Walking in the Footsteps Of… : Stanfords Travel Writers Festival

How often have you read a travel book and thought about how you would love to recreate that journey? Well these three authors did just that and even turned those journeys into books of their own. Join us as Paul Blezard talks to Jacki Hill-Murphy who has followed the footsteps of a number of early female explorers and adventurers, Alastair Humphreys who busked his way around Spain with a violin he could barely play inspired by Laurie Lee’s As I Walked Out One Midsummer Morning and Ben Aitken who retraced Bill Bryson’s journey from Notes from a Small Island.

The authors also read extracts from their books.

The Extraordinary Tale of Kate Marsden and my Journey Across Siberia in her Footsteps by Jacki Hill-Murphy

Adventuresses Rediscovering Daring Voyages into the Unknown by Jacki Hill-Murphy

My Midsummer Morning by Alastair Humphreys

Dear Bill Bryson by Ben Aitken

5 top animal guests on the Royal Institution’s Christmas Lectures, by Helen Scales

The Royal Institution Christmas Lectures are perhaps best known for the noisy, messy physics and chemistry experiments, performed to demonstrate aspects of cutting edge-science in front of an eager, young audience. In years when the lecturer’s chosen subject is biology – in particular the science of the natural world – these demonstrations often take on a distinctly wilder tone, as menageries of living animals are welcomed into the RI’s world famous lecture theatre.
I delved into the last century of the RI’s biological Christmas Lectures for my book 11 Explorations into Life on Earth, and here’s my pick of the most delightful, intriguing and tricky animal assistants. Continue reading 5 top animal guests on the Royal Institution’s Christmas Lectures, by Helen Scales

Events this autumn at the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG)

The Royal Geographical Society’s programme of events this autumn includes something for everyone, with a wide range of talks, discussions and exhibitions at venues across the UK. Continue reading Events this autumn at the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG)

Adventures in paradise with Benedict Allen

With his usual good humour and enthusiasm, Benedict Allen is on the road this summer for the Society’s Regional Theatres Programme. Continue reading Adventures in paradise with Benedict Allen

Be More Adventuress this International Women’s Day

Whether it’s exploring new territories, sailing around the world, cycling across continents, or immersing themselves in a different culture, we’ve been seriously inspired by the women writers whose books have graced our shelves.

And it’s not just the writers. Since opening in 1853 we have heard some amazing stories of the adventures our female customers have been on. We even have a letter from Florence Nightingale thanking Stanfords for a mounted map. Continue reading Be More Adventuress this International Women’s Day

Across the Arctic Ocean photo gallery & win a Rab Kitbag

Huw Lewis Jones new book offers a fascinating insight into Wally Herbert’s Arctic adventure – PLUS there’s a chance to win a Rab Kitbag worth £90, for your own expedition! Continue reading Across the Arctic Ocean photo gallery & win a Rab Kitbag

Stanfords announces line-up for Stanfords Travel Writers Festival

Stanfords is delighted to announce that Kate Adie, Simon Armitage, Ned Boulting, Frank Gardner, Tristram Hunt, Griff Rhys Jones, Tim Moore, Richard Parks, Simon Reeve, Chris Stewart and Levison Wood will headline a superb array of talented authors at the Stanfords Travel Writers Festival 2015.

The festival will be held in a purpose built auditorium at the Destinations Show 2015, and will be a unique opportunity for visitors to meet well known explorers, adventurers, food writers, poets, TV presenters, journalists, politicians, and comedians.

Alongside the auditorium there will be a ‘Signings At Stanfords’ shop where visitors will be able to purchase copies of the author’s books and have them personally signed and dedicated. The signing area will be complimented by the Stanfords Shop selling guidebooks, travel literature and accessories.

Stanfords Managing Director, Tony Maher, said: “We are delighted to present such a prodigious array of authors at the first ever Stanfords Travel Writers Festival. I would especially like to thank Jo James for her energy and input, publishers for their show of support, and Clarion Events for their continued help in making this dream become a reality. The programme line-up ensures that the festival will be a huge draw for travel connoisseurs and enthusiasts alike and will further underline Stanfords’ position as the market leader in the retail of travel books, maps and related product”.

Jo James, who is working with Stanfords to develop the programme and look after authors during the event said: “I’m delighted by the amazing response and support from publishers, and of course our experts and speakers. The Writers Festival will be the big attraction for visitors at Destinations 2015, promising a jam-packed programme of travel writing talent”.

Sam North, Show Director, Destinations Show, said: “The line-up for the Stanfords Travel Writers Festival is truly fantastic and will provide show visitors with a unique insight in to the authors stories, experiences and expertise. We are incredibly proud to be hosting the Festival at Destinations, the UK’s number one consumer travel event and look forward to welcoming the authors to the show”.

