Tourism and writers’ houses, in between places and literature

Literature can, in its material (books, writer’s house, etc.) as immaterial aspects (imaginary of places), be appropriated by stakeholders faor whom it is a resource which can contribute to the development of territories. In particular, the writer’s house, this meaningful place of memory, already invested by the history and literature specialists, also resonates with local authorities, which consider it as a heritage to be promoted, and a way to reinforce their territory’s attractiveness.As a testimony to the past, as a renowned as well as private house, the writer’s house merges times and spaces, imaginaries and private memories. It consists of a heterotopia, in that its levels of interpretation are numerous and can coexist.The objective of our research is to understand the meaning, or rather the variations in meaning of these writers’ houses, in their encounter with the imaginaries and the various and evolving tourism practices. By questioning the visitors about their expectations, as well as studying the guest books, we are exploring the range of perceptions and emotions of the visitor, which unveil a vast imaginary surrounding the writer’s house, thereby asserting its heterotopian nature. The tourism experience stems from the tri-partite relationship between the author, his or her works, and the places. This enriches the experience of the reception of the works and the overlook of the territory, through a dialectic back-and-forth process.