Just as the questions states, answer whether you believe travel writing deserves a place among literature. Also provide insight on what makes travel writing good and/or not so good.
A major work to look at that is a kind of travelogue (in addition to being various other things) is Gao Xingjian's Soul Mountain, which won the Nobel Prize for literature. – CriticalOtaku9 years ago
One can learn a lot about life through the experiences of others. The documented travels of others are important to include amongst other literary works. Like other fictional or nonfictional books, there are stories to be told and lessons to be learned. – Nicole Wethington9 years ago
Actually travel writing is quite helpful for the first time visitors to a particular destination. They get to know regarding the place, things to do, and much more. – Jennifer9 years ago
Bruce Chatwin and his novel The Songlines is to my mind the most powerful demonstration of travel writing as a literary form. While undoubtedly informative, travel writing is meant to transport you to a place mentally, the same way a fictitious novel does. However, the traveller is also attempting to escort you into a drop of time from his/her reality. This realistic aspect, combined with narrative power and descriptive attributes, is what makes travel writing essential to the category of literature. – ellierae9 years ago
You might also look at children's literature or the postcard or even de Certeau's work on the street level walker or Walter Benjamin's childhood in Berlin or his Paris and Moscow writings. Not all of these obviously but definitely a history to draw from that perhaps with effort links could be drawn to contemporary travel writing. – ayrotstein9 years ago
I like travelogue that gives sound historical, as well as interesting, informative social and cultural background of the places visited. My friends and colleagues want me to write a travelogue of my time spent in Yemen and Sudan, but I'm finding it difficult to put together. Can anyone give me some advice. mickymoo15 – mickymoo159 years ago
It may be wrong-headed, but I have the idea that subtle, exalted travel-writing is what Joseph Conrad did, is it not? Surely that counts as literature? – wrytrguy9 years ago