Are any of you book-lovers to the extent of taking a book-centric vacation?

[MsAmerica]

There are a few towns that are devoted to readers - that is, full of bookstores - and I thought it might be interesting to see one some time.

I was just reading about this one:

Inside Urueña, The Spanish Town That Is Home To More Books Than School Pupils
By Raphael Minder

The plan was to keep Urueña alive with book tourism, modeling it after other rural literary hubs across Europe — notably, Montmorillon in France and Hay-on-Wye in Britain. Hay has long hosted one of the continent’s most famous literary festivals.

www.nytimes.com/2022/04/21/world/europe/uruena-spain-book-hub.html

bdnews24.com/travelandtourism/2022/04/22/welcome-to-a-village-with-more-booksellers-than-school-pupils

www.sanjuandailystar.com/post/welcome-to-a-village-with-more-booksellers-than-school-pupils

allthatsinteresting.com/uruena-spain

Gladstone’s Library. (Though I hate the way the website opens on the accommodation rather than the actual Library. )

I must have spent several months there, in total. It used to be a proper retreat, a library with rooms, mostly populated by clerics on sabbatical. Gradually it’s been marketed far more as a B&B - swankier bedrooms, open days, noise … But it’s glorious in the evenings, or at any time behind the library doors.

Not a holiday, as I live on the Isle of Wight, but the I took the DCs to listen to Michael Morpurgo at the literary festival on the Island and they really enjoyed it. If you are on the Island there is an incredible second hand book shop in Ryde, four or five floors. We have to think carefully about timing out visits as it can take up a huge chunk of the day.

OMB Biblio can't believe you stayed in Shakespeare & Co, that is so awesome!
I've been to Hay, must go again and loved Scriveners in Buxton. Also went to Strand Books in NYC many moons ago, that was just enormous and confusing! I do deliberately seek out bookshops so have been to Shakespeare & Co. My family tolerate this 😁.
Worked at the BL for a bit and was lucky enough to go inside the Kings Tower!
Have done Beatrix Potter (Lakes) and Agatha Christie (Devon) as pilgrimages!

thank you so much for this thread OP. I was a voracious reader as a child and Hay on Wye is on my list now ☺️ Never knew about it.

i have always wanted to go to Prince Edward Island from Anne of Green gables.

Oh, a pilgrimage to PEI would be wonderful.

I've done a few literary pilgrimages - Haworth (for the Brontes), Chawton (Jane Austen), Rye (E F Benson - annoyingly, the house was closed), Newstead Abbey (Byron) and Corfe Castle/Isle of Purbeck (ahem, Enid Blyton). Love it.

All these, except Newstead. Have also been to Batemans. And came off my bike (push rather than motor) just by Clouds Hill, too.

Grew up in the heart of Hardy country, so most of the Dorset ones aren't really literary pilgrimages - going past Max Gate was just part of going into town, and involved with stuff to do with William Barnes just because of being local. And now also lots of Austen stuff because of where I live now.

Have been to Hay a few times - have family nearby, who are Friends, so I just let them know which sessions I want to go to, and they put me up and sort out the tickets, which is jolly good.

When I went to Australia, I was determined to go to the Snowy Mountains because of reading Elyne Mitchell's Silver Brumby books - I did see wild brumbies up Mt Koscuisczko, though not silver ones.

I went to Louisa May Alcott's house near Boston. And Anne Frank's House in Amsterdam, more because of reading it than the history, I think.

I'd also like to go to Prince Edward Island for Anne of Green Gables, and do a US trip for Laura Ingalls Wilder.

Sounds great, EBear.. It may be more niche, but I recently went to Shandy Hall, which I thought was fantastic.

Took me about 5 years to get through Tristram Shandy. I'm not sure I've forgiven Sterne yet.

I sympathize, EBear - and after all that you don't even get a satisfying ending..

I went to the USA and went to the places mentioned in Death Comes for the Archbishop by Willa Cather (has anyone else read it?). Also went to St Sauveur en Puisaye to see Colette's birthplace.
Hay on Wye? I've been a few times but books en masse don't attract me at all.

