In this episode, travel writer Tim Hannigan discusses his new book, The Granite Kingdom, based on his journey walking east to west across Cornwall. He explores why both inside and outside voices are needed in travel writing, the ethical issues around writing about those you meet while traveling, how to find balance with a sense of belatedness, and when the second person can be a great tool for writers.

The Granite Kingdom: Interview With Tim Hannigan

Today's episode includes excerpts from two of the many masterclasses offered to students of Travel Writer Transformation, Intrepid Times' 8-week writing course. In the first excerpt, the Intrepid Times editors discuss the first paragraph of a travel story and how to make sure you grab readers' attention without giving them too much information. The second excerpt discussions conclusions and how writers can make sure they deliver on any goodwill they've built up throughout their story.

Grab Attention and Don't Let It Go

In this episode, Kapka Kassabova joins us for a conversation about her most recently published book, Elixir, the third in what will soon be a quartet set in the southern Balkans. She speaks about how the heartbreak that she found during her journey for the first book in the quartet prepared her emotionally for Elixir, why she always seeks out a guide during her travels, and why it's important for every traveler (and writer) to "own your wounds and your hopes."

Elixir: Interview with Kapka Kassabova

In this episode, Intrepid Times editor Jennifer Roberts and Dr. Jeffrey Skoblow talk about how learning to write is like learning a new language, why the choice of what you read can be critically important, the role that community plays in both reading and writing, and how presence and attention factor into both.

Why Being a Good Reader Makes You a Better Writer: A Conversation With Jeffrey Skoblow

In this episode, Scottish travel writer Jamie Lafferty discusses why travel writing is anything but "leisurely" work, how coming from a working class background shaped the trajectory of his career and the stories he chooses to write, why he loves to interview “upper class” people, and how a trip to cover every prefecture in Japan after the 2011 tsunami shifted the way he thought about his work and the impact it could have.

From Working-Class Glasgow to the New York Times: Interview With Jamie Lafferty

In this episode of The Travel Writing Podcast, Harry Mitsidis, founder of NomadMania, talks about his personal motivation for visiting every country in the world twice, how his “addiction to movement” has driven his travels, how he maintains enthusiasm while constantly exploring, and why his recent trip to Ukraine was the most significant one he has ever done. He also offers a behind-the-scenes look at the voyage to one of the world's most remote islands where he met a mysterious world traveler who would ultimately inspire Harry's book, The Curious Case of William Baekeland.

The Countries Are Not Enough: Interview With NomadMania Founder, Harry Mitsidis

In this episode of The Travel Writing Podcast, Mary Novakovich, an award-winning travel journalist, speaks about why she found the process of writing a book more “liberating” than her work with articles and stories; how she approached writing about members of her family, especially when thinking about traumatic events; how she attempted to find balance with the difficult history and the current culture of Croatia; how who you’re traveling with affects the way you understand a place; and why writing both listicles and travel narratives has worked out so well for her.

My Family and Other Enemies: Interview With Mary Novakovich

In this episode of The Travel Writing Podcast, Nathan and Jen take on the daunting topic of AI. It's a topic that (understandably) makes writers, in particular, very nervous, considering the advances in LLMs. Should we be as worried as we are? Will AI actually ever be able to replace the need for writers, or is there something about the act of putting ideas on paper (or a screen) that is uniquely human? 

During this conversation, the hosts also explore how they have personally experimented with tools like ChatGPT, where they see the most promise, what a future in which AI can replicate human personality may look like, why grappling with words is (and may always be) a deeply useful exercise, and why they remain hopeful even as LLMs advance.

If you enjoy the episode, don't forget to subscribe and leave a review!

What It Means to Be a Writer in a World With AI

When Ryan Murdock moved to Malta in 2011, he intended to write a "breezy island novel" replete with quirky characters and sun-soaked tranquility. He would go on to write a book, but it was not the one he imagined. In a book that is part thriller, but anthropological examination, and part tribute to the pioneering Maltese journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, Ryan told a gripping tale that all serious readers of travel writing need to have on their shelves.

Malta Vice - Narrating Organized Crime and Corruption in Paradise - an Interview with Ryan Murdock

The travel writing career has captivated many with the dream of scrawling notes on exotic train rides, sending off your narratives to venerable magazines, and collecting enough in fees and royalties to keep the journey going. But is that really what the life of a professional travel writer looks like today? Tim Leffel has been a full-time, professional travel writer since 2006 and literally wrote the book on the travel writing career, Travel Writing 2.0. In our conversation, he describes his own journey and gives an honest, no-nonsense overview of how today's travel writers actually go about earning money, growing their income, and paying the bills. 

