Fictional
colleges are perennially popular in modern novels, allowing the author much greater licence when describing the more intimate activities of a
Cambridge college and a way of placing events that might not be permitted by actual Cambridge geography.
Fawkes College, in the novels of Mary Selby/Joanna Bell/Mary Lowth. The College features her book Gargoyles and Port, in which it is rival to the neighbouring St Alupent's College
Flopsy College, In the episode Return of the Mummy of children's spy series M.I. High
Haworth College, Dr Rose Fenemore in Stormy Petrel by
Mary Stewart is described as the College's English tutor, though most of the novel is set on the
Isle of Mull
Hawkins College, The longstanding rivals of Old College in the series of PorterGirl books and blog of the same name written by Lucy Brazier
Humber College, Hugo Lamb, narrator of the second chapter in
David Mitchell's novel The Bone Clocks, is an undergraduate at Humber, a medieval college in the city centre
Lauds College, various books by
Susan Howatch. Fictionally contains Cambridge Cathedral, so is similar to
Christ Church, Oxford. Charles Ashworth was a fellow of the College and many other characters studied there. Named after
William Laud, controversial 17th century
Archbishop of Canterbury
Marcian College, Raisley Conyngham's old college in In the Image of God by
Simon Raven. Located between
the Round Church and Portugal Place, i.e. between St John's and Jesus. Described by its head porter as "the least distinguished college in the kingdom, with the possible exception of
Hertford College, Oxford"
Old College, fictional college from the PorterGirl books and blog, written by Lucy Brazier
Pelby College, spoof college that Cambridge students use as an "unmistakable landmark" when giving directions to tourists. By convention it is located somewhere between Magdalene and St John's.[2]
Rachel Ambrose College, Christminster, Culture Shock (
Duckworth 1988) by
Valerie Grosvenor Myer, a graduate of
Newnham, and sometime Associate of
Lucy Cavendish, which, as a college for mature women students, it most resembles
St Agatha's College, The Wyndham Case (1993), A Piece of Justice (1995), Debts of Dishonour (2006) and The Bad Quarto (2007) by
Jill Paton Walsh, located between
Castle Mound and Chesterton Lane
St Alupent's College, in the novels of Mary Selby/Joanna Bell/Mary Lowth. The College is the setting of her book Gargoyles and Port.[4] The author studied at
Gonville and Caius College. She named St Alupent's after a branded asthma syrup available on the NHS at the time
St Barnabas' College, Tomorrow's Ghost (1979) by
Anthony Price
St Bartholemew's College, Nights in White Satin (1999) by
Michelle Spring. Located near the police station and New Square, with murders investigated by Laura Principal of
Newnham College
St Swithin's College, In James Hilton's Random Harvest, the college attended by Charles Ranier, the main character, and a decade later by Harrison, the narrator. Founded in the latter 16th century
Wetmarsh College, subject of an operetta by Mark Wainwright and Roland Anderson entitled Wetmarsh College, or, Dr Middlebottom, first staged at the
ADC Theatre, Cambridge, in 2005 (Wetmarsh is never explicitly said to be in Cambridge, but Wainwright's libretto [albeit including a little Oxford terminology] and the place of its composition and first performance make it fairly clear)
An unnamed college in
C. P. Snow's novel The Masters and other novels in the Strangers and Brothers series. Snow disparaged what he called the 'Christminster' convention of the naming of fictitious colleges
^Thackeray, William Makepeace.
"II. A Pedigree and other Family Matters". THE HISTORY OF PENDENNIS. Pendennis, by this time, had his handsomely framed and glazed, and hanging up in his drawing-room between the pictures of Codlingbury House in Somersetshire, and St. Boniface's College, Cambridge, where he had passed the brief and happy days of his early manhood.
Fictional
colleges are perennially popular in modern novels, allowing the author much greater licence when describing the more intimate activities of a
Cambridge college and a way of placing events that might not be permitted by actual Cambridge geography.
Fawkes College, in the novels of Mary Selby/Joanna Bell/Mary Lowth. The College features her book Gargoyles and Port, in which it is rival to the neighbouring St Alupent's College
Flopsy College, In the episode Return of the Mummy of children's spy series M.I. High
Haworth College, Dr Rose Fenemore in Stormy Petrel by
Mary Stewart is described as the College's English tutor, though most of the novel is set on the
Isle of Mull
Hawkins College, The longstanding rivals of Old College in the series of PorterGirl books and blog of the same name written by Lucy Brazier
Humber College, Hugo Lamb, narrator of the second chapter in
David Mitchell's novel The Bone Clocks, is an undergraduate at Humber, a medieval college in the city centre
Lauds College, various books by
Susan Howatch. Fictionally contains Cambridge Cathedral, so is similar to
Christ Church, Oxford. Charles Ashworth was a fellow of the College and many other characters studied there. Named after
William Laud, controversial 17th century
Archbishop of Canterbury
Marcian College, Raisley Conyngham's old college in In the Image of God by
Simon Raven. Located between
the Round Church and Portugal Place, i.e. between St John's and Jesus. Described by its head porter as "the least distinguished college in the kingdom, with the possible exception of
Hertford College, Oxford"
Old College, fictional college from the PorterGirl books and blog, written by Lucy Brazier
Pelby College, spoof college that Cambridge students use as an "unmistakable landmark" when giving directions to tourists. By convention it is located somewhere between Magdalene and St John's.[2]
Rachel Ambrose College, Christminster, Culture Shock (
Duckworth 1988) by
Valerie Grosvenor Myer, a graduate of
Newnham, and sometime Associate of
Lucy Cavendish, which, as a college for mature women students, it most resembles
St Agatha's College, The Wyndham Case (1993), A Piece of Justice (1995), Debts of Dishonour (2006) and The Bad Quarto (2007) by
Jill Paton Walsh, located between
Castle Mound and Chesterton Lane
St Alupent's College, in the novels of Mary Selby/Joanna Bell/Mary Lowth. The College is the setting of her book Gargoyles and Port.[4] The author studied at
Gonville and Caius College. She named St Alupent's after a branded asthma syrup available on the NHS at the time
St Barnabas' College, Tomorrow's Ghost (1979) by
Anthony Price
St Bartholemew's College, Nights in White Satin (1999) by
Michelle Spring. Located near the police station and New Square, with murders investigated by Laura Principal of
Newnham College
St Swithin's College, In James Hilton's Random Harvest, the college attended by Charles Ranier, the main character, and a decade later by Harrison, the narrator. Founded in the latter 16th century
Wetmarsh College, subject of an operetta by Mark Wainwright and Roland Anderson entitled Wetmarsh College, or, Dr Middlebottom, first staged at the
ADC Theatre, Cambridge, in 2005 (Wetmarsh is never explicitly said to be in Cambridge, but Wainwright's libretto [albeit including a little Oxford terminology] and the place of its composition and first performance make it fairly clear)
An unnamed college in
C. P. Snow's novel The Masters and other novels in the Strangers and Brothers series. Snow disparaged what he called the 'Christminster' convention of the naming of fictitious colleges
^Thackeray, William Makepeace.
"II. A Pedigree and other Family Matters". THE HISTORY OF PENDENNIS. Pendennis, by this time, had his handsomely framed and glazed, and hanging up in his drawing-room between the pictures of Codlingbury House in Somersetshire, and St. Boniface's College, Cambridge, where he had passed the brief and happy days of his early manhood.