Literary tourism: An examination of tourists' anticipation of and encounter with the literary shrines of Willa Cather and Margaret Laurence

A more nuanced understanding of heritage tourism requires an investigation of the role imaginative literature plays in the reconstruction and preservation of particular localities. This thesis provides evidence of how fictional narratives associated with particular literary landscapes contribute to environmental knowing as an important ingredient in a tourist's anticipation of, and encounter with place and its past. Further, I explain why issues of heritage and tourism, influenced by these imaginative writings, should be seen as essential features defining contemporary studies of literary tourism in North America.; The desire to experience nineteenth century Red Cloud, Nebraska, as it is depicted by American literary figure, Willa Cather (1873--1947), influenced efforts to reconstruct the cultural heritage of this place to meet the expectations of visiting tourists. Similarly, Neepawa, Manitoba, birthplace of Canadian prairie writer, Margaret Laurence (1926--1987), has also begun this process of reconstructing Laurence's childhood home in order to serve the demand of a growing literary tourism industry. The importance of this research lies in the extent to which congruency exists between anticipation of and encounter with these places. Also the extent to which these places are successful in attracting those tourists not yet familiar with the writings from either of these authors, but are anxious to participate in this type of heritage tourism activity represents another important feature of this research.; In Great Britain and the Republic of Ireland, the designation of particular places as literary landscape is cultivated through an ever-growing heritage industry. Contained within a rich history of tourism and pilgrimage, the influence of William Wordsworth's romantic depictions of the Lake District, and Dublin's James Joyce have held importance for the tourism industry as well as for broader issues of national identity, preservation, and cultural heritage. In North America, however, the influence of fictional narrative associated with particular landscapes is considerably more recent. Nevertheless, environmental lobbyists, scholars, and local and national proponents of tourism have found a voice in literary tourism as the cultural heritage of the prairie towns such as Red Cloud and Neepawa have been (re)constructed in order to enhance the tourist's sense of place when encountering these literary landscapes.