Everyone knows that a freshly brewed cup of tea is an excellent accompaniment to a good book, but how do tea and tea drinking appear in literature? The world’s most consumed beverage after water has featured countless times in our favourite books – who can forget the Mad Hatter’s tea party? – and is sometimes even integral to the story’s plot! Here we share some of the best books that are all about tea.

Emma by Jane Austen

In nearly all of Jane Austen’s novels, tea is used as a literary excuse to further plot. While sitting down to tea, Austen's heroines meet new acquaintances – and sometimes love interests – as well as sharing gossip and uncovering blushworthy scandals.

It was no secret that Austen herself was a fervent lover of tea; with her royalties earned from Sense and Sensibility she immediately placed a significant order for Wedgwood China. Her novels are linked so strongly with tea that boutique brews have even been named after her characters!

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland & Through the Looking-Glass by Lewis Carroll

There’s perhaps no literary tea party more famous than the Mad Hatter’s, which takes place ‘down the rabbit hole’, where time is perpetually frozen at six o’clock – making it always tea time. This ludicrous gathering really is what Wonderland is all about.

Scolded for sitting down without being invited, offered no tea but wine (despite there being none), and plagued with nonsensical riddles by her fellow party guests, Alice is furious with the Mad Hatter and March Hare for abusing or ignoring the social conventions she is used to. Perhaps Lewis Carroll was poking fun at the social norms and tea ceremonies of his time . . .

The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane by Lisa See

While our first two novels focused on tea drinking, the next is all about tea farming. In The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane, Li-yan and her family’s lives are bound to the seasons and the cultivation of their fermented tea ‘Pu’er’ – uniquely farmed by the Akha people for generations.

When Li-yan is forced to give up her daughter, Haley, to be raised by American adoptive parents, they are separated by continents and culture. Slowly, Haley begins to reconnect with her Ahka heritage through the study of ‘Pu’er’ tea. This book entwines a captivating mother-daughter story with everything you ever wanted to know about the challenging process of farming tea.

Vanessa Yu’s Magical Paris Tea Shop by Roselle Lim

The mystical side of tea is explored in this delightful novel, where Vanessa is ‘cursed’ with the ability to see people’s fortunes in the pattern of their tea leaves. To avoid blurting out the futures of friends, family or even strangers, she decides to drink coffee instead – but she seems unable to escape their complicated fortunes.

Desperate, Vanessa turns to her Aunt Evelyn, who implores her to move to Paris with her to open a tea shop. With the help of tea leaves and her aunt, Vanessa starts to learn more about herself, her ability and what the fateful leaves really have in store for her.

The Tiger Who Came To Tea by Judith Kerr

Age is no limit when it comes to loving tea, and many children have hosted imaginary tea parties with extraordinary guests. Of course, the Tiger first rang the doorbell over fifty years ago, and still brings the magic to teatime – the book has never been out of print since its publication in 1968!

This gentle children’s classic by Judith Kerr teaches kids the importance of hospitality, acceptance and kindness, by showing that anyone is welcome at teatime – even a big, furry, stripy tiger.

And we couldn’t not include . . .

The Book of Tea by Okakura Kakuzo

We’re sidestepping here slightly because this is actually non-fiction, but it’s a book that deserves a place on the bookshelves of all true tea-lovers. Written in English by the Japanese scholar and artist Okakura Kakuzo, The Book of Tea was first published in 1906 as a way to introduce Japanese ‘teaism’ to Western cultures by exploring different aspects of the tea ceremony: how it was founded, the role of the tea masters, the architecture of the tea-room and the stages of making and serving the tea.

Available as part of the stunning, clothbound Macmillan’s Collector's Library, this tea encyclopaedia would make a perfect gift for any tea fiend.

^{This article was written by, and created in partnership with Pan Macmillan UK}