Ryan Murdock joins me in today’s episode. We talk about his new book A Sunny Place for Shady People: How Malta Became One of the Most Curious and Corrupt Places in the World. The interview was actually an online event with Ryan’s publisher, Trinity University Press, that was recorded fairly late in the evening for Ryan. You can watch the event on their Facebook page and I assume they'll post it on their YouTube channel in due course.  Ryan is the host of the Personal Landscapes...

Michael Kerr joins me on the podcast to chat about the transformation of travel media from storytelling to a more utilitarian approach driven by the internet and market forces, the current trends in travel books — particularly the rise of narratives addressing social and environmental issues and how they have revitalized the genre —, and Stanford's Travel Book of the Year awards. Michael is the creator of Deskbound Traveller, a website and blog dedicated to exploring the literary side...

Doreen Cunningham joins me on the podcast to talk about her book Soundings: Journeying to Alaska in the Company of Whales (Scribner 2022). Purchase Soundings by Doreen Cunningham Support your local bookstore, or purchase her book Soundings: Journeying to Alaska in the Company of Whales from Amazon. More episodes, newsletters, & support Please consider supporting the show with a few dollars a month, less than a cup of coffee, to help keep our show alive and...

Thomas Bird joins me on the podcast to talk about his book Harmony Express: Travels by Train Through China (Earnshaw Books 2023). We talk about Thomas's new book and his creative journey, the development and history of China's rail network, freelance writing in China in the early 2000s, China's diversity, his advice for "writing for the ages," and more. Purchase Harmony Express by Thomas Bird Support your local bookstore, or purchase his book Harmony Express: Travels by...

Thomas Swick joins me on the podcast to talk about his book Falling Into Place: A Story of Love, Poland, and the Making of a Travel Writer (Rowman & Littlefield 2023). Thomas and I chat about Tom’s creative journey, his time in Poland, the evolution of the travel writer as an occupation, the importance of having life experiences for writers, and a lot more.  Purchase Falling into Place by Thomas Swick Support your local bookstore, or purchase his book Falling Into...

Toady I’m bringing you a conversation I had with Ryan Murdock for his Personal Landscapes Podcast. He was kind enough to not only chat with me about my book The Hill of the Skull on his podcast, but let me re-broadcast a the conversation here on Travel Writing World. We talk about sacred mountains, anthropology, Bolivia, globalization, pilgrimage, and other topics. If you aren’t subscribed to Ryan’s podcast, I recommend that you do so. Just search for Personal Landscapes in your...

A quick update to announce my new photobook memoir The Hill of the Skull launches today on Kickstarter. The campaign runs from September 25 until October 26, 2023. The book features a 7,000-word memoir, around 50 photographs, an afterword by celebrated author Pico Iyer, and a behind-the-scenes dialogue I had with the award-winning British photographer Alys Tomlinson. The book will be available in multiple formats, but the star of the show will be the premium, limited-edition...

Tom Parfitt joins me on the podcast to talk about his book High Caucasus (Headline 2023). Tom and I have a sober conversation about the 2004 Beslan School Massacre, his reporting in Russia, and his 1,000-mile walk across the Caucasus in southern Russia. I also ask Tom about Ukraine, and his commonly held assumptions or ideas about the people of the Caucasus. Purchase In Sardinia by Jeff Biggers Support your local bookstore, or purchase High Caucasus: A Mountain Quest in...

Jeff Biggers joins me on the podcast today, and we’re talking about his new book In Sardinia: An Unexpected Journey in Italy, which is as much a cultural history of the island as it is a travel book. In this wide-reaching conversation, we talk about D. H. Lawrence and the travel literature about the island, Sardinia’s ancient history, a few environmental protection laws as they relate to tourism on the island, travel as a literary framework in writing non-fiction, and much...

Tim Hannigan is back on the Travel Writing World podcast, this time to talk about his new book The Granite Kingdom: A Cornish Journey, which is a literary and literal journey through Cornwall. In addition to Cornwall’s culture and geography, Tim and I also chat about re-centering maps, identity, walking, slow travel, the Tamar River, the Tim Hannigan method of outlining or structuring books, and other topics.  Purchase The Granite Kingdom by Tim Hannigan Support your...

Leon McCarron joins me today, and we’re talking about his new book Wounded Tigris: A River Journey through the Cradle of Civilisation (available in the UK on 6 April 2023 and in the USA from 7 November 2023). Leon is an author of several travel books, including The Land Beyond: A Thousand Miles on Foot through the Heart of the Middle East and The Road Headed West. In addition to talking about Leon's new book, we also talk about the the Marsh Arabs, Wilfred Thesiger, the...

Hello, everyone. This is episode 101 of the Travel Writing World podcast, and it will be a short one.  In the introduction to episode 99, my recent interview with Pico Iyer, I mentioned that I am taking a break from my normal, fortnightly schedule of interviews in 2023 to focus on a few projects. Well, today I want to announce one of those projects — it is a book called The Hill of the Skull.  The Hill of the Skull is part photobook, part travel book. It will include photos and...

