The Amur River by Colin Thubron in pictures

Rising in the Mongolian mountains and flowing through Siberia to the Pacific, the Amur River forms the tense border between Russia and China. This is the most densely fortified frontier on Earth.

In his eightieth year, Colin Thubron takes a dramatic and often treacherous journey from the Amur’s secret source to its giant mouth, covering almost 3,000 miles. Harassed by injury and by arrest from the local police, he makes his way along both the Russian and Chinese shores. By the time he reaches the river’s desolate end, a whole, pivotal world has come alive.

To celebrate the paperback launch of the 2022 Stanford Dolman winning The Amur River by Colin Thubron here are some photographs taken on the journey.

Continue reading The Amur River by Colin Thubron in pictures

Book of the Month: Exiles

Our Book of the Month for May 2022 is Exiles: Three Island Journeys by William Atkins.

A luminous exploration of exile – the people who have experienced it, and the places they inhabit – from the Stanford Dolman award-winning travel writer and author of The Immeasurable World and The Moor.

This is the story of three unheralded nineteenth-century dissidents, whose lives were profoundly shaped by the winds of empire, nationalism and autocracy that continue to blow strongly today: Louise Michel, a leader of the radical socialist government known as the Paris Commune; Dinuzulu kaCetshwayo, an enemy of British colonialism in Zululand; and Lev Shternberg, a militant campaigner against Russian tsarism.

Continue reading Book of the Month: Exiles

Stanford Dolman Travel Book of the Year Shortlist

Launched in 2015, the Edward Stanford Travel Writing Awards (ESTWA) seek to celebrate the best travel writing, and travel writers, in the world.

Titles have been shortlisted for the Stanford Dolman Travel Book of the Year in association with the Authors’ Club for their innovative and/or literary merit with content which is relevant, useful or inspiring to travellers.

Continue reading Stanford Dolman Travel Book of the Year Shortlist

Julian Sayarer, Interstate // Stanfords Travel Writers Festival

Julian Sayarer, the winner of the Stanford Dolman Travel Book of the Year, announced last night (Thursday 2nd February), takes to the stage to discuss his award-winning book Interstate: Hitchhiking Through the State of a Nation with Paul Blezard. Continue reading Julian Sayarer, Interstate // Stanfords Travel Writers Festival

The Stanford Dolman Travel Book of the Year Shortlist Announced

The shortlist for the Stanford Dolman Travel Book of the Year in association with the Authors’ Club was announced last night at the National Liberal Club in London.

Here are the six shortlisted books: Continue reading The Stanford Dolman Travel Book of the Year Shortlist Announced