Money and Income for Travel Writers with Tim Leffel (The Truth...)

A contributor to the New York Times, National Geographic, BBC Travel, and Lonely Planet (to name a few), David Farley is living the travel writing dream. When his career was just starting, though, he didn't have a direct line to any editors; he had to prove himself. In this episode of the Travel Writing Podcast, he maps his rise from amateur to regular contributor to the biggest publications. This is your chance to learn how to get your foot in the door. Before you know it, you could be sent around the world to cover stories that will be read by thousands.

Getting into the Biggest Travel Publications: Interview with David Farley

What is Eastern Europe, and does it still exist? Jacob Mikanowski set out to answer these questions and more in his book "Goodbye Eastern Europe: An Intimate History of a Divided Land". In this episode of the Travel Writing Podcast, he shares how his Polish heritage, academic background, and personal travels shape his work.

Staying in Warsaw at the tail end of communism, Jacob lived through Poland's transition from sleepy empty streets to the chaotic capitalism of the 1990s. He has since traveled across nearly every Eastern European country, exploring both their nuances and shared identities.

His book is a personal farewell to an Eastern Europe that feels lost to history. Drawing on real anecdotes, he brings to life forgotten traditions, hidden secrets, and the cultural richness of an often-overlooked region. In our conversation, we consider what “Eastern Europe” really means, why the term remains controversial, and why Jacob believes its identity deserves to be reclaimed.

Reclaiming a Lost Eastern Europe: Interview with Jacob Mikanowski

What drives someone to keep exploring the world — not for clicks or clout, but for something deeper? In this episode of the Travel Writing Podcast, we sit down with Shebs Alom — award-winning writer, broadcaster, and host of the Take a Wander with Shebs podcast — for an authentic chat about his journey as a travel writer.

Shebs opens up about mental health, finding purpose, and rediscovering joy when travel is your job. We also peel back the curtain on PR travel trips, media award circuits, and the dangers Shebs has faced in his professional life. Plus, he reveals the secret of how he formed a connection with eminent British explorer, Levison Wood.

Grab this opportunity to take a peek into the daily realities of life as a professional traveler.

Finding Peace as a Professional Travel Writer and Media Personality - Interview with Shebs Alom

There are plenty of guidebooks about Venice and Edinburgh, but have you ever wondered about Chelmsford or Sunderland? Ben Aitken has. In this episode of The Travel Writing Podcast, we sit down with Ben, author of Shitty Breaks: A Celebration of Unsung Cities. He discusses his fun, irreverent approach to travel that seeks joy in the most under-visited destinations.

From working in a Poznan chippy to skiing in Sunderland, Ben shares stories from his offbeat journey through the places tourism forgot. We also discuss the art of attention-seeking to get published, how to come up with a provocative (but not off-putting) book title, and the painful process of recording an audiobook.

Despite his cheeky demeanor, Ben’s on a mission to prove that every place and its people are worth a visit. His work champions curiosity toward the overlooked places written off by major tourist guidebooks.

In a world obsessed with hotspots, discover how joy can be found in that forgotten city up the road.

A Celebration of Unsung Cities: Interview with Ben Aitken

It's no coincidence that we are releasing this special episode of the Travel Writing Podcast on Friday the 13th. La Carmina is a multi-talented author, influencer, blogger, food writer, television personality, and expert in the mysterious fringe communities that most tourists never even catch a glimpse of. She has authored a highly acclaimed treatise on Satanism (The Little Book of Satanism), befriended author-phenomenon of Prozac Nation fame, Elizabeth Wurtzel, and brought readers into the worlds of fringe and underground subcultures, sincerely understanding and cherishing these communities while interpreting them for the uninformed.

In this episode, we trace La Carmina's unusual (or, as she clarifies, perhaps not so unusual) path from Yale Law School to travel writing. We talk about how she carved a distinct niche in a crowded field, and she shares tips for new writers on how to do the same. We also talk about fringe cultures, making meaningful connections while traveling, and of course, we bust myths of Satanism. Listen below or find the Travel Writing Podcast on Spotify or iTunes.

