Podcast
Travel Writing World
Hosted by Jeremy Bassetti · EN
With an emphasis on non-fiction travel books, books on place, nature writing, and travel literature, host Jeremy Bassetti talks with the world’s most celebrated writers about their work and about the business and craft of travel writing in this award-winning podcast. Past guests include travel writers like Paul Theroux, Pico Iyer, and Rolf Potts. The show also covers topics related to travel journalism and travel photography.
10episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Thomas Bird – Harmony Express: Travels by Train Through China
Nov 22, 202300:39:56Tap to summarizeThomas 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 Train Through China 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 advertisement-free. You can also support the show by leaving a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts or in your favorite podcasting app, subscribing to the show, and following us on Twitter & Instagram. Finally, join the Travel Writing World newsletter to receive your free copy of The Travel Writer’s Guidebook. You will also receive monthly dispatches & reports with podcast interviews, travel writing resources, & book recommendations. Alternatively, you can join the Genius Loci Newsletter to get monthly roundups of travel writing news. Thanks for your support! Intro music Peach by Daantai (Daantai’s Instagram) Disclaimer *Some of the links on this site are affiliate links. This means that, at no additional cost to you, this website will earn a very small commission if a purchase is made using these links. Also, "as an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases" using the Amazon links on this site. Thank you!
Transcribe →Thomas Swick – Falling Into Place: A Story of Love, Poland, and the Making of a Travel Writer
Nov 16, 202300:31:33Tap to summarizeThomas 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 Place: A Story of Love, Poland, and the Making of a Travel Writer 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 advertisement-free. You can also support the show by leaving a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts or in your favorite podcasting app, subscribing to the show, and following us on Twitter & Instagram. Finally, join the Travel Writing World newsletter to receive your free copy of The Travel Writer’s Guidebook. You will also receive monthly dispatches & reports with podcast interviews, travel writing resources, & book recommendations. Alternatively, you can join the Genius Loci Newsletter to get monthly roundups of travel writing news. Thanks for your support! Intro music Peach by Daantai (Daantai’s Instagram) Disclaimer *Some of the links on this site are affiliate links. This means that, at no additional cost to you, this website will earn a very small commission if a purchase is made using these links. Also, "as an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases" using the Amazon links on this site. Thank you!
Transcribe →Jeremy Bassetti Speaks with Ryan Murdock about “The Hill of the Skull”
Oct 12, 202300:53:57Tap to summarizeToady 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 favorite podcatcher or visit personallandscapespodcast.com. In personal news: The crowdfunding campaign for The Hill of the Skull is entering its last two weeks. We’ve raised about 1/3 of the funds needed to publish the special edition book. If you are in a position to support the campaign, please consider doing so by visiting: travelwritingworld.com/skull, which will redirect you to the Kickstarter campaign page where you will find several ways to support the book. So, without further ado, here is my conversation with Ryan Murdock on the Personal Landscapes podcast. Purchase The Hill of the Skull by Jeremy Bassetti To support the crowdfunding campaign, visit The Hill of the Skull on Kickstarter. 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 advertisement-free. You can also support the show by leaving a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts or in your favorite podcasting app, subscribing to the show, and following us on Twitter & Instagram. Finally, join the Travel Writing World newsletter to receive your free copy of The Travel Writer’s Guidebook. You will also receive monthly dispatches & reports with podcast interviews, travel writing resources, & book recommendations. Alternatively, you can join the Genius Loci Newsletter to get monthly roundups of travel writing news. Thanks for your support! Intro music Peach by Daantai (Daantai’s Instagram) Disclaimer *Some of the links on this site are affiliate links. This means that, at no additional cost to you, this website will earn a very small commission if a purchase is made using these links. Also, "as an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases" using the Amazon links on this site. Thank you!