I drove to Monroeville in Alabama, which is Maycomb in To Kill a Mockingbird.

It was August. It was hot. It was exactly the same as in the book.

What a nice thread. And what a brilliant Shakespeare and Co anecdote biblio!

My first visit to Hay-on-Wye was when it was just two tents in a field and the odd church hall. We turned up on spec and ended up doing a workshop with Ian McEwan and Sebastian Faulkes .. I've been another two or three times and it's very different now!

I've been to Glasgow's Aye Write (the best ever name for a book festival - who thought that one up?) and also Edinburgh book festival several times. It was lovely when it took place in Charlotte Square, with the deck chairs on the grass in the middle where you could sit and spot famous authors passing by. I believe they've moved it to the art college now; will know more after I'm there this summer.

If you go to Wigtown, do have coffee and cake at Readinglasses bookshop (another good name!) - it's great.

I'm another one who loves Barter Books in Alnwick. I spent a great afternoon there when it was raining on a Northumberland holiday last year. So cosy with the coal fire on and the little train chugging round above our heads.

I also visited Haworth during the pandemic. I was imagining a bleak building on a desolate windswept moor and it was actually a charming house I'd very happily live in myself. Really interesting exhibition about that amazing family.

There used to be a book group in Mrs Gaskell's house in Manchester that focused on Victorian literature; I've attended that once but haven't had a chance to look round the house yet.

Although I know Churchill isn't primarily known for being a writer, Chartwell is a lovely day out (and another enviable house!)

I've done a Jane Austen walk round Bath but must get to Chawton one day. And of course there's the lake that Mr Darcy famously emerged from at Lyme Park in Disley if that counts as a literary spot

Good experiences, highland!

One of my ambitions is to spend a night in the UK's self-proclaimed "finest residential library" (can't imagine it's a hotly contested title!): www.gladstoneslibrary.org/

See my post above, bibliomania - it’s morphed from residential library to excellent, touristy B&B with library attached! Still lovely, but it doesn’t feel like a retreat any more, as it did 20 years ago.

Ooh, I missed that, Totters - thanks for the information. Will now have to rethink my plans!

That'll teach me to skim threads.....I'm glad you say it's still glorious in the evenings!

Definitely go if you can! It still makes for a wonderful break.

Years ago I think the place may actually have saved my life. I’ve been back more recently, since it was refurbished, and I guess they have to keep finding ways to fund their existence. It just means there are more weekend holidaymakers than academics staying for a longer period to write a book or simply rest. So there’s less likelihood of building friendships across weeks while sharing a bottle of wine in front of the fire after dinner …

I think I will make it there, Totters. I've wanted to go for more than twenty years, since reading about it in Ex Libris, by Anne Fadiman.

I've done a Jane Austen walk round Bath but must get to Chawton one day.

The garden is particularly lovely at this time of year.

Selborne (Gilbert White) is just down the road, too.

I have managed to do two holidays to Northumberland, to spend lovely wet days in Barter Books, Alnwick.
Bath - Jane Austen.
Haworth - Brontes.
Norfolk Broads for boating holidays whilst re-reading Arthur Ransome.
Scarthin’s Bookshop in Cromford was a surprise find, most quirky.
Lake District for Beatrix Potter.

PEI is on my bucket list!

I want to do all of the above, but my biggest literary visiting ambition is the Jane Austen Festival. I’ve wanted to go for years.

I want to go to Achensee in Austria to see all the Chalet school sites.

I think it very much depends when you go
I'm currently on a writing retreat at Gladstone's and it's beautiful. However, it's very quiet and there aren't many guests so maybe that helps?

Sedbergh, a small town between the Yorkshire Dales and Lake District is a lovely little village with a wonderful array of bookshops.

Love all these! Our holidays almost always include me dragging DH to places with literary associations. Pre-DC we managed to get to some more out of the way places like Prince Edward Island (in the fall! It was perfect), Margaret Mitchell's house in Atlanta, and St Petersburg when I went through my Bronze Horseman phase.