New Orleans, Orleans Parish story
Faulkner's First Novel in Pirate's Alley
A young William Faulkner wrote his first novel, Soldiers' Pay, in a house on Pirate's Alley in 1925.
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This alley is barely wide enough for two people to walk side-by-side, but it held the start of a Nobel laureate's career. Back in March of 1925, a young William Faulkner moved into a house at 624 Pirate's Alley. He shared the place with William Spratling, and it was here, in the spring of that year, that Faulkner drafted his first novel, Soldiers' Pay.
He was incredibly focused, reportedly writing about three thousand words a day. Imagine him there, tucked away from the same bustle of the French Quarter, hammering out the prose that would launch his legendary career. Today, if you look at the ground floor of that very house, you'll find Faulkner House Books, a literary bookshop that keeps the same creative spirit alive.
From a narrow house in a narrow alley, a literary giant was born.
Updated June 2026