Transcribe →“The Hill of the Skull” Book Launch on Kickstarter
Sep 25, 202300:02:14Tap to summarizeA 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 hardcover book. Please support my new book The Hill of the Skull on Kickstarter. Purchase The Hill of the Skull by Jeremy Bassetti To support the crowdfunding campaign, visit The Hill of the Skull on Kickstarter. 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 advertisement-free. You can also support the show by leaving a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts or in your favorite podcasting app, subscribing to the show, and following us on Twitter & Instagram. Finally, join the Travel Writing World newsletter to receive your free copy of The Travel Writer’s Guidebook. You will also receive monthly dispatches & reports with podcast interviews, travel writing resources, & book recommendations. Alternatively, you can join the Genius Loci Newsletter to get monthly roundups of travel writing news. Thanks for your support! Intro music Peach by Daantai (Daantai’s Instagram) Disclaimer *Some of the links on this site are affiliate links. This means that, at no additional cost to you, this website will earn a very small commission if a purchase is made using these links. Also, "as an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases" using the Amazon links on this site. Thank you!
Transcribe →
Tom Parfitt – High Caucasus
Jul 20, 202300:27:49Tap to summarizeTom 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 High Caucasus by Tom Parfitt Support your local bookstore, or purchase High Caucasus: A Mountain Quest in Russia's Haunted Hinterland 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 advertisement-free. You can also support the show by leaving a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts or in your favorite podcasting app, subscribing to the show, and following us on Twitter & Instagram. Finally, join the Travel Writing World newsletter to receive your free copy of The Travel Writer’s Guidebook. You will also receive monthly dispatches & reports with podcast interviews, travel writing resources, & book recommendations. Alternatively, you can join the Genius Loci Newsletter to get monthly roundups of travel writing news. Thanks for your support! Intro music Peach by Daantai (Daantai’s Instagram) Disclaimer *Some of the links on this site are affiliate links. This means that, at no additional cost to you, this website will earn a very small commission if a purchase is made using these links. Also, "as an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases" using the Amazon links on this site. Thank you!
Transcribe →Jeff Biggers – In Sardinia
Jun 21, 202300:35:50Tap to summarizeJeff 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 more. Learn more about Jeff Biggers on his website. Purchase In Sardinia by Jeff Biggers Support your local bookstore, or purchase In Sardinia: An Unexpected Journey in Italy 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 advertisement-free. You can also support the show by leaving a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts or in your favorite podcasting app, subscribing to the show, and following us on Twitter & Instagram. Finally, join the Travel Writing World newsletter to receive your free copy of The Travel Writer’s Guidebook. You will also receive monthly dispatches & reports with podcast interviews, travel writing resources, & book recommendations. Alternatively, you can join the Genius Loci Newsletter to get monthly roundups of travel writing news. Thanks for your support! Intro music Peach by Daantai (Daantai’s Instagram) Disclaimer *Some of the links on this site are affiliate links. This means that, at no additional cost to you, this website will earn a very small commission if a purchase is made using these links. Also, "as an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases" using the Amazon links on this site. Thank you!
Transcribe →Tim Hannigan – The Granite Kingdom
May 11, 202300:34:04Tap to summarizeTim 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 local bookstore, or purchase The Granite Kingdom: A Cornish Journey 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 advertisement-free. You can also support the show by leaving a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts or in your favorite podcasting app, subscribing to the show, and following us on Twitter & Instagram. Finally, join the Travel Writing World newsletter to receive your free copy of The Travel Writer’s Guidebook. You will also receive monthly dispatches & reports with podcast interviews, travel writing resources, & book recommendations. Alternatively, you can join the Genius Loci Newsletter to get monthly roundups of travel writing news. Thanks for your support! Intro music Peach by Daantai (Daantai’s Instagram) Disclaimer *Some of the links on this site are affiliate links. This means that, at no additional cost to you, this website will earn a very small commission if a purchase is made using these links. Also, "as an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases" using the Amazon links on this site. Thank you!
