Tom Bamforth: The new frontiers of travel writing

Is the phrase ‘politically engaged travel writing’ an oxymoron? You might be forgiven for believing so, with travel sections in many newspapers increasingly focused on massage retreats, wine tourism and exotic cuisine.

However Tom Bamforth thinks travel writing can do so much more than that. He believes literary travel writing that embraces context, complexity and contradiction can bring attention to parts of the world that urgently need it. Tom has worked in Pakistan, Sudan, the Philippines and the Pacific in emergency relief and disaster risk education programs. Can travel writing encourage audiences to engage with issues that might seem peripheral, but have global ramifications?

Join Tom for a discussion of the most challenging frontiers of this fascinating form of non-fiction.