From Sushi to Satanism; the Unique Travel Writing Career of La Carmina

When Reid Mitenbuler was denied travel during the long days of lockdown, he sought out the distillation of travel in human form. Peter Freuchen (1886-1957), the legendary Danish explorer, brought stories of  remotest Greenland to the world. He married an Inuit woman, learned the language, fathered children, and ventured to its most extreme locations, risking life and (literally) limb in the process. Later, he became wealthy by winning a game show, and found himself an unlikely Hollywood celebrity. 

Reid Mitenbuler shared his story in his book, Wanderlust - An Eccentric Explorer, an Epic Journey, a Lost Age. The New York Times called it "An absolute joy… a compelling introduction to one of the most charismatic explorers to ever cross the ice." Reid joined the Travel Writing Podcast to talk about how he came across Freuchen's story and why he knew it had to be told, his process for choosing topics and writing successful non-fiction books, and some Hollywood insider wisdom about the impact of AI on professional writers.

Reid Mitenbuler on Peter Freuchen's Greenland, The Lost Age of Exploration, and the Future of Storytelling

A man walks calmly through a crowd, a BMX bike handle thrust through his cheek. Two fighters leap over a catholic cross, ready to engage in hand-to-hand combat with anyone who interrupts their ritual. A group of adherents whirl and spin, appearing intoxicated, yet no drugs have been taken. These are just some of the many otherworldly festivals Daniel Stables witnessed, understood, and reported on for his new book, Fiesta: A Journey Through Festivity, out next month through Icon Books. 

Daniel joined the Travel Writing Podcast to talk about traveling to festivals in Britain, Turkey, Thailand, Spain, and beyond, witnessing jealously guarded rituals and getting to the deeper questions about the rituals that bind us together and transcend the ordinariness of everyday life.

Daniel Stables on The Wild, Otherworldly Festivals that Define Our Humanity

Luke Waterson was a prolific travel writer who wrote guidebooks for the likes of Moon Guides and Lonely Planet about destinations that ring exotic in the minds of most readers, like Cuba, Machu Picchu, or the Amazon rainforest. And then he became a father. Basing himself in rural Wales and largely confining his travels to regional Britain, he found that he was not only able to discover joy in unexpected pockets of his homeland, but his travel writing career reached new heights as well. 

Luke joined the Travel Writing Podcast to talk about the life and craft of travel writing today. In a deeply personal and candid interview, he shares the challenges of fatherhood amidst separation, the joys and constraints of the solitary writer's life, and how his background as a novelist and short story writer informs his approach to his work. Listen here or on Spotify or iTunes.

Luke Waterson on the Travel Writing Career, Fatherhood Amidst Seperation, and Trading the Amazon Rainforest for Backcountry Britain

When Jamie Edwards was a mother of a two-year-old and expecting a second child, her husband was offered a job in Tokyo. They left all that was familiar and headed overseas. What followed was a life rich in adventure, more often than not, with the kids in tow.

Through over 50 countries, Jamie gained confidence not only in the art of parenting on the move but also in crafting a compelling story that did justice to her travel experiences. She founded a popular blog, I am Lost and Found, to share her recommendations, and used her networking skills to help her break into some of travel writing's most prestigious publications. 

In the latest episode of the Travel Writing Podcast, which also forms an instalment in our 'Traveling While Dad' series, Jamie talks about sharing real travel experiences with children and describes how she polished her storytelling skills and became a contributor to the upcoming National Geographic Traveler's Atlas of the World.

From Zero to National Geographic; Jamie Edwards' Story of Travel Writing and Parenthood

Over the course of 15 years, Shafik Meghji traveled repeatedly to South America, falling in love with the continent and in particular with Buenos Aires, which he came to feel was his second home. Traveling from London, Shafik noticed that Britain came up a lot on his travels; the eerie hulk of a Harrods branch in central Buenos Aires, the rusting shells of British buses on the salt flats of Bolivia, and the surnames of the descendants of settlers hanging out in Patagonia. The result is Small Earthquakes: A Journey Through Lost British History in South America - Published last month by Hurst Publishers, to wide acclaim. 

Shafik joins the Travel Writing Podcast to talk about how the book came to be, to geek out on his influences such as Bruce Chatwin, and to bring writers behind the scenes on his publishing journey. 

