Travel literature

Travel literature is literature which records the people, events, sights and feelings of an author who is touring a foreign place for the sake and pleasure of travel. An individual work is sometimes called a travelogue or itinerary.

Types of travelogues

Some great travel writers are specialists in the field. The Americans Paul Theroux, and William Least Heat-Moon, the Welsh author, Jan Morris, and the Englishman, Eric Newby, come to mind though Morris is also known as an historian and Theroux as a novelist. These are people who travel and make their livings by writing about it.

Related Topics:
Paul Theroux - William Least Heat-Moon - Welsh - Jan Morris - Eric Newby

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

There is a point too where travel literature interesects with essay writing as in V. S. Naipaul's "India, A Wounded Civilization", when a trip becomes the occasion for extended observations on a nation and people. Rebecca West's work on Yugoslavia, "Black Lamb & Grey Falcon" is another example.

Related Topics:
Essay - V. S. Naipaul - Rebecca West

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Travel and nature writing merge in many of the works of Gerald Durrell, Ivan T. Sanderson and Sally Carrighar. These authors are naturalists who write to support their great passion. Both Durrell and Sanderson have the gift of humour. Charles Darwin wrote his famous account of the journey of HMS Beagle at the intersection of science, natural history and travel.

Related Topics:
Gerald Durrell - Ivan T. Sanderson - Sally Carrighar - Naturalists - Charles Darwin - HMS Beagle

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Literary travel writing occurs when an author famous in another field travels and writes about his or her experiences. Examples of such writers are Samuel Johnson, Charles Dickens, Robert Louis Stevenson, Hilaire Belloc, Rebecca West, D.H. Lawrence, Evelyn Waugh and John Steinbeck.

Related Topics:
Samuel Johnson - Charles Dickens - Robert Louis Stevenson - Hilaire Belloc - Rebecca West - D.H. Lawrence - Evelyn Waugh - John Steinbeck

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~