Shakespearian Hotels and Inns: Places to Stay Associated With Literature's Most Iconic Figure

It is always important to place emphasis on the adjective 'reputed' when referring to events where no written documentation remains - if, indeed, any documentation was ever made in the first place.

This is particularly true of the ancient inns of England, Scotland and Wales and the countless claims that many make with reference to famous visitors centuries ago. That said, while a few are almost certainly the work of fertile imaginations, there's more than a metaphorical grain-of-truth to the vast majority.

Of course, the further one travels back in time the harder it becomes to substantiate such claims. A historic icon such as Charles Dickens, for example, was extremely well travelled, and accounts if his having stayed at hotels and inns throughout the UK are easier to verify by virtue of them being from little over a century and a half ago. Travel back to the 1600's or further and the waters become a little cloudier.

So, if we know of some of Dickens' former whereabouts, what of that other giant of English literature, William Shakespeare? Are there any surviving places one can stay today in which the "Bard of Avon" is supposed to have once done?

Alas, there are those which would have once offered lodgings to travellers that no longer do so. Such examples include the Golden Cross in Oxford - today a pizza restaurant - which is thought by some to have been patronised by Shakespeare, and the Old Bull in Inkberrow, Worcestershire (whose other claim-to-fame is in its being the real-life model for The Bull pub in BBC Radio's, The Archers). Another, The Bell Inn at Welford on Avon, is said to have been where he drank soon before coming down with the pneumonia that some allege ended his life (though the actual cause of death is still unknown).

Similarly, we know of places with some connection to him which do offer accommodation, but in which he is unlikely to have actually stayed. These include the MacDonald Alveston Manor in Stratford-upon-Avon where, some believe, the very first performance of A Midsummer Night's Dream took place. Similarly, the Harte and Garter in Windsor boasts an association, but the building is, alas, a 19th century replacement for the original.

As such, those wishing to actually sleep under the same roof as the creator of such works as The Taming of the Shrew and The Tempest have very few options. Of course, there are almost certainly more old inns where Shakespeare sojourned on his travels, but seemingly no record of his ever being there - written or verbal - remain.

One such place is the Spread Eagle in Midhurst, West Sussex - or so it is purported. Indeed, when it comes to celebrities of centuries-past, this ancient old building certainly has pedigree: Elizabeth I, Lord Nelson, Guy Fawkes and many others are all believed to have passed through its door. As such, it would be churlish to dispute popular opinion.

But for somewhere with a connection of which few can contest, one has to travel to small village in Buckinghamshire.

In the splendidly-named Grendon Underwood, between Bicester and Aylesbury, is an attractive part-Elizabethan building which today offers bed & breakfast accommodation to visitors from all over the world. Constructed during the 1570's, the property was originally an inn called The Ship. Today, though, it is known as Shakespeare House on account that the author is said to have stayed on several occasions while travelling between Stratford and London.

Indeed, such is the level of certainty of his having slept here that one room in particular is thought to have been that in which he rested. Moreover, it has even been suggested that inspiration for A Midsummer Night's Dream was found here.

Of course, we still come back to cautionary words such as 'reputed' and 'alleged'. But Shakespeare had to rest somewhere on his journeys. And here seems as good a place to lay claim to such an honour as any.

For more hotels and inns connected to figures from history, visit Nights In The Past: a guide to period accommodation throughout Great Britain and Western Europe.

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Gay Literature's Latest Trend: Gay Romance For Female Readers

Sales number of online publishing houses reflect that what once might have started out as a literary flicker is steadily merging into a broad and rising trend in literature. What do we know about the new genre yet? Where does it have its roots and who are the authors?

It stands to reason to assume that in the early stages authors started out by flexing their writing muscles in the area of fan fiction writing. It is a form of writing that can be exclusively found online and does not exist in hard cover format. A fandom is constituted by a number of people who are interested in maybe a TV show like "Stargate" or a book series such as "Harry Potter". Authors take characters from the original stories and create short stories in the original story verse and give them their own twist. Often times a romantic sub plot is added in which does not exist in the original universe the story is set in. The very beginning of fan fiction writing is attributed to fanzines of the late 1970's with Kirk/Spock Star Trek fiction.

Over time more and more authors have transitioned over to writing original fiction of their own, developing their own characters and plots. With coming from a background that focuses on mm/fiction and having a decidedly interested female readership it seems to be consequent to take this element over and expand into it. The new genre has well renowned authors who have become easily recognizable due to their distinctive literary voice, lovely morally ambiguous characters and unique settings.

