Literature/Literary Travel

So much of our travels can be enjoyed through the prism of literature. Some writers are intrinsically connected to a destination and you can still visit places associated with them. Just a very few examples:

Miguel Cervantes with Alcalá de Henares, Spain
Agatha Christie with Devon, England
Isak Dineson (Karen Blixen) with Kenya
Ian Fleming with Jamaica
Gabriel García Márquez with northern Colombia
Thomas Hardy with Dorset, England
Ernest Hemingway with Key West, Florida
Franz Kafka with Prague
James Joyce with Dublin
R.K. Narayan with Madras (Chennai), India
Pablo Neruda with Valparaíso and Viña del Mar, Chile
Tennessee Williams with New Orleans

The literary travel possibilities are nearly endless - have a read!

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The writing of 'In the Footsteps of Dracula: A Personal Journey and Travel Guide'

Old Parish Church Cemetery in Whitby, England My obsession to travel to every site related to either the fictional Count Dracula or his real historical counterpart, Prince Vlad Dracula the Impaler, grew out of a visit to Whitby, England, where part of the novel Dracula takes place. I stood on the cemetery hill (top) where, in Bram Stoker's Dracula Lucy Westenra and Mina Murray spent hour after hour sitting on their "favourite seat" (a bench placed over a suicide's grave near the edge of the…

Started by Tripatini

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Literary cruises in 'Whatever Your Pastime or Interest, There May Be A Cruise For You!'

Valtours/Dreamstime.com Whatever hobby, pursuit or pastime you enjoy, it’s possible there’s a voyage that will let you combine it with the pleasures of cruising. From food to fashion, music to mystery, the offerings are as varied as the destinations which are included on ship itineraries. An Internet search for cruises that interest you may turn up one or more alternatives. While cruise lines are gradually beginning to return to normal services, it’s necessary to check what sailings are being…

Started by Tripatini

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Joan Margarit, latest laureate of Spain's top literary prize

Each year since 1976, Spain's Ministry of Culture has awarded the country's equivalent of the Booker or the Nobel Prize for Literature to one of the world's most distinguished living Spanish-language writers. Past laureates have included not just Spain's poet Rafael Alberti as well as novelists Camilo José Cela, Miguel Delibes, Juan Goytisolo, and Ana María Matute, but also legendary Latin American luminaries such as Argentine Jorge Luis Borges; Cuban Alejo Carpentier; Mexicans Carlos…

Started by David Paul Appell

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Reading (and eating) your way through Puerto Rico

Many are the guidebooks that have been written about this tropical Latin Caribbean island, but few by Puerto Ricans themselves, and even fewer which focus on its delicious and sometimes exotic cuisine, fed by fresh local ingredients. Three years ago, now 40-year-old writer (and U.S. Marine reservist!) Jessica van Dop DeJesús (the "van Dop" courtesy of her Dutch husband) set out to remedy that by spending a month touring her native island with skilled photographer friend Ítalo Morales to…

Started by David Paul Appell

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David Paul Appell November 4, 2024 at 12:43pm

I have actually visited one of the places on this list - Agatha Christie´s holiday home in Devon, England (a place where she is still fondly remembered) - but I think did not realize you could stay overnight. Very cool! https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20240422-the-ultimate-book-lover...

The ultimate book lover's stay: Sleep in your favourite author's home

From Agatha Christie to Ian Fleming to Jane Austen, here are five famous author homes-turned hotels where bookworms can lay their heads.
David Paul Appell October 20, 2024 at 12:49pm

My first introduction to Prague came in 1991 when I arrived to research an article on the sites associated with writer Franz Kafka. And this year - the centenary of his death - the city is holding a slew of events amid renewed interest in this singular literary figure: https://www.theguardian.com/travel/article/2024/jun/03/franz-kafkas...

