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Literary Travel
Nathaniel Hawthorne'sHouse of the Seven Gables in Salem, MA Visit Henry James' Tuscany or Jane Austin's Bath. Float on the Mississippi and travel through the pages of Mark Twain's Huckleberry Finn. It is possible with literary travel and tours, a growing segment of the travel industry. Since the 5th century, literature has lured readers to travel. Herodotus wrote The Histories and Greeks and Romans visited the Nile River in search of magical wonders. The 19th century writers focus on Italy and the country became the spot to see and be seen. E.M. Forester, Byron, and Keats wrote with such passion, who could resist? Then came Hemingway and his adventures. Gritty, active, and sometimes violent, the places he wrote about came alive, on the pages and people had to visit to see for themselves. With the publication of The Da Vinci Code, Paris became the place to be in the 21st century.
This type of tourism is at a high and today's tours are centered on both the classic and popular. Trips run the gamete from the intellectual, led by scholars, to laid-back sightseeing. In addition to the traveling and sightseeing, many companies offer companion activities such as cooking lessons, hunting, costume parties, writing workshops, and more.
What you want to do, how far you travel, and the popularity of the title or author will all effect the price. At its peek, one Da Vinci Code Tour cost $4,500 per person. It included five-nights in a chateau, meals, ground transportation, and guided tours. The add on was additional nights at the Paris Ritz and visits to the locales written about in the book for $2500. This doesn't include the two and a half hour tour of the Louvre based on the book, which is $184 per person in small groups of up to four people. There are less expensive tours, or course... it all depends on what you do, how you do it, and where you do it!
London is a popular city in which to take a literary tour. Newgate Prison, Samuel Johnson's Home, The Turk's Head (site of London's 18th-century Literary Club), and the Drury Lane Theatre, among other delights, are all still standing. You can also wander through Dublin like James Joyce's hero Leopold Bloom in Ulysses. The centenary of Joyce's birth in 1982 stimulated efforts at recognizing the writer's work and preserving his environment so there are many things to see. The list could go on and on.
Dove Cottage, home of William Wordsworth, in Grasmere, Cumbria, United Kingdom. One way to keep down costs is to map a tour yourself - akind of self-guided tour of cities which feature prominently in a writer's work. These are rewarding in their own way and sometimes navigating the city on one's own is the best way to discover its many hidden treasures! Baltimore is home to the enigmatic Edgar Allen Poe. Places to visit include the Baltimore Poe House and Museum, Westminster Burying Ground (his grave), Church Hospital (the site of Poe's death), and the Sir Moses Ezekiel Statue of Poe. Fan of Catcher in the Rye? One can take a tour of New York by way of Holden Caulfield as most all of the landmarks are still standing: Rockefeller Center skating rink, Central Park carousel and zoo, Grand Central Station, The Dakota, The Metropolitan Museum, The American Museum of Natural History, and Radio City Music Hall. The choices are endless and this type of tour allows one to see much of a city, but with a recurring theme to make things even more interesting.
Choosing a tour type is the first step. Pick your authors, titles, or genre and start thinking... Do you want to visit the places the authors lived and wrote their works or where the works take place? Do you want to submerge yourself in the life of the author or the life of the book? Are reading lists and seminars part of the plan, or are you the wander through ruins type? Taking a literary tour is a rewarding and educational experience and careful planning is key. Just remember, the time and money you spend, no matter how much or how little, will be well spent. Literary travel expands your enjoyment of a book, author, or genre and allows you to share the experience with others.
