Recognising the importance of objects in travel writing

Abstract

Throughout its history, travel writing has not been held in the same esteem as many other forms of non-fiction writing (Youngs, 2013; Stubbs, 2015) due to issues with representation, the creative techniques used, and the subjective perspective of the writer. Despite this critique, Baine Campbell has asserted that travel writing has a ‘plurality’ (2002), which allows it to resonate across a variety of disciplines. This paper observes how a recognition of the importance of objects as evocative and creative artefacts can provide a prompt for more engaged and authentic examples of travel writing, so as to better achieve recognition as a legitimate blend of creative writing, journalism, and history writing. The research will examine the influential travel writing works of Bruce Chatwin with In Patagonia (1977) and Christopher Kremmer’s The Carpet Wars (2002) to observe how these writers use objects for significant creative and cultural guides within their explorations. By looking closer at how objects can present new ways of looking at and writing about place, I will examine how an awareness of meaningful artefacts has influenced the creative and structural choices of my own travel writing practice to better achieve a plurality of appeal that moves it beyond its past criticisms.