Events, Festivals and Workshops
I regularly speak at bookshops and literary festivals both in the UK and internationally, most recently talking at the Jaipur Literature Festival, the Dénia Festival of the Humanities in Spain, and the Festival of the Century in Aarhus, Denmark.
I’m a fluent interviewer and panel moderator. Recent engagements have included the Royal Geographical Society, American Express, Time Inc, the FT Weekend Festival, and How To Academy.
I speak about travel and literature for live and recorded radio and TV interviews, including the BBC, Times Radio, Economist, Tortoise, and NPR. My solo book talks are always supported by substantial photography and film gathered in my field reporting.
I teach non-fiction travel writing twice a year, at Arvon in the UK, and at the Happy House in Solukhumbu in Eastern Nepal.
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FT Weekend Festival, London
06.09.2025
This illustrated talk at the FT’s much-loved festival at Kenwood House will include photography from my travels in Myanmar, Iraq, India, Tanzania, DR Congo and South Sudan to help tell the story behind A Training School For Elephants.
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Arvon Residential Writing Course, Devon
22.09.2025 – 27.09.2025
I’ll be co-leading this residential writing week at Totleigh Barton with award-winning writer, Rory Maclean. We’ll focus on transforming travel experiences into compelling writing. Open to all levels.
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Royal Geographical Society, London
29.09.2025
In this Monday night lecture, I’ll connect ‘lost’ dots held in the archives of this institution, some unusual 19th-century history of European exploration in East and Central Africa, and my Sunday Times bestselling book, A Training School for Elephants. The talk will include photography, maps and archive film.
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Wells Festival of Literature, Somerset
18.10.25
This illustrated talk will feature more than 20 archive images and contemporary photographs that expand themes from my book, A Training School for Elephants, including colonial history, African travels, and how we treat animals, then and now. I will also be sharing some rare film footage.
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Kendal Mountain Festival, Cumbria
22.10.2025
At this iconic festival in Cumbria, I’ll be talking about my new book, A Training School for Elephants, with BTS footage from the various journeys I made to research it, in Iraq, DRC, Tanzania and India. I’m looking forward to discussing the genre of travel writing (and its limitations) in conversation with author and environmentalist, Kate Rawles.
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Bridport Literary Festival, Dorset
07.11.2025
This talk about A Training School for Elephants is a highlight for me this year: Bridport is my home town. I’ll be bringing my travels to life with behind-the-scenes video, audio, and photography from Iraq, Ireland, Tanzania, DRC and Ireland. This event will be held at Bridport’s Electric Palace at 4pm.
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Writing and Photography Workshop, Nepal
08.04.2026 – 18.04.2026
After a sell-out inaugural workshop in spring 2025, we’re offering a second travel writing and film photography retreat in Nepal, co-led by my colleague, Michael Turek. Our base will be The Happy House east of Mount Everest, with an optional extension to Upper Mustang.
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The Travellers Club, London
19.01.2026
This Monday night lecture at The Travellers Club in London will combine storytelling from my two books: The Lost Pianos of Siberia (2020), and A Training School for Elephants (2025). I’ll talk about how I approach travel writing, weaving my journeys with a narrative arc driven by historical events.