Behind the Scenes of "Small Earthquakes" - Telling The British South America Story with Shafik Meghji

Eighteen months after his daughter was born, Dom and his wife still hadn't had a full night's sleep. An ambitious family trip to Colombia loomed, but they knew their little one just wasn't ready for the trip. Everything was booked, and the trip tied in with work commitments for Dom's university job, so a tough call was made: Dom would travel alone. What followed was a series of lonely nights in hotel rooms; the cribs they had arranged in each destination stood empty. And yet, the silver lining: This was something to write about. With as yet no clippings or travel writing publications to his name, Dom took a chance. The resulting piece, 'My Daughter's Laugh' won the 2016 Bradt New Travel Writer of the Year award and catapulted Dom into the world of publication. Since then, he has been featured in The Times, The National Geographic, The Independent, and elsewhere, often writing about traveling as a father. Dom's appearance on the Travel Writing Podcast forms an instalment of our Traveling While Dad series. 

How Travel Writing Awards Catupulted Dom Tulett into Publication

"See the mice in their million hordes," Bowie sings, "From Ibiza to the Norfolk Broads." 

For most, these lines, from Bowie's culture-bending 1971 track "Life on Mars?" are intriguing, amusing, or perhaps just baffling in Bowie's inimitable yet irresistible way. Yet for James Briggs, they were a route map. He set out to make real the journey Bowie merely obliquely sketched, cycling for over 100 days from the Spanish island of Ibiza to the English network of rivers and lakes known as the Norfolk Broads. Along the way, he meets Bowie fans of all ages and explores the many and varied cultural influences that informed the iconic English musician's journey.

Taking the journey was one thing; getting the story published was another. As James shared in our interview, over eight years passed between the initial trip and the eventual publication of the resulting story: From Ibiza to the Norfolk Broads, a Bowie Odyssey. 

James Briggs joined the Travel Writing Podcast to talk about the journey, the book, and everything in between. 

James Briggs Followed David Bowie from Ibiza to the Norfolk Broads - And Lived to Publish the Tale

One day, the writer and professor Kurt Caswell received a cryptic mission from an editor. Laika, the Russian dog who would become the first living creature sent into orbit, had a window in her spacecraft. "I want you to think on this," the editor said, "and write a book about it." The resulting book, Laika's Window, won a Foreword Indie Silver Medal for science writing.

Kurt's connection with Intrepid Times began with the story, Driving the Dalton Highway, a fascinating meditation on the experience of driving and being driven, which we discuss in the podcast. We also talk about Kurt's work as a professor of creative writing at Texas Tech University, and his life in travel and writing across Iceland, Russia, the United States, and far beyond. 

Kurt's most recent book is Iceland Summer: Travels along the Ring Road (2023), the first in a series about travel on islands. You can learn more about Kurt and his books at his website, kurtcaswell.com

Laika in Russia, Driving in Alaska, Myths in Iceland, and the Writer's Life with Kurt Caswell

When the entire world shut down in early 2020, Brad Fox was not at home in New York. He was instead in the high jungles of Peru, embedded with a family of Quechua-speaking traditional healers, known as curanderos. "I have never felt so sober in my life," Brad said of his many months stranded there, which involved getting to know the local pharmacopoeia, some of which had profound psychedelic effects.

During his time of isolation, Brad Fox wrote "The Bathysphere Book", which was named Winner of the 2024 National Book Foundation's Science + Literature Award and A Washington Post top 10 best book of 2023. The book shimmers with a logic-bending mystique, and it's hardly surprising why. For his next book, Brad returned, literally and in theme, to the Peruvian jungle and told the story of his time there. The resulting book is "Another Bone-Swapping Event," it's out in November through Astral Press in the US and Icon Books in the UK. 

In our episode of the Travel Writing Podcast, Brad Fox talks about his time in Peru. He traces the journey of his two most recent non-fiction books, and brings us into the strange yet piercingly clear world of tradition, ayahuasca, and healing, he inhabited far from the high rises and emails of modern life. We also talk about Brad Fox's earlier travels, including years spent as an aid contractor in Serbia, and a mysterious diving expedition in central Budapest. L

Stranded in Remote Peru, Brad Fox Ate Psychedelic Plants and Wrote About the Depths of the Ocean

The three words are scrawled everywhere; on walls, banners, and even on the side of Barcelona's rubbish bins. It's easy to dismiss them as the word of isolated cranks. But it isn't. The message increasingly reflects popular sentiment, and not just in the tourist hotspots in Spain. And with short-term rentals like Airbnb driving locals out of their apartments, while the digital nomad ghettos as distant as Chiang Mai and Medellin, cause skyrocketing prices out of the reach of residents, it's impossible for a sincere traveler not to ask the question: Are we part of the problem?