Transcribe →Leon McCarron – Wounded Tigris
Apr 6, 202300:35:18Tap to summarizeLeon 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 importance of the Tigris River for Iraq, the region, and the globe, and slowing down to make connections in travel books. Connect with Leon McCarron on Instagram and Twitter. Learn more about Leon McCarron on his homepage. Learn more about his book on his book's website. And learn more about the Zagros Mountain Trail initiative. Purchase Wounded Tigris by Leon McCarron Support your local bookstore, or purchase Wounded Tigris: A River Journey through the Cradle of Civilisation 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 advertisement-free. You can also support the show by leaving a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts or in your favorite podcasting app, subscribing to the show, and following us on Twitter & Instagram. Finally, join the Travel Writing World newsletter to receive your free copy of The Travel Writer’s Guidebook. You will also receive monthly dispatches & reports with podcast interviews, travel writing resources, & book recommendations. Alternatively, you can join the Genius Loci Newsletter to get monthly roundups of travel writing news. Thanks for your support! Intro music Peach by Daantai (Daantai’s Instagram) Disclaimer *Some of the links on this site are affiliate links. This means that, at no additional cost to you, this website will earn a very small commission if a purchase is made using these links. Also, "as an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases" using the Amazon links on this site. Thank you!
Transcribe →Announcing “The Hill of the Skull”
Feb 20, 202300:03:43Tap to summarizeHello, 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 a narrative focusing on my visit to a sacred hill called the Hill of the Skull, which is a pilgrimage site in a town in the foothills of the Bolivian Andes. And when I say “foothills,” I also mean an altitude of over 8,500 feet (or about 2,500 meters). The hill gets slammed with visitors during a celebration call the Festival of the Virgin of Urkupiña, which happens every August and centers around the hill. Last August, I visited Bolivia primarily to do research on the festival and the hill… but let me just say here that I got more than I bargained for. And I’m excited to show you what I’ve been working on. If you’re interested in supporting the project, which I’ll crowdfund on Kickstarter this May, please sign up to get notified when the project launches either through Kickstarter or through my email list. If you visit travelwritingworld.com/skull, you will be able to sign-up to whichever notification method your prefer, either Kickstarter’s or my email list. If you’ve even remotely interested in the project, you’ll want to sign up to get notified when it launches because there will be special, time-sensitive discounts and rewards for those who support the project early in the campaign. The idea here is that I want to do something special for listeners of the Travel Writing World podcast and for supporters of my work. If the campaign is successful, the book will be a beautiful object made with premium materials and using the same printers and suppliers some of the major photobook publishers use. Get notified when The Hill of the Skull launches Please sign-up to get notified when the campaign launches at travelwritingworld.com/skull. And join me on Instagram to take a sneak peek at some of the work. 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 advertisement-free. You can also support the show by leaving a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts or in your favorite podcasting app, subscribing to the show, and following us on Twitter & Instagram. Finally, join the Travel Writing World newsletter to receive your free copy of The Travel Writer’s Guidebook. You will also receive monthly dispatches & reports with podcast interviews, travel writing resources, & book recommendations. Alternatively, you can join the Genius Loci Newsletter to get monthly roundups of travel writing news. Thanks for your support! Intro music ...
Transcribe →J.F. Penn – Pilgrimage and Perspective
Jan 23, 202300:30:41Tap to summarizeJ.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 travel book using crowdfunding sites like Kickstarter, and much more. Purchase Pilgrimage by J.F. Penn If you want to check out and support her book's Kickstarter, visit https://jfpenn.com/pilgrimage. The campaign runs for until early February 2023. 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 advertisement-free. You can also support the show by leaving a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts or in your favorite podcasting app, subscribing to the show, and following us on Twitter & Instagram. Finally, join the Travel Writing World newsletter to receive your free copy of The Travel Writer’s Guidebook. You will also receive monthly dispatches & reports with podcast interviews, travel writing resources, & book recommendations. Alternatively, you can join the Genius Loci Newsletter to get monthly roundups of travel writing news. Thanks for your support! Intro music Peach by Daantai (Daantai’s Instagram) Disclaimer *Some of the links on this site are affiliate links. This means that, at no additional cost to you, this website will earn a very small commission if a purchase is made using these links. Also, "as an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases" using the Amazon links on this site. Thank you!
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