Writing about people, places, journeys.

  • “Real travel writers seem increasingly few. It’s wonderful to hear such a fine new voice.”

    — Colin Thubron

I’m a Sunday Times bestselling author and journalist interested in literary non-fiction, history and travel writing. I’m drawn to counter-narratives in difficult places — enigmatic stories with complex nuances that require immersive, on-the-ground reporting.

A passion for stories in overlooked parts of the world.

  • “I’ve never read anything like it... she finds a completely new sound in an over-travelled world.”

    — NDR Radio, Germany

I’m published by Penguin in the UK, and Grove Atlantic in the US. My first book, The Lost Pianos of Siberia was a Times, Sunday Times, Spectator, Independent and i-Paper Book of 2020, and went on to be translated into eight languages.

My second book, A Training School for Elephants (2025) was an instant Sunday Times bestseller, and an FT Book of the Year. It was shortlisted for the Wainwright Prize for conservation writing, and won the Stanfords Travel Book of the Year 2026. Foreign language rights have been bought in Italian, German, Danish, Spanish, Portuguese and Dutch.

A journalistic approach to narrative storytelling.

  • “An author of courage, patience, erudition, and a sympathetic imagination.”

    — Dervla Murphy

I studied at Oxford University, where I received a double first in English literature, and an MSt in creative writing. I completed my masters in journalism at Columbia University in New York. I also hold a postgraduate diploma in photojournalism from UCL, London.

I started my writing career as a researcher for Jessica Mitford — one of the five ‘Mitford sisters’ and author of The American Way of Death. I worked as editor-at-large for Condé Nast Traveler (US and UK editions), special correspondent for Departures, travel editor for The Economist 1843, and as a columnist for the Financial Times HTSImagazine.

I now balance book writing with freelance journalism for the New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Guardian, Bloomberg, the TLS, and FT Weekend. I shoot stories, as well as write them, including cover features. My articles have been shortlisted by the Foreign Press Awards, the British Press Awards, and NATJA in the US. I also review books, for the TLS, Wall Street Journal, and Sunday Times.

In 2023, I launched a podcast on the art of travel, Gone to Timbuktu. The podcast is now in its fourth series, with interview guests including major authors, filmmakers and photographers, from Lyse Doucet to Don McCullin.

A love of adventure, nature and collaboration.

  • “A story full of extraordinary adventures.”

    — El Pais, Spain

I have a particular interest in artist collaborations. I’ve worked for many years with photographer Michael Turek on magazine and newspaper assignments as well as book and exhibition projects, with stories in The Paris Review, New York Times and others. Some of that work has won awards: ‘A Complicated Romance’, published by Sidetracked (Communication Arts, 2026); a month-long book and photo exhibition, ‘An Elephant Never Forgets’, at Foyles, London (American Photography 42, 2026); and ‘20 Years Later, Iraq, ‘ published in The Financial Times (Communication Arts 2024)

I’ve also worked for the last 10 years with Tom Parker, on an ongoing project sponsored by The Safarious Fund about critical elephant conservation work, in South Sudan, the DRC, and Ethiopia, as well as Southern Africa. This has so far resulted in a gallery show at Le Blanc in New York, as well as articles in The Guardian and other publications worldwide.

Podcasting and teaching in pursuit of fresh ideas.

  • “How she remembers everyone’s stories and engages with everyone on their level is a talent.“

    — Student, Arvon Masterclass

I teach occasional masterclasses and workshops. I’ve contributed to creative writing courses at both Oxford and Cambridge Universities, and am a regular teacher of non-fiction at Arvon. Once a year I co-lead a photography and travel writing residential workshop at Edmund Hillary’s favourite home in the Himalayas, The Happy House in Nepal.