The Best British Travel Writing of the 21st Century

LoveReading Says

This is an impressive collection of travel writing taken from British media which finds untold stories in all corners of the world. Night trains, diving, pilgrimages, coastal walks … the Congo, Iraq, Kent, the Ganges… this single volume hits you hard with the overwhelming possibilities of travel with no less than thirty brilliant writers assembled. This century brought fresh challenges for these journalists in a world well-explored and now widely reported by visitors with bucket lists and armed with social media. But good writing is good writing, and here it is in abundance seeking out characters landscapes and histories converging in a fast-changing world and requiring a special talent to nail down. It may seem a little early in the century to be presenting such a compilation but of course the pandemic has provided a natural break for travellers to be still and reflect. For once, editor Jessica Vincent was spending more time reading than writing and this led to a reassessment of her motives for travel - not to tick off sights and cover as much ground as possible in an endless drive to ’see’ or ‘move’ - but the true essence of travel - which she says is to feel. Co-editor Levison Wood had a similar experience exploring from his armchair and finding a new level of appreciation for his own adventures and the stories that inspired him. You will also be inspired by these stories, perhaps to read more and learn more, or even to travel, but most of all to feel.

Greg Hackett

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