J.F. Penn joins me today, and we’re talking about her new book Pilgrimage. Joanna is an author of many fiction and non-fiction books, and the host of several podcasts including The Creative Penn Podcast for writers and the Books and Travel podcast. In addition to talking about her new book Pilgrimage, we also talk about voice in writing and creative work, pilgrimage from a secular perspective, the restorative properties of walking and pilgrimage, independently publishing a...

Pico Iyer joins me on the podcast again. And this time we’re discussing his new book The Half Known Life: In Search of Paradise.  As the subtitle reveals, The Half Known Life is a book about the idea of paradise. But it is also a book about living in the real world and embracing the unknown, topics that Pico and I chat about in today's podcast. We also talk briefly about Reading, Writing, Buddhism, Peter Matthiessen, Cal Flyn, and more. Purchase The Half Known Life by...

As you’ll remember from the announcement in episode 94, we’re publishing four of Bill Colegrave’s interviews here on Travel Writing World.  Today’s episode is Bill’s last interview, this one with Sara Wheeler. Now, most of you will be familiar with Sara for her books like Terra Incognita and The Magnetic North. And she wrote a biography of Apsley Cherry-Garrard, the author of the now-classic book, The Worst Journey in the World. Sara came on the podcast back in episode 83 to speak...

As you’ll remember from the announcement in episode 94, we’re publishing four of Bill Colegrave’s interviews here on Travel Writing World.  This is his third interview, this one with Michelle Jana Chan. Michelle is an award-winning journalist and Travel Editor of Vanity Fair. She is the author of Song, a novel about a boy who leaves his impoverished family in rural China to seek his fortune. Purchase Song by Michelle Jana Chan If you decide to purchase your books from...

As you’ll remember from the announcement in episode 94, we’re publishing four of Bill Colegrave’s interviews here on Travel Writing World.  This is his second interview, this one with the late Alexander Frater, the celebrated journalist and author who brought us works like Chasing the Monsoon: a Modern Pilgrimage Through India. Purchase Chasing the Monsoon by Alexander Frater If you decide to purchase your books from Amazon, please use our links on this page. If you use...

As discussed in the previous episode, we’re publishing a few of Bill Colegrave’s interviews here on Travel Writing World.   Today is the first interview out of four, this one with Tony Wheeler who, along with his wife Maureen, founded Lonely Planet. Purchase Scraps of Wool by Bill Colegrave If you decide to purchase your books from Amazon, please use our links on this page. If you use our links to make a purchase, we will receive a few cents commission from Amazon at no...

Bill Colegrave joins me today to talk about his book Scraps of Wool: A Journey Through the Golden Age of Travel Literature, which is a collection of passages from some of the world’s best-known works of travel literature. As you’ll hear in the interview, Bill recorded interviews with Tony Wheeler, the late Alexander Frater, Sara Wheeler, and Michelle Jana Chan a few years back. And Bill has kindly agreed to broadcast these interviews on Travel Writing World. So, for the next four...

Jennifer Barclay joins me on today's episode and we’re talking about her book The Taverna by the Sea: One Greek Island Summer (Bradt 2022). In this episode, we talk about Jennifer’s fascination with living on the Greek islands and her experience working in Greece.  We also talk about her experiences as a literary agent and the process of selling travel books, including a bit about what publishers like to see. Purchase The Taverna by the Sea by Jennifer Barclay If...

Joining me today is Mary Novakovich. And we’re talking about her book My Family and Other Enemies: Life and Travels in Croatia's Hinterland (Bradt 2022). In this episode, we talk about a rustic region in Croatia called Lika, where her family is from, and its appeal. We also talk a bit about travel literature about Croatia and her experiences finding a publisher. Purchase My Family and Other Enemies by Mary Novakovich If you decide to purchase your books from Amazon,...

Hello, everyone. No interview today. But I do have some news. During the month of August, I’ll be traveling through the Andes mountains—from Santa Cruz, Bolivia overland to Cusco, Peru.  Every day, from August 2 until August 31, 2022, I will send an email documenting my experiences to subscribers of a “pop-up” newsletter I’m calling 30 DAYS IN THE ANDES. Each email will have several photographs and maybe a note. While I'm away, the podcast will go on. I have...

Joining me today is Robert Kaplan. And we’re talking about his newest book Adriatic: A Concert of Civilizations at the End of the Modern Age.  As you know, Robert is the author of many books, including The Ends of the Earth, An Empire Wilderness, and the controversial Balkan Ghosts. In this episode, we talk about why the Adriatic is so interesting historically and culturally, how the Adriatic might see another renaissance, the idea of travel writing as a "vehicle," and...

Benedict Allen is my guest today. He is the author of several books, including most recently Explorer: The Quest for Adventure and the Great Unknown.  I ask him about his urge to explore, and about what I poorly articulate as his “old school” mode of traveling the world. We chat about about making bonds while traveling, about homecomings, and about family. Purchase Explorer by Benedict Allen If you live in the United States or the United Kingdom, we urge you to purchase...