Daniel Maurer wrestles with the big questions, such as this, in his new book The Future of Travel, part of an intriguing 'Futures' series by Melville House. Daniel is an award-winning food, culture, and travel journalist who has written for outlets such as The New York Times, New York magazine, Thrillist, The Art Newspaper, Eater, The Daily Beast, Atlas Obscura, and others. He won two James Beard Media Awards while chief editor of Grub Street.

Daniel joined the Travel Writing Podcast to speak about overtourism and traveler's guilt, and how we can keep traveling without causing harm to the places we visit. 

"Tourists Go Home!" Daniel Maurer on Overtourism, Traveler's Guilt, and the Future of Travel

Sixty-five years ago, overseas travel was a rare thing even for relatively well-off people in Britain. Currency controls meant it was illegal to take more than £50 abroad. Strict pricing controls on European airlines kept fares stubbornly high. The role of a travel writer was to persuade people to overcome these obstacles, brave the “metal tubes in the sky,” and set out to places where no one they knew had ever been before.

Travel has changed a lot over the past seven decades, and travel writing has changed with it. Charting and championing the evolution of this art form has been the British Guild of Travel Writers (BGTW). I became a member earlier this year, and have been impressed by the energy and supportiveness of this venerable institution. As the Guild looks back, they have anthologised the contributions of their members over the years. Giants of the industry reflect on their long careers, such as John Carter and Hilary Bradt, while contemporary writers – many familiar guests on the Travel Writing Podcast such as Ash Bhardwaj and Daniel Stables – bring fresh contributions.

Daniel James Clarke is a British travel writer based in Portugal who has authored numerous guidebooks and articles on the country. He is also Vice President and Head of Sustainability at the BGTW. Daniel joins the Travel Writing Podcast to talk about the changing purpose and enduring value of travel writing, and to discuss their new anthology in which he played a role, Around the World in 65 Years: 101 Stories & Experiences from the Road Less Travelled, edited by Mary Anne Evans, published by Bradt Travel Guides and available from November 4, 2025. Listen here or find the Travel Writing Podcast on Spotify or iTunes.

65 Years of Travel Writing History with Daniel James Clarke from the British Guild of Travel Writers (BGTW)

If you travel when you're young and fall in love with the thrill and freedom of the road, a choice eventually arises. Do you abandon the traditional milestones of success and accomplishment and let the road be your life? Or do you do the 'grown-up' thing, move home, get a good corporate job, climb the ladder, and 'achieve'?

Matt Wilson looked this choice squarely in the eye and said, "Why Not Both?" From a successful career as the founder of 'Under 30 CEO' in New York, he embraced the digital nomad freedom with a base in Puerto Rico.  Years of travel followed, but business was not left behind. Matt fused his passion for travel with his entrepreneurial skills to create 'Under 30 Experiences,' a Millennial-oriented travel company. He authored the Millennial Travel Guidebook and made the Financial Times 1000 list of America's Fastest-Growing Companies.

Matt is now a father, and we spoke about how fatherhood changed his approach to travel, business, and work-life balance. (And, although she was so well-behaved you won't hear on the audio, my baby daughter joined us for the last 10 or so minutes of the episode, and you'll hear Matt's reaction as she enters the screen).

Listen to Matt speak about success, business, travel, and parenthood on the Travel Writing Podcast here or find us on Spotify or iTunes.

Matt Wilson on Building a Travel Business Empire While Roaming the Globe

What happens when the mainstream publishing community isn't putting out the kind of sincere, literary travel stories you crave? For Mike Robertson, the answer was simple: Start your own publishing house. 

Sun Rider Press has published books on pilgrimages in Tibet, bike rides across India, wayward adventures, and self-discovery along the English Channel, and more besides. Their print runs are small; their distribution channels simple. No Amazon. No chain retailers. Just a signed copy of the book mailed to you personally by the publishers themselves. 

In the midst of a publishing identity crisis fueled by collapsing margins, bullying online retailers, and the perils of AI, could this example of passionate micro-publishing be the answer? Mike Robertson joins the Travel Writing Podcast to speak about his journey. 

Mike Robertson, Founder of Sun Rider Press, on the Bleeding Edge of Independent Travel Book Publishing

Many sit in cubicles every day and dream of abandoning the office, the politics, the metrics, and the madness and embarking on a life of creative freedom and fulfilment. Few actually make the transition. Once you're in the corporate world, it's hard to leave. The paycheck leads to a lifestyle that is not easy to walk away from, and your whole identity and sense of self get enmeshed with everything that comes with it.

