Books
Have Book, Will Travel: Literary Destinations For Bibliophiles
Opener BooksBooks are inextricably tied up with travel – we read them to prepare for a trip, to ease the boredom of a long flight and to while away leisurely hours at the pool. For true bibliophiles, works of literature can also be the focal point of the entire trip, as they visit places that inspired a favourite novel, homes of famous authors and literary festivals around the globe.
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Have Book, Will Travel: Literary Destinations For Bibliophiles.
ParisParis, France: You’d be hard pressed to find any place in the world with as many literary residents as Père Lachaise. Amongst the world famous authors that have found their last resting place in the Paris cemetery are French writers like Molière, English-language greats like Oscar Wilde and of course pop poets like Jim Morrison. pere-lachaise.com [Photo: Marc Bertrand, © Paris Tourist Office]
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Have Book, Will Travel: Literary Destinations For Bibliophiles.
DavosDavos, Switzerland: Thomas Mann’s Magic Mountain has a reputation as one of the most important, beautifully crafted, and most boring novels of all time – partly a reflection on its location. Today, Davos is boring no more: the sleepy health resort of yore has become a modern alpine tourism hotspot; the sanatorium described in the novel is now a luxurious spa hotel. What remains unchanged is the imposing scenery, forcefully captured in prose that makes the majestic mountains seem as magical as the title suggests. waldhotel-davos.ch
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Books
Have Book, Will Travel: Literary Destinations For Bibliophiles.
BerlinBerlin, Germany: The greatest and best known literary monument to the German capital, Alfred Döblin’s Berlin Alexanderplatz, is still relevant today, almost 100 years, a war, division and reunification later. Even more tempting and rewarding: seeking out the locations of contemporary novels loosely grouped as pop literature, capturing the sense of creative chaos in the city from the ‘90s to the present day. visitberlin.de [Photo: Wolfgang Scholvien © visitBerlin]
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Have Book, Will Travel: Literary Destinations For Bibliophiles.
Fairy Tale RouteFairy Tale Route, Germany: We have the Brothers Grimm to thank for some of our most popular fairy tales. The German Fairy Tale Route takes in important stations the brothers passed through as they collected the age-old folk tales and turned them into literature, as well as the locations that inspired those stories. Visitors can dance to the tune of the Pied Piper of Hamelin, climb the Rapunzel Tower in Trendelburg, and pop in to Snow White and the Seven Dwarves’ tiny cottage in Bergfreiheit. deutsche-maerchenstrasse.com [Photo: Paavo Blåfield, © German Fairytale Route]
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Books
Have Book, Will Travel: Literary Destinations For Bibliophiles.
PraguePrague, Czech Republic: In The Unbearable Lightness of Being, Milan Kundera declared Prague “the most beautiful city in the world.” Traces of the pre- and post-Iron Curtain city described in the novel are still visible today, but most importantly, most of its heritage and architecture – from medieval to art nouveau – remains intact, proving the author right. expats.cz
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Books
Have Book, Will Travel: Literary Destinations For Bibliophiles.
DublinDublin, Ireland: In relation to its size, the Fair City packs a literary punch like no other. Quite fitting for the capital of a country that boasts one of the highest numbers of Nobel laureates per capita. No author is quite as revered – and no other penned an ode to the city quite as powerful and enduring – as James Joyce. On Bloomsday, Dublin celebrates the stories, characters and locations brought to life in Ulysses. bloomsdayfestival.ie [Photo: James Joyce Centre/Ruth Medjber]
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Books
Have Book, Will Travel: Literary Destinations For Bibliophiles.
LondonLondon, England: The streets of London are awash with traces of the greatest writers of all time. Knock on the door of 221b Baker Street (but don’t stay for tea – the entry isn’t worth it), count the blue plaques adorning the former homes of the Bloomsbury group, retrace the steps of Mrs. Dalloway, have a pint at The George Inn (which was frequented by the bard himself), then pop in for dinner at Dickens’ house (you won’t get fed, but the table is always set for his literati friends). londonliterarypubcrawl.com [Photo: KotomiCreations/Flickr]
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Books
Have Book, Will Travel: Literary Destinations For Bibliophiles.
EdinburghEdinburgh, Scotland: UNESCO’s first City of Literature was home to many famous authors, from national poet Robert Burns, to literary billionaire J. K. Rowling, and has inspired countless novels. In August, the largest literature festival in the world takes over and turns every visitor into a bookworm. cityofliterature.com, edbookfest.co.uk
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Books
Have Book, Will Travel: Literary Destinations For Bibliophiles.
Hay-on-WyeHay-on-Wye, Wales: “The Woodstock of the mind” (Bill Clinton) is, like Woodstock, a byword for its genre. Hay is THE literature festival. Much like Woodstock, the actual place has meanwhile lent its name to similar events taking part in far-flung regions of the world (see next slide). However, the original is still the holy grail for writer groupies. hayfestival.com [Photo: Finn Beales]
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Books
Have Book, Will Travel: Literary Destinations For Bibliophiles.