If you are interested in this new genre you will find that there is a number of online publishers who exclusively publish romance novels attributed to gay romance and gay fiction. You will find novels both in paperback and e-reader format.

Sam is an editor of LGBT mystery and adventure fiction and author of this article. He has extensive experience with e-publishing. He has been writing articles for various sites for over 3 years.
Come visit his latest website Gay Romance which helps people find the best Gay Fiction.

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Top Five Australian Travel Literatures

Australia inspires incredible literature. There's something about the rugged outback spirit combined with the fantastic physical landscape that breeds riveting books. Whatever the reason, when a writer touches pen to pad and begins to jot down notes on the continent Down Under, magic happens. Here are five of our favorite picks for books about Australia.

Bill Bryson-Down Under: A humorous exploration of all things Australian, Down Under is one of Bill Bryson's finest works (and that's saying something, because he has many). It's primarily told as a travelogue as he travels to wayward parts of Oz, getting to know the locals and generally just puttering around drinking beer in pubs. For a humorous book about Australia, you'd be hard pressed to find anything better. Note that in the United States, this book is called In a Sunburned Country.

Roff Smith-Cold Beer and Crocodile: A Bicycle Journey Into Australia: Anyone who has been to Australia knows just how desolate most of the country is. That's what makes Roff Smith's journey even more impressive. A former Time Magazine correspondent turned adventurer, Smith decided one day that he would quit his job in order to bicycle around the circumference of the country. This book tells his trials and tribulations (140 degree heat, poisonous snakes, and deadly kangaroos), along with his victories. You may not repeat the journey, but you're sure to become engrossed in his powerful storytelling.

Tony Horwitz-One For the Road: The next book shares a common beginning with the last book: overworked and under-stimulated, the author decides on a whim to take off for unknown parts; is a common theme emerging. With that, he embarks on an epic journey that begins with a stint hitchhiking towards desolate Alice Springs. You likely won't find yourself in many of the same places, as the majority of the scenes are set in out of the way mining towns in the interior, but you're sure to appreciate the spirit of the stories told in the book.

Robyn Davidson-Tracks: If the previous entries have your tongue wagging for adventure, we have the likely winner for you. After a difficult childhood involving family suicide and a difficult boarding school, Robyn Davidson took off from the town of Alice Springs towards Perth, armed only with four camels and one dog. She never explicitly divulges her motivations, but that's part of the charm of the book; it allows the reader to think through her experiences, which in part makes them your own.

Eric Stiller - Keep Australia On Your Left: We've followed someone biking around the Australian continent; now it's time to experience Oz from the outside in. The cleverly titled Keep Australia On Your Left takes you on Eric Stiller's journey around Australia in a kayak, through blistering hot sun and ice-cold freezing temperatures. Many times going right to the edge of complete and utter disaster, Stiller survives to bring the reader this fascinating story that will keep you on the edge of your seat throughout.

Reading about travels in Australia is one thing, but to actually decide to go there yourself is another. Pick one of our Australia Top Attractions and decide for yourself that this is a place that you have to go before you die!

For more information on travels in Australia, read Ben's guide on Backpacking Around Australia.
Ben is a passionate backpacker and a freelance travel writer that wrote this article for BackpackAustralia.net after spending 3 adventures months backpacking Australia.

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Vampires in English Literatures

The vampires existed in mythology and folklores. Similarly a good part of English and European literature also includes vampires in the form of novels and fictions. The primary objective of these literary works is to create horror by gruesome details of dead and evil. The eighteenth century literary works is primarily the poem by Heinrich August Ossenfelder the German poet. This followed by the narrative poem of Gottfried August Bürger.

The work by Goethe in The Bride of Corinth goes on to describe the conflict between pagans and Christians. The later works of fiction on vampires were inspired by the works of Samuel Taylor Coleridge's Christabel. In this the protagonist is seduced by female who has access to supernatural power and attempts to marry her by assuming the looks f her lost love.

The nineteenth century works on Vampires is much vaster compared the previous century and theses mythological characters have been used to depict evil force. Lord Byron in his epic poem The Giaour makes a reference to the vampires as known today as blood sucking creatures that feed on living and is destroyer of life. John William Polidori' work also takes reference for the work of Lord Byron. A sequel to Polidori work was adapted for stage production and the setting of the play was in Scotland.

