England - a literary journey
practical semester abroad during my studies @ hochschule düsseldorf, 2025
About
My studies offered me the amazing opportunity for a stay abroad, which had a big impact on me.
I am an avid reader and decided to combine my journey with thorough research about important literary places, authors, bookstores and libraries. Futhermore I wanted to include my research regarding the history of tourism and the topic of travel in literature.
The result was a 254 pages long mixture of personal travel diary, literary guidebook and information work for anyone who likes traveling and reading. Many illustrations featured in the work stem from the sketchbook I kept during my stay. I combined the vibe of classical (British) literature with a cleaner layout for any information, without making it unpersonal.
map of my route through the UK
1) Wallasey 2) Haworth 3) Birmingham 4) London
5) Bournemouth
I visited cities marked with ★ too, but did not stay over night (Liverpool, Manchester, Stratford-upon-Avon, Chawton, Winchester, Cholsey, Wallingford, Crowborough and Higham)
diary entries in my own handwriting regarding my travel
chapter dividers with quotes i found throughout the cities
old storybook inspired chapter pages with impressions from each city
handdrawn maps of the areas showing bookstore/libray locations, and further mentionable places
information about literature regarding each city
quick dive into the history of the places I visited with sketches from my physical travel diary
descriptions of the libraries and bookstores, the numbers in reference to the maps
author portraits referencing the style of antique paintings
information about literary museums I visited, with pictures taken at the locations, my own impressions and recommenda-tions
pages of my research regarding the history of travel/tourism, from going on a hike to conquering the seas
