Creative Experiments into the Spatial Visualisation of Literary Texts

The field of digital humanities has seen a growth in the usage and range of digital tools and methods for the visualisation of literary texts. Increased availability of creative digital processes, tools and environments (e.g. games engines and open-source programming environments) have opened up opportunities for the creative exploration of new methods, techniques and approaches for literary visualisation within geo-spatial contexts. It has also encouraged the development of new forms of engagement with literary material for academic and non-academic audiences. Using practical investigations as sample case studies, this paper will outline the visual possibilities of creative coding and computational methods for the development of novel (‘experiential’) geo-located representations of literary texts. It will examine the opportunities afforded by computational processes for applying the spatial qualities of locational data to the visual representation of the words; outline methods, applications and outcomes applied to specific examples of literary texts; and provide a platform for discussion into current and future roles of creative digital methods and technologies in this field.