Further announcements will be made on the Destinations Show Website. The current line-up of speakers at the Stanfords Travel Writers Festival is available to view at http://destinationsshow.com/london/stanfords-festival-line-up

Entrance to the Travel Writers Festival is included in the ticket price for Destinations.

About Stanfords

Edward Stanford Limited was founded in 1853 and located at Charing Cross Road in London. In 1901 the Company moved to its current flagship location in Long Acre, Covent Garden.

Famed throughout the World as a publisher of maps, Stanfords expanded into retail following the move to Covent Garden. To this day Stanfords stocks the largest range of maps in the World, as well as travel guides, a large selection of globes and furniture, and other travel related product. It has a further shop in Bristol, a website and a specialist Business Mapping Service based in Manchester. Edward Stanford Limited is a wholly owned subsidiary of Edward Stanford Group Limited.

Read more about Stanfords at www.stanfords.co.uk/The-History-of-Stanfords.htm

About Destinations: The Holiday & Travel Show

The Times presents Destinations: The Holiday & Travel Show, Olympia London, is the UK’s biggest and longest running consumer travel exhibition, due to celebrate its 21st year in 2015. Organised by Clarion Events and with over 300 exhibitors and more than 37,000 visitors attending, the show is the perfect place for those passionate about travel to indulge themselves, be inspired and book their next holiday. The show’s sister-event, held in Manchester each January, is the North’s biggest travel show and will be held for the 4th year in 2015 at EventCity.

Stanfords Travel Writers Festival – Essential Information:

Taking place within Destinations: The Holiday & Travel Show

Dates: 29^th January – 1^st February 2015

Venue: Olympia Grand, Olympia London Hammersmith Road, London, W14 8UX

Open times: 10.00am – 5.30pm every day

Ticket price: Entry is included in the ticket price for the Destinations Show

– Advance Adult Ticket: £11

– On-the-door Adult Ticket: £13

– Children under 12 go free when accompanied by an adult ticket-holder

Festival information: http://www.destinationsshow.com/london/stanfords-travel-writers-festival-new

Festival line-up: http://destinationsshow.com/london/stanfords-festival-line-up

Destinations Show website: http://destinationsshow.com/london/

Stanfords website: http://www.stanfords.co.uk/

Steve McCurry Untold: The Stories Behind the Photographs

We were delighted to have a visit today from world reknowned photojournalist Steve McCurry. Steve called into our Long Acre store this afternoon to sign copies of his latest book ‘Steve McCurry Untold: The Stories Behind the Photographs‘. Buy your signed copy today!

For the first time,we hear the stories behind over 200 images taken by McCurry over the past 30 years from across the globe.

In the finest documentary tradition, Steve McCurry Untold includes never before seen ephemera from McCurry’s personal archive, including beautifully reproduced snapshots from assignments, notes, journals, portraits, maps and more. This is the most personal book that McCurry has ever published, and offers a unique insight into photojournalism sure to fascinate any aspiring or experienced photographer. Continue reading Steve McCurry Untold: The Stories Behind the Photographs

Adventures Start at Stanfords – Competition!

Share your greatest adventure with us to be in with a chance to win 1 of 4 Stanfords vouchers for £50.

With 160 years of experience behind us we’ve seen some epic adventures start here at Stanfords. Great explorers like Ranulph Fiennes, Amy Johnson, David Livingstone, Michael Palin, Captain Robert Falcon Scott and Ernest Shackleton have started some of their most incredible journeys with a trip to our Long Acre store. We are proud to have supplied them with the maps they needed to make history but we’re equally delighted to have guided so many of our other customers around the globe many times over the past 160 years. Continue reading Adventures Start at Stanfords – Competition!

Interview: Michael Palin on Brazil

He’s trekked to the North and South Poles, traversed the Sahara Desert and climbed the Himalayas. But despite visiting all seven continents, there was one glaring omission on Michael Palin’s visited-countries map: Brazil. So why had it slipped through the net for so long?

“I can’t think how I managed to miss the fifth-biggest country in the world,” Michael says, “and I wasn’t really planning to do another series after New Europe. We’d done all seven continents and thought that was a fair place to stop. But then everybody started talking about Brazil, partly because the World Cup is going to be there in 2014 and the Olympics in 2016, then there’s the huge economic boom that has put its economy above the UK’s.”

Brazil was fast becoming one of the most talked-about countries in the world, but what provided the spark for the comedian-turned-explorer’s latest trip, one that would inspire a book and a four-part BBC TV series? Continue reading Interview: Michael Palin on Brazil