George Orwell was in and out of the hospital in the final stretch of his life. During his time at home in Herbrides, United Kingdom. He wrote his last book Nineteen Eighty-Four (1949) here before finally being hospitalized. 

The University of Sheffield is located in Sheffield, Yorkshire England. Today, it boasts about 30,000 students. The university's founding can be traced back to the early 1800s.

Mantel studied law at Sheffield University and met her husband, Gerald, there. She talks about her time there as being very difficult. She was poor, dealing with issues pertaining to both her and Gerald's family, and couldn't lead the so-called "student lifestyle."

University of Sheffield

Photo from universitycompare.com

Botswana is a country located in southern Africa. It is landlocked by South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Nambia. 70% of the country is covered by the Kalahari Desert, and the country suffers from droughts. 

Hilary and Gerald lived in Botswana for 5 years, from 1977-1982, where Hilary worked as a social worker. She gained inspiration for her first novel while doing her social work in Botswana.

Gabarone, the capital of Botswana. 

Photo is courtesy of Mining Journal.

Hadfield, Derbyshire, England, is a small town. In 2011, its population census was just over 6,000. In the 1800s Hadfield was known for its cotton mills.

Mantel grew up in Hadfield, a short distance from her birthplace, Glossop. Here, she attended St Charles Roman Catholic primary school. She stayed in Hadfield until she was around 11 years old after her father left.

Station Road, Hadfield Looking southeast towards the station.

Image copyright: Michael Ely