisk Londoners relax and tourists experience a different side of the city. Where landlords chat to regulars and conversation is accompanied by live music, TV sport or the clink of glasses. They are a place where anyone can become a local.
From historic landmarks and iconic boozers to intimate family establishments, there are pubs on the river, pubs down twisting alleyways, pubs in the shadows of skyscrapers. There are over 3,500 pubs in the capital and illustrator Lydia Wood is on a quest to draw them all.
Locals is a collection of over sixty of her favourites and their stories: an artist's celebration of their beauty and their charm, their idiosyncrasies and their histories, their landlords and their locals. (Also, their cats.)
This is London and its beloved pubs - come on in.
Reviews / Votes
Delightful . . . it really is the perfect window into some of the city's best pubs . . . This book is a labour of love, a catalogue of Wood's talent as an artist and a powerful reminder of the beauty of our boozers * Daily Mail *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Hodder & Stoughton
Product notice
Trade binding
Illustrations
Black and white pencil line drawings
Dimensions
Height: 218 mm
Width: 156 mm
Thickness: 14 mm
Weight
399 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-3997-5633-4 (9781399756334)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
E-Book
05/2026
Sceptre
€12.99
Available for download
Person
Lydia Wood is a pencil artist who is currently on a mission to draw every single pub in London. She shares her drawing process and pub adventures across her social media channels and the project has been featured in a number of news outlets including the BBC, The Times and the New York Times.
The pub project began in 2021 and, with there being over 3,500 pubs in London, it could take a minimum of 10 years to finish.
Lydia was born in Ealing, West London, and studied Fine Art at Goldsmiths University. She then went on to teach children art across schools in South London before focusing on her own practice. She now lives in South East London.
The pub project began in 2021 and, with there being over 3,500 pubs in London, it could take a minimum of 10 years to finish.
Lydia was born in Ealing, West London, and studied Fine Art at Goldsmiths University. She then went on to teach children art across schools in South London before focusing on her own practice. She now lives in South East London.