For the literary-obsessed, there are few places in the world where you can come into close proximity with literary legends, a veritable time capsule - where else can you sit at the café tables where Hemingway held forth, walk the tree-lined avenues that Victor Hugo strolled, or even sleep in the hotel where Oscar Wilde spent his final years? Few other cities come close.  Even just a few days in Paris with afford you the opportunity to explore some of our favorite literary spots in Paris. All the locations are in an interactive map as well, which you can see here!   Where to Shop: The Abbey Bookshop, 29 Rue de la Parcheminerie   If the crowds in Shakespeare & Co become...

Read entire article

Short stories can be an overlooked area when it comes to literature, and opinions as to why can fall on both sides. Too short, and liable to build up to nothing. Less payoff than a full-length novel. A bit pretentious, even! But short stories can be little gems, gateways to writers and genres you normally might not read.  If you are not currently a big reader but would like to read more, you can sample some of the heavyweights of classic literature, like William Faulkner or Leo Tolstoy in a more accessible way. If you’re not sure what you want to read, they have a low level of commitment, enabling you to read around many different authors in a short...

Read entire article

If you’re an avid book reader, you will no doubt have wondered where your favourite titles were written - did the authors have a “room of their own”, a shed in the garden away from the noise, or just a simple desk in the corner?  While you can’t step into your favourite novels, you can visit the preserved homes of some of world’s greatest writers. You can walk down the streets and lanes they frequented, step into their hallways and spend a moment in their private spaces, where they wrote the literary masterpieces we cherish today. While book fandom is bigger than ever, flocking to visit the homes of famous authors is nothing new. In fact, the Bronte sisters became...

Read entire article