[Genius Loci] April 2022

Last month was wonderful. It took me to London, where I interviewed Tharik Hussain, Monisha Rajesh, and Colin Thubron at a live event at Stanfords and attended the 2022 Edward Stanford Travel Writing Awards (award winners and nominees at the previous link).

Social events drain me, but I’d be lying if I said it didn’t feel good to meet people and talk about literature. I came back to Florida buzzing and with a full heart, despite the audio recording of the live event failing. I will publish an audio transcript on Travel Writing World, but it may take me a while to edit because it has 21 pages and over 12,000 words. More soon.

Now, onto what you came for:

Last month we published

※ A podcast with Colleen Kinder about her book Letter to a Stranger on Travel Writing World ※ A podcast with Jess Vincent about The Best British Travel Writing of the 21st Century on Travel Writing World ※ An author profile of Christopher Somerville on Travel Writing World ※ A few “postcards” from France and Florida (Postcards Newsletter) on my website ※ A comment on (and a translation of) Sergio Larrain’s letter to his nephew on my website

The roundup

✈️ The Stanfords Travel Writing Festival is back (and so is the Destinations Travel Festival).

🏆 The 2021 NATJA travel writing awards have been announced.

☀️ Solas announced its 2022 travel writing winners.

🗺 Stanford’s book of the month is Everest 1922 by Mick Conefrey. They also have a few of in-person author talks scheduled for this month.

🐪 Ryan Murdock speaks with Sophie Haydock about Egon Schiele and fin-de-siècle Vienna on the Personal Landscapes Podcast.

↪️ Rolf Potts also speaks with Colleen Kinder on his podcast Deviate.

👂 Jo Frances Penn speaks with Liz Alden about sailing around the world on her Books and Travel Podcast.

🧭 Tim Leffel writes about travel blogging and how NOT to pitch an editor on Travel Writing 2.0.

📚 Michel Kerr reports on Elands’ 40th anniversary on Deskbound Traveller.

📕 Tatler asks, Eland Books at 40: is this publishing’s best kept secret?

🥇 Cal Flyn wins the £10,000 Young Writer of the Year prize.

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Scotland’s Highland Book Prize Names Its 2022 Shortlist.

✍️ Apply for a writing residency at the Bothy Project until April 10.

🐦 This funny tweet about the “types of travel stories” has me laughing.

📸 The Grolier Club in NY has a photography exhibit showcasing the work of Thesiger through May 14, 2022.

🇮🇶 On meeting one of Thesiger’s guides: On The Marsh Guide and the English Explorer.

🌹 Jen Rose Smith reports on guidebook sales.

🦠 NPD says Travel Book Sales Take Off Again as COVID-19 Fears Subside and here.

🧳 Sara Wheeler reviews Benedict Allen’s Explorer.

🇮🇱🇵🇸 Ian Black reviews Nine Quarters of Jerusalem by Matthew Teller.

📝 Wanderlust’s way-too-early “best travel books of 2022.”

📝 Nat Geo’s way-too-early Nine of the best travel books for 2022.

👩 Ten of the Best Travel Books Written by Women.

🌀 Bad Trip? What I Learned from Meeting Paul Theroux.

🇨🇦 Paul Theroux in Canada: back to his roots in Quebec and New Brunswick.

👩‍🍳 How to get your [travel] cookbook published, per Penguin.

📷 Slideshow: Winners of the 2021 World Nature Photography Awards.

🦵 Novelist Brandon Sanderson raised $15 million in one day for his four “secret novels,” the tally currently sits at over $40 million.

🥇 The 2022 International Booker Prize longlist has been announced.

🧾 Waterstones acquires Blackwell’s, the UK’s biggest independent bookseller.

💰 S&S Sales Neared $1 Billion in 2021.

💵 Houghton Mifflin Harcourt to be Acquired by Veritas Capital, which may help us understand the fall of the Best American Travel Writing series.

🍄 A new literary agency (Portobello) is seeking submissions, and travel titles are on their list.

🇳🇿 The 2022 Herald Travel writing competition closes on April 8.

Books received (bought and/or gifted)

🇮🇷 Rebecca Lowe, Slow Road to Tehran. 🏝 Marcia DeSanctis, A Hard Place to Leave. ✈️ Nathan James Thomas, Travel Your Way. 🇯🇵 Brendon David, The Murmur & Echo. 🇹🇭 Christopher Wise, Thai / Life / Style.