ArequipaArequipa, Peru: The latest offshoot of the world’s most famous literary festival was launched last year. Hay Arequipa joins sister events in Colombia, Mexico, Spain and Ireland, so those who have caught “Hay Fever” can tour the world and attend Hay Festivals year-round. hayfestival.com [Photo: Wikimedia Commons]
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Books
Have Book, Will Travel: Literary Destinations For Bibliophiles.
CartagenaCartagena, Colombia: Visit Cartagena de Indias and you will find that the magical realism of Gabriel Garcia Marquez was more firmly grounded in reality than you might think. Several of the Colombian Nobel laureate’s novels, including Love in the Time of Cholera, are set in the (unnamed, yet easily recognisable) UNESCO World Heritage city on the Caribbean Sea. Locations both from the novel and its cinematic adaptation can be found throughout the picturesque town. tourincartagena.com [Photo: Procolombia]
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Books
Have Book, Will Travel: Literary Destinations For Bibliophiles.
Buenos AiresBuenos Aires, Argentina: The Paris of South America can easily rival the French capital when it comes to literary inspiration. Its elegant boulevards are not only named for Argentina’s great writers, they are lined with their favourite haunts, like Café Tortoni and Florida Garden Café where the likes of Jorge Luis Borges and Julio Florencio Cortázar sought inspiration at the bottom of a wine glass. On the 30th anniversary of Borges’ death, the city will celebrate the life of one of its most famous sons. turismo.buenosaires.gob.ar [Photo: Wikimedia Commons]
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Books
Have Book, Will Travel: Literary Destinations For Bibliophiles.
New OrleansNew Orleans, USA: New Orleans doesn’t do restraint. In the Big Easy, even a cultivated event like a book festival can descend into a riot of song, dance… and a “STELLA-A-A-A!” shouting contest. The Tennessee Williams New Orleans Literary Festival is as raucous as they come, its programme firmly rooted in the belief that anything that gets people reading is a good thing. neworleansonline.com [Photo: NewOrleansOnline.com]
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Books
Have Book, Will Travel: Literary Destinations For Bibliophiles.
New YorkNew York, USA: There is no way of getting a taste of the Big Apple in just one bite. The city is rife with literary walking tours, many of them focusing on just one area, era or genre. No matter which of the Five Boroughs you roam in your search for signs of your favourite authors and works of literature, make sure you bed down at the place that made the New York literary scene infamous. At the Algonquin, where the sharp-tongued writers of the round table once met, the signs on the doors proclaim: “Quiet Please. Writing the Great American Novel.” walkingoffthebigapple.com [Photo: Wally Gobetz/Flickr]
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Books
Have Book, Will Travel: Literary Destinations For Bibliophiles.
WellingtonWellington, New Zealand: We all know that New Zealand is the closest any of us is ever going to get to a real-life Middle-earth, but that was Peter Jackson’s doing, not JRR Tolkien’s. There are, however, plenty of works of literature that really were inspired by Aotearoa. In Wellington, visit the birthplace of prolific wordsmith Katherine Mansfield and enjoy art, scenery and literary quotes on the waterfront writers walk. www.newzealand.com
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Books
Have Book, Will Travel: Literary Destinations For Bibliophiles.
JaipurJaipur, India: Whether they are authored by indigenous writers or not, novels about India inevitably delight in the sights and sounds of its lush countryside and cacophonous cities, drawing a rich and lively backdrop for their stories. In Jaipur, you can experience a real-life Indian city – and mingle with the country’s bibliophiles at the same time. The capital of Rajasthan hosts an annual literature festival that attracts more than a quarter of a million visitors. jaipurliteraturefestival.org [Photo: Andrea Moroni/Flickr]
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Books
Have Book, Will Travel: Literary Destinations For Bibliophiles.
UbudUbud, Bali: On the Indonesian island known for its breathtaking scenery, beautiful beaches and excellent surf, the annual literature festival draws over 30,000 visitors. It’s easy to see the attraction. A touch of hippie-dippy spiritualism, mixed with a deep respect for indigenous culture, arts and dance, meets Western writers and international visitors for an eclectic programme in beautiful locations. ubudwritersfestival.com [Photo: Matt Oldfield]
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Books
Have Book, Will Travel: Literary Destinations For Bibliophiles.
GaboroneGaborone, Botswana: Alexander McCall Smith’s series of novels on Botswana’s No 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency has been around for almost 20 years, but fans of the humorous mystery novels might only now find themselves compelled to visit the city where the 16 books are set. After all, Botswana has been named one of the top destinations for 2016, and there are tours that will take you to the real-life locations where Mma Ramotswe solved her many cases. africainsight.com [Photo: Wikimedia Commons]
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Have Book, Will Travel: Literary Destinations For Bibliophiles.
Legendary LandsLegendary Lands: The late Umberto Eco’s Book of Legendary Lands can serve as a travel guide of sorts, exploring the legends entwined with very real places like Glastonbury, Alamut, Israel or the Greek Island. However, as in most of his historical novels, the knowledgeable author is really imploring us to let the mind travel – it can take us anywhere at all, even to those places that exist only in the realm of legends, like Avalon, Eldorado, Atlantis or even Paradise. rizzoliusa.com
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Books
Have Book, Will Travel: Literary Destinations For Bibliophiles.
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