Stay two nights in New Orleans.

Explore the French Quarter and in particular Rue Royal, the inspiration for Tennessee William’s Streetcar Named Desire. Choose to stay in the Tennessee Williams suite at the Hotel Monteleone, which featured in his play, The Rose Orleans. You can also visit his residence on Dumaine Street, where he lived from 1962 until his death in 1983, and where he worked on his autobiography, Memoirs. William Faulkner also lived in the French Quarter and his home is now a book shop – Faulkner House Books. 

This vibrant city is home to antique shops and jazz clubs, Cajun and Creole restaurants, museums and much more. 

Stay one night in New Iberia

This area is renowned for its melting pot of Spanish, French, African-American, Lao and Creole cultures, giving rise to amazing food, music, festivals and local enterprises. Experience the world of James Lee Burke and his much loved detective protagonist, Dave Robicheaux in New Iberia. "New Iberia has the most beautiful Main Street in the country," says James Lee Burke of this landmark on the National Register of Historic Places. The town is dedicated to preserving its history, which dates back to the first Spanish settlers, and you can see this on a walking tour through the three-quarter-mile district along the Bayou Teche, passing over 50 buildings dating between 1890 and 1930.  

The area is home to world-famous Tabasco and you can take a tour of the factory on Avery Island, as well as the Jefferson Island Rip Van Winkle Gardens, boasting 15 acres of semi-tropical gardens nestled among 350-year-old oak trees and lake. 

Stay one night in Natchez

Richard Wright was born just outside of town at Rucker Plantation. The house where Wright lived, early in his childhood, bears a historical marker. The highway that leads into town, an origination point for the Natchez Trace parkway, is named in Wright's honour. 

Natchez has preserved the influences of Native American, European, Southern, and African American cultures – all of which have given it a unique blend of charm, grace, romance, mystery, and adventure. The area boasts over 500 antebellum houses and plantation homes, many of which are open to visitors. 

Stay one night in Oxford

Check out some of the stops on the Mississippi Literary Trail for writers such as Eudora Welty and Margaret Rice, perhaps stopping in Jackson where Richard Wright spent his teenage years, much of which can be read about in his memoirs, Black Boy.

Creativity abounds in Oxford as musicians, artists and writers alike find inspiration in Oxford’s rich history, small town charm and creative community. William Faulkner grew up in Oxford and attended the University of Mississippi. You can visit Rowan Oak, the writer’s stunning family home, is nestled among rows and rows of stately cedars and pay tribute at his resting place in St Peter’s Cemetery. 

Stay one night in Paducah

Paducah is a UNESCO Creative City and was the birthplace of Irvin S. Cobb, journalist, humourist and short story writer, who was the author of over 60 books and 300 short stories. Some of the city’s other creative highlights are the National Quilt Museum, ‘Wall to Wall’ floodwall murals by Robert Dafford, the Lower Town Artists District housing working artists’ studios, and the twice yearly American Quilter Society’s Quilt week. As well as visual arts and crafts, the city is also known for its performing arts with its own symphony orchestra and theatre. 

Paducah’s strategic location was the reason for its founding by William Clark in 1827 and today you can visit the River Discovery Center to learn more about life on the river, then and now. Stroll down brick pavements around Market House Square and admire the turn-of-the-20th Century architecture. Enjoy theatre productions, boutiques, antiques and galleries, and experience an array of restaurant choices from Kentucky barbeque to fine dining. 

Stay two nights in Lexington 

Notable authors such as Harriette Simpson Arnow, Robert Penn Warren and Hunter S. Thompson are just some of names that hail from Kentucky while JoJo Moyes’ bestseller, The Giver of Stars, is a tale of five extraordinary librarians who travel through remote parts of the state on a mission to spread their love of books. Lexington is the host of the Kentucky Book Festival (KBF) – a celebration of reading, writing, and publishing, and an annual event with a rich history of supporting Kentucky authors. 

Lexington is also known as the Horse Capital of the World and just minutes from the downtown area are acres and acres of manicured pastureland, miles of white fences, magnificent barns, the Kentucky Horse Park, the Thoroughbred Training Center and Keeneland Race Course. Throughout the historic downtown you’ll find a mixture of art galleries, parks, theatres and restaurants, as well as unique shopping experiences. Lexington is a great base for a tour of some of the picturesque Bourbon distilleries, still producing the quality products enjoyed around the world. 

Stay one night in Jonesborough

History comes to life in this 18th century town - Tennessee’s oldest. As you walk through the town, you’ll step where Daniel Boone, Andrew Jackson, David Crockett, John Sevier and so many others have stood. Known as the Storytelling Capital of the World, Jonesborough is home to the annual National Storytelling Festival which takes place in October each year, as well as the International Storytelling Center. 

Nestled in the Appalachian Mountains you are surrounded by nature, with beautiful scenery and wildlife in abundance. Walk, hike, bike or take a leisurely drive through the countryside. 

Stay one night in Knoxville

Knoxville offers the best of city and mountain life combined, and many recognised authors have made their homes here and have written about their experiences. You can visit the scenes that inspired the likes of Cormac McCarthy, James Agee, Nikki Giovanni, Frances Hodgson Burnett and Alex Haley on a literary walking tour.  

You can also stroll the three mile Riverwalk from Volunteer Landing Marina at the headwaters of the Tennessee River, visit Downtown Market Square, Gay Street and The Old City Knoxville to enjoy shopping, dining, galleries and nightlife. For an insight into the city’s rich music history and connections, take a free self-guided Cradle of Country Music walking tour. 

Stay one night in Birmingham 

Birmingham is a city with many sides – fine dining, a vibrant downtown with great music venues and history. Birmingham boasts impressive museums and historical sites including the 16th Street Baptist Church nominated as a world heritage site for its civil rights activities. Located across the street is the thought provoking Birmingham Civil Rights Institute. Birmingham was also home to a number of hotels included in the Green Book, one of which – A.G. Gaston Motel – is being restored for inclusion in the Birmingham Civil Rights National Monument. It served not only as a haven for black travellers, but also as a place for civil rights leaders to meet and plan their quest for freedom. 

Stay two nights in Montgomery. 

The famous literary couple, F. Scott Fitzgerald and Zelda Sayre Fitzgerald spent the autumn of 1931 in Montgomery and today their former home is the Fitzgerald House Museum. From here Zelda outlined her book about a marriage in breakdown: Save Me the Waltz with a heroine named Alabama. At the same time, Scott wrote his own novel about a destructive marriage amidst European settings: Tender Is The Night.

Montgomery is a fascinating city, being the birthplace of the Civil War and also significant in the Civil Rights Movement for which a visit to the Civil Rights Memorial is a must. 

Stay one night in Monroeville.

Home to Harper Lee and Truman Capote, who played together as children and developed a lasting friendship. Later as adults, they were to investigate the killings that lead to Capote’s book, In Cold Blood. The courtroom from Harper Lee’s novel To Kill A Mockingbird is now a museum and from there you can take an interesting walking tour of the town. 

Monroeville stages an annual production of To Kill A Mockingbird, which brings visitors from near and far to experience the charm and history of this Alabama town.