Tim van Es was riding high as an executive at Unilever - at least on paper. He was traveling the world and getting promotion after promotion. But under the surface, things were less than idyllic. In a special two-part series on the Travel Writing Podcast, Tim shares how he made the leap out of the corporate world and reinvented himself as a full-time writer. In part one, published today, he talks about his life, his travels, and the series of events which led to the moment of definitive change. In part two, coming next week, he talks in depth about the resulting book, The Chaiwallah, an Amazon bestseller promoted by Bookbub this week.

Tim van Es shares The Story Behind "The Chaiwallah" and his Journey from Corporate Executive to Full-Time Novelist [Part 1/2]

Tim van Es's story of a humble tea seller who changes three lives in Mumbai became an Amazon bestseller and has won praise for its depiction of everyday life in India and the characters who pass through its pages. In the second and final part of our interview series with Tim, we explore how we went about writing the novel, the inspiration behind the characters, and we complete the story of his journey from corporate burnout to bestselling novelist. Quite a lifestyle change indeed!

Tim van Es Discusses "The Chaiwallah" and His Journey from Corporate Burnout to Amazon Bestselling Novelist [Part 2/2]

Simply trying to get your head around Natascha Scott-Stokes' incredible biography can make your head spin. In 1989, she became the first woman to navigate the length of the Amazon alone. Legendary Irish travel writer Dervla Murphy called the resulting book, An Amazon and a Donkey, "a genuine adventure story," - if anyone would know one, it would be Dervla.

Just a few years later, Scott-Stokes cycled across Eastern Europe as the collapse of the Berlin Wall was still echoing in the fields of Poland. She wrote about that in her book The Amber Trail: A journey of discovery by bicycle, from the Baltic Sea to the Aegean. She also wrote a book about Guatemala and a biography of Margaret Fountaine.

More recently, Natascha Scott-Stokes authored a conflicted love-letter to Chile, Tales from the Sharp End, published by the University of New Mexico Press. Part history, part travelogue, part memoir, the stories invite you into the lives of those who inhabit Chile's cities and its hinterland, rich, evocative, and full of that intimate access only the best travel writing brings.

Hear Natascha Scott-Stokes talk about her extraordinary life and captivating work on the Travel Writing Podcast.

Understanding Chile with Author and Adventurer Natascha Scott-Stokes

When a volunteering offer took Jonty Crane and his wife to Timor-Leste, one of the least visited countries in the world, they had no idea what to expect. What they found was a country, largely undiscovered, still crawling its way out of a traumatic history, that offered friendly locals, beautiful scenery, and hikes through untouched landscapes. They also were confronted by chaos, multiple bouts of severe illness (including typhoid), and the reality of life in a land where the black flag of death seems to stalk every street.

Joining us from his new home in Fiji, where is engaged in another volunteering project arranged by Volunteer Service Abroad - which can be thought of as a New Zealand equivalent to the Peace Corps or the UK's Volunteer Service Overseas (VSO), Jonty talked about his time in Timor-Leste (formerly known as East Timor) and how he came to write several guide books about the country including Exploring Timor-Leste: A comprehensive travel guide to one of the least visited countries in the world. He also shared how volunteering can unlock authentic, real world travel in places tourists seldom get to see.

Exploring Timor-Leste and Volunteering as a Means of Long-Term World Travel With Jonty Crane

It's one thing to move to a foreign country, learn something of the language, and challenge your own understanding of how life should be. It's quite another to write about it. The "expat in Japan" memoir is such a common trope that it's rare for a book to break out. But Sam's did, emphatically. Replete with witty banter about the overlooked rural Japanese experience, For Fukui Sake sold over 11,000 copies and has garnered more than 1,000 reviews on Amazon, most of them emphatically positive. Sam followed this up with Dormice & Moonshine about this time in Slovenia, and has launched the Travel Memoir Review to celebrate the achievements of his fellow travel writers and help readers make more informed choices. 

Sam joined the travel writing podcast to talk about what makes a good (and marketable) travel memoir, why he chose to self-publish his first book, the enduring relevance of travel writing in the time of AI, and how to get involved with the Travel Memoir Review.

Sam Baldwin on Japan, Slovenia, and Why Travel Memoir Still Matters

The Travel Writing Podcast by Intrepid Times is the go-to podcast for wanderers, writers, and passionate travelers. Every other Friday, we share new episodes that include everything from in-depth interviews with renowned travel writers, conversations centered on sharing tips and tricks for your own travel writing, and behind-the-scenes insight into our most popular travel stories. Make sure to subscribe so you never miss an episode!

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