Writing Mobile Lives, 1500–1700

The Element develops a new methodological framework to study the connections between early modern travel writing and life- and self-writing, focusing on the fashioned and portrayed selves and inner worlds of travellers. It offers perspectives on travel writing in its many modes, extending before and after lived travels into their pre- and afterlives in textual form.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 84 pages
Publication date: 04 April 2024
Publisher: Cambridge University Press

This Element introduces a novel methodological framework for exploring the connections between early modern travel writing and life- and self-writing. By shifting the scholarly focus from the traditional emphasis on eye-witnessing and proto-ethnography of foreign lands to the self-fashioned and portrayed selves and inner worlds of travellers, it broadens the scope of travel writing studies to encompass various modes, including personal memory, autobiographical practices, and lived yet often mediated travel experiences. This approach extends the study of travel writing beyond the actual travels into their numerous pre- and afterlives in textual form, both before and after the journeys. Additionally, this Element is available as Open Access on Cambridge Core, providing wider access to its insights and contributions to the field of travel writing studies.

ISBN-13: 9781009180733