Literary Fiction Tourism by MacLeod, Nicola E.;

Short description:

This timely and insightful book critically reviews the synergistic relationship between books, literary culture, and the practices of tourism.

Long description:

This timely and insightful book critically reviews the synergistic relationship between books, literary culture, and the practices of tourism.

The volume sets literary fiction tourism within its historical, theoretical, and managerial context and explores the current provision of literary tourism sites and experiences. It focuses on literary fiction and the interplay between imaginative worlds, literary reputation, and tourism. The volume explores a variety of literary tourism forms in a global context such as biographical sites, imaginative sites, literary trails, and book towns, identifying the challenges associated with interpreting and managing them for visitors. Current international case studies allow readers to understand this most ancient of touristic activity within its contemporary context. This book offers new insight into the diversity of the literary tourism landscape, the range of experiences and visitors and the variety of interpretive responses that may be appropriate. The relationship between literary fiction and other forms of media such as film and digital culture are also explored.

International in scope, this volume will be of interest to students of tourism, heritage studies, cultural studies, and media studies, as well those interested in literary tourism more specifically.

"Despite the apparent novelty of virtual worlds, we forget the power of the text in the construction of imaginary 'real' worlds we can inhabit through reading and travelling. Tourism allows the exploration of fictional landscapes layered upon the real, and MacLeod provides an excellent guide of how these imagined places, peoples and pasts have shaped / continue to shape, the tourist experience."

Mike Robinson, Professor of Cultural Heritage, Nottingham Trent University, UK.

Table of Contents:

1. The Literary Fiction Tourism Landscape.  2. The Historic Evolution of Literary Fiction Tourism.  3. Literary Fiction Tourism in Context.  4. Biographical Literary Fiction Tourism: From Cradle to Grave.  5. Literary Fiction Places of the Imagination.  6. The Social Construction of Literary Places.  7. Places of Literary Reputation.  8. On the Trail of Literary Fiction: Routes and Tours.  9. Literary Fiction Tourism Synergies.  10. The Future of Literary Fiction Tourism.