Franz Kafka’s Prague: a centenary tour of the writer’s home city | Prague holidays | The Guardian

A hundred years after his death, the author’s presence is as strong as ever in the Czech capital – from his childhood homes and the literary cafes he…
Barbara Necker July 1, 2023 at 7:32pm

Definitely on the same page as this one: the UK - particularly London - is still home to small, sometimes quirky, independent bookshops which are a joy to visit for the literary minded. https://metro.co.uk/2023/05/10/the-best-cities-for-book-lovers-in-t...

These are the best cities for book lovers in the UK

Calling all bookworms, we've got the cities you'll love.
David Paul Appell May 2, 2023 at 11:17am

I'm finally - finally! - getting to Eire later this year for the first time, and in the course of researching the trip came across this piece by Tripatini member Mary Jo Manzanares about sites relating to Dublin's rich history of writers. And gosh, maybe I'll even take another stab at Ulysses! https://www.travelingwithmj.com/literary-dublin-discover-these-site...

Literary Dublin: Discover These Sites That Celebrate Dublin Writers - Traveling with MJ

Learn about literary Dublin and its attractions that celebrate Dublin writers like James Joyce, Oscar Wilde, Jonathan Swift, Bram Stoker and more.
José Balido November 11, 2022 at 5:25pm

Last year the British Condé Nast Traveller came out with a distinguished list of literary works to inform your travels before visiting a number of destinations: a moveable feast, indeed: https://www.cntraveller.com/gallery/best-travel-books

Best travel books of all time: see our top holiday picks

For armchair travellers and jet-setters.
Max Pesling November 11, 2022 at 11:58am

Just caught this the other day. If you're into literature, a fantastic destination is - believe it or not - Iowa's fifth largest city! Read on to learn why: https://www.stlmag.com/culture/travel/why-iowa-city-is-an-ideal-des...

Why Iowa City is an ideal destination for literature lovers

Just four hours north of St. Louis, the UNESCO-recognized City of Literature is home to the renowned Iowa Writers’ Workshop, the Iowa City Book Festi…
David Paul Appell March 19, 2022 at 12:33pm

When it comes to literature, one of Spain's top destinations is the ancient (dating back to Roman Hispania) city of Alcalá de Henares, a half-hour drive and 45-minute train ride from Madrid. In addition to its old quarter being a UNESCO World Heritage Site - mostly because of its august university, founded in the late 15th century - it's also the hometown of Spain's Shakespeare, Miguel de Cervantes, and you can visit his family home on the main street. Another literary distinction is the Corral de Comedias, one of Europe's oldest preserved theater (built in 1602 as an open-air corral, roofed in 1769, and still staging classic works of Spain's literary golden age of the 16th century after a resoration. Read more about the UNESCO landmarking at https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/876/.

University and Historic Precinct of Alcalá de Henares

Founded by Cardinal Jiménez de Cisneros in the early 16th century, Alcalá de Henares was the world's first planned university city. It was the origin…
Maureen Blevins July 15, 2014 at 11:24pm

If you are near Chicago, take a visit to Oak Park, the birthplace of Ernest Hemingway. The home and the Hemingway museum are just a block apart!http://maureenblevins.blogspot.com/
Terence Baker June 23, 2013 at 12:45pm

Reading the poet Simon Armitage's "Walking Home: Travels with a Troubadour on the Pennine Way," his walk along the 296-mile Pennine Way from the Scottish border to Edale, Derbyshire. He put together 20 poetry readings along the route to fund the trip, to which the attendance to some was heartening, to others paltry amid the usual British weather. A very nice read that mixes real literature -- poetry no less -- with a good ol' walk through some of the most beautiful, often forlorn and empty, countryside of Europe.

The entire British footpath system -- one of our pride and joys -- was started in 1936 in Edale when a group of ramblers purposely trespassed on land in order to force the reopening of what was always a public right of way, and their actions resulted in the opening of 10,000s of such miles and footpaths.
Allie McCoy June 5, 2013 at 9:34pm

I have not read the Sherry books. Thank you for the recommendation of England Made Me. You are the first person I've "known" who has actually read it, and now I hope to read it.