Across the river from the Four Courts stands The Brazen Head, reputed to be the oldest pub in Europe. A tavern has stood on this site since Viking times and The Brazen Head celebrated its 800th birthday in 1998. James Joyce was a regular and makes two references to a "Brazen Head" in Ulysses. Today one can enjoy a drink, order some scrumptious food and listen to the impromptu Irish traditional sessions that usually take place at the weekend; all in a historical and literary setting.

Situated inside Dublin's Trinity College, Oscar Wilde Centre was established in the year 1998. It remains a highly regarded teaching and academic research unit offering post-graduate courses. The structure which houses the center is the same where the great writer was born. Noted poets Gerald Dawe and Brendan Kennelly established the center which offers M.Phil in Irish Writing, the first ever such program in Ireland.

Charles Dickens' novels famously chronicled the lives and dramas of 19th century London in the throes of the industrial revolution, and his portrayal of slums and workhouses drew on his own family's experiences of poverty and debt. However, The Charles Dickens Museum is anything but bleak, unlike the lives of his characters. The drawing room of the Dickens' House where he held literary salons has been lovingly restored, and elsewhere you can view all manner of Dickens paraphernalia including personal letters and notes as well as manuscripts and first editions of his books.

The bustling neighborhood of Castello is home to one of the most interesting bookshops in the city. One look inside Libreria Acqua Alta, and you'll fall in love with the place. Books appear to have ransacked the entire store, spilling over from the bookshelves to every conceivable space in the sparse area, from the decorative gondola to the out-of-place bathtub. The chaotic set up has a strange charm to it, and has made the bookshop, a well-loved institution in the city. Needless to say, the store's collection is eclectic.

Come visit the birthplace of one of America's best-loved authors, Emily Dickinson, who was born here in December 1830. The famed poet spent most of her life here composing over 1800 poems. The property consists of two different residences that are open to the public: The Evergreens, home to Emily's brother Austin, and The Homestead, where she lived and where her numerous unpublished poems were found after her death. Visitors can see both houses through special guided and audio tours.

Popularized by the famous Harry Potter novel and film franchise, King's Cross Station and its Platform 9 3/4 is every bit as magical as you'd expect it to be. A place where imagination comes to life, although this might be a regular railway station, it does not stop hundreds of visitors each day, from taking pictures at the fabled entrance to Platform 9 3/4. While running into the pillar won't actually get you to the train to Hogwarts, you can in fact hop on to a train that will take you to various destinations around the country.

After an exhaustive and careful restoration of this beautiful 1919 theater, the biggest bookstore in Latin America opened in what used to be the old Grand Splendid cinema. Without altering the old structure—twinned with the Opera de Paris theatre—it still has its original features and magnificent friezes, like the one on the spectacular dome. There is now a cafeteria in place of the stage, where you can read books taken from the bookshelves. There are also reading places on the corners of the main floor and in the old balconies on the first floor, furnished with tables and comfortable armchairs, computers for searching or online purchasing and an area dedicated to children, 'El Ateneo Junior', with interactive games and storytelling. There is also a small music stage, CDs and DVDs for sale, art exhibitions on the third floor and facilities for watching DVDs.