UK’s first travel writing festival in recent years to take place in Dorset

Travel literature enthusiasts will be gathering in the beautiful Dorset town of Sherborne this April to hear from some of the UK’s finest travel writers. 

Sherborne Travel Writing Festival, taking place from Friday 14 to Sunday 16 April, is the first of its kind in the UK in recent years.

The festival speaker line-up includes ten renowned travel book authors, all of which will be guaranteed to transport you to each corner of the globe with gripping tales of their travels.

Rory Maclean, author of the UK top tens Stalin’s Nose and Berlin: Imagine a City, is the festival’s curator. He said: “Travel and travel writing matter as they open the world, feeding our curiosity and imagination, sharpening our sense of adventure, both whetting and satiating our hunger for the new.”

“As the festival’s curator, I wanted to bring the world to an audience who might be unable or unwilling to travel abroad at the moment due to the cost of living crisis and climate change. Hence I’m thrilled to have enticed ten of the UK’s top travel writers together for one glorious, footloose April weekend.”

Tickets are available for the full weekend or can be bought separately for each talk. Weekend-ticket holders will be able to join the authors for afternoon tea on the Saturday and Sunday, with the opportunity to chat to them one-on-one.

Rory continues: “This is the first exclusively travel literature festival to be held in the UK in recent years. At its heart is the idea – and the timely theme – of reaching for the horizon. For me – and all the other writers – this is a vital response to the last difficult years when Brexit, covid lockdowns and financial pressure forced so many to turn inward.”

“I’m particularly excited about the daily Tea with the Authors event, at which anyone with a weekend ticket will be able to share a cup of with their favourite travel writer.”

 What to expect from Sherborne Travel Writing Festival

Friday 14 April

The event kicks off at 5pm on the Friday with John Gimlette. The author of six travel books has visited more than 80 countries, but will be focussing his session on the world’s fourth largest island – Madagascar, the destination of his latest book The Gardens of Mars: Madagascar, An Island Story. Sophy Roberts will follow, taking readers on a journey to Siberia, the subject of her debut book, The Lost Pianos of Siberia.

Saturday 15 April

Saturday is the busiest day of the event, inviting five authors to the stage. Philip Marsden, author of the Summer Isles – A Voyage of Imagination takes on the first slot of the day, recounting his sailing adventures along Ireland and Scotland’s coasts. After an afternoon tea, Anthony Sattin delves into his award-winning book Nomads – The Wanderers that Shapes Our World. Next up is Justin Marozzi: The author of The Arab Conquests spent his working life learning about the Muslim world. Sara Wheeler is the penultimate speaker of the day, who will be telling the story of her life in travel, the subject her new book Glowing Still.

Sunday 16 April

The final day of the Sherborne Travel Writing Festival starts with writer and renowned explorer John Blashfood-Snell, having organised more than 100 expeditions, including the infamous Blue Nile. Next up, festival curator Rory Maclean discusses the artistic side to Berlin with former resident Demi Anter, highlighting David Bowie’s time in the city. And to round things off, award-winning author Jay Griffiths takes us on one last gallivant around the world, from the Peruvian Amazon to riding to Prague on horseback.

The Sherborne Travel Writing Place runs from 14 to 16 April 2023 at the Powell Theatre in Sherborne. To find out more information and to book tickets, go to sherbornetravelwritingfestival.com

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