Overview
Project status: In progress
The Project: Walk the Book is the outcome of a 2008-2009 QUT Creative Industries Early Career Research Grant. The project initiated research into the design of a digital literary walking trail for Brisbane. The project provided initial research into the integration of literary history, cultural sites and residential and tourist activities.
The project is designed to meet several knowledge gaps:
- to provide access for a tourist or a domestic leisure seeker, or groups, to engage with literary history and writing as a stand-alone leisure or educational activity
- to bring Queensland's literary history to community attention and offer sites of interaction
- to generate new theoretical knowledge at the junction of spatial theory, walking and literature and local development.
The emphasis is on the engagement with literature in a particular landscape. Whereas there has been some activity in the heritage area in
Queensland (such as the Department of Public Works and the Department of Environment and Resource Management
creating the audio heritage walk) there is no self-guided literary program. To date, surveys based on contemporary creative writing, literary history and mobile phones have been conducted in the Kelvin Grove Urban Village and in the Boundary Street area of West End.
- Research leader
- Research team
- QUT
- Organisational unit
- Lead unit Creative Industries Faculty
- Research area
- Digital media, communication and culture
Dr Susan Carson
Dr Lesley Hawkes
Dr Kari GislasonDetails
Project description
Aim: To engage tourists and residents with Brisbane's literary history and cultural sites through walking trails that are delivered via web and mobile phone technology as well as in print format. The project aims to enhance residential community engagement and take advantage of changing niche market tourist expectations. A first step is to design routes that take in literary sites and key points in suburban transport, commuter, retail, and employment networks as a way of joining the touristic and everyday.
The principal aim of the project is to engage community, whether tourist, residential leisure seeker or educational group in a cost-effective means of experiencing this aspect of the city's heritage. The point of difference to prior projects is that this model is focused on Brisbane's literature (it will include writing) will be delivered digitally and provide a link to other development of regional and international cultural programs. For example, Brisbane is well placed to become part of the UNESCO's Creative Cities Network (CCN) that aims to develop creative global interaction between cities. The State Library of Queensland is a potential hub for this activity.
Publications and output
- Preparation of Linkage grant
- Design of active literary trails in inner Brisbane
- Bringing Brisbane's literary history to community
- Development of links with public and government instrumentalities
- Using new media to design and implement the trails
- Marrying disciplines of creative writing and literary history for local and regional industry, government and community requirements