The unauthorized sequel by Charles Nodier to Polidori work started off the stage production of dramas based on Vampires. The work of Nodier was adopted by British melo-dramatist Planche and was performed in English opera. The same work was recomposed and played in German opera with changed Setting. With this the vampires' theatrical debut across Europe more specifically in Western Europe began in mid nineteenth century.

In 1852 the then Queen Victoria watched one such play on vampires. She is known to have noted her reaction in her diary which describes the play as trashy.

For more information visit tvrage.com. They offer great information such as The Vampire Diaries episode recaps, as well as a TV schedule for Vampire Diaries TV.

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Vampires Literatures in 21st Century

The vampires' literature continued in twenty first century with increased enthusiasm. Many novels based on the theme of vampires' hunger for human blood continued to be written. A quite a few of the series continued with some ending and new series began to written. For the first time Anne Rice introduced the concept of paranormal romance and asexuality was brought into Vampire tales. Though the romance was the beginning of the vampire tales yet the sexuality was not that prominent in the literary works of previous generations. Perhaps the twenty first century's contribution to vampire tales was sexuality. The prominent work in this regards remains that o Stephanie Meyer's Twilight Saga.

The Vampires tales now came to be written with romance and sexuality. The romance in more aggressive form became the main stay of this novels and series that began to written. But the new addition was sexuality and erotica. Often the protagonist of this novel would be handsome young man with vampires like characteristics but conveniently hidden to seduce women and make it tale of erotic and romantic with horror gothic themes. The extent of presence of erotica in the twenty first century writings is quite prominent and is perhaps for a reason.

The literary works on Vampires targeted at young readers and juvenile readers would for sure dwell on the theme of romance erotica and sexuality. Prior to twenty first century the writers were very conservative when it came to treatment of eroticism in the literary works. Perhaps this is explainable in from the fact that the society was very conservative in terms of sexuality and hence writers also were conservative with respect to their treatment of eroticism and sexuality of the protagonists in their literary works. The Vampires tales till now take inspiration from the legendry novel Dracula by Stokers.

For more information visit tvrage.com. They offer great information such as The Vampire Diaries episode recaps, as well as a TV schedule for Vampire Diaries TV.

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Fantastic Literatures in English - Where Facts Meet Fiction

Fantastic literature encompasses three different literary streams namely science fiction, fantasy fiction, and weird fiction, each of which has a unique rhetoric and narration style. Fantasy literature is thought to have evolved in Victorian times during the times of writers including William Morris, Lord Dunsany, and George MacDonald.

Science fiction draws themes from scientific discoveries and technological inventions and it is often set in the future where as Fantasy fiction is more of fable than fact. The fanciful and fantastic elements became hugely popular not only among the kids but also fun loving adults. For instance, the literary history of France was enriched with references to the werewolf of loup garou, the sorcerer of Jean-Pierre Lavallée and the infamous witch of La Corriveau. Fantasy fiction is more related to folklores than reality and is typically set in the distant past or in an imaginative fantasy world that is not related to the universe.

Weird fiction also known as 'horror fiction' or 'dark fantasy' set in realistic world. However the presence of some supernatural elements would make them weird and fearful. An example of this type of writing would be Cold heaven that deals with a dead man who refuses to die

Stories involving magic or terrible monsters have been in existence ever since the evolution of printed literature. Homer's Odyssey satisfies the definition of the fantasy genre with its magic, gods, heroes, adventures and monsters.. R. R. Tolkien had played a key role in the popularization of the fantasy fiction through his highly successful publications The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. Tolkien was particularly influenced by an ancient body of Anglo-Saxon myths, including Beowulf apart from many modern works such as The Worm Ouroboros by E. R. Eddison.

The contemporary authors like Terry Pratchett, J.K.Rowling, Brandon Sanderson and Scott Lynch have played a great role in enhancing the popularity of fantasy fiction. Some of the novels in this genre have also made it to the prestigious New York Times Best Seller list. The only fantasy novelists whose works have debuted at number include Robert Jordan, R. R. Martin and Neil Gaiman.

The earliest fantastic tales dating back to the Aboriginal populations were told in thirteen different languages which in itself is a proof of their popularity. These folklores that talk about witches, shamans and oracular shaking tents have become popular though the adult story tellers.

Fantastic literature stands outs by their unique narrative style and themes. With an emphasis of fiction rather than facts, these have become hugely popular among the readers. The free search engine of Jrank would help you to access some of the updates on this exciting stream of literature.

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