Travel has inspired some of the greatest novels of all time. Here are just some of our favourites.
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The Great Railway Bazaar by Paul Theroux
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One of the finest travel writers, Theroux's debut novel, published in 1975, recalls his four-month journey from Europe, through the Middle East and into Asia by train. From the iconic rail lines of India and the famous Trans-Siberian Railway to more obscure routes through Iran and Myanmar, Theroux writes of the places he visits and the people he meets along the way in this travel literature classic.
The Shadow of the Sun by Ryszard Kapuscinski
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Kapuscinski was a foreign correspondent in Africa for close to 30 years. The Shadow of the Sun records the end of colonial rule throughout the continent, from Nigeria to Rwanda. During his time in Africa, Kapuscinski immersed himself in the places he visited, living in slums, wrestling snakes and surviving malaria. A fascinating and unique novel, full of vivid description and astute observations, The Shadow of the Sun offers an insight to various groups of people, cultures and politics around the African continent.
The Beach by Alex Garland
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An iconic travel novel (though Garland describes it as 'anti-traveller in a lot of ways'), its popularity boosted by the film adaptation starring Leonardo DiCaprio, The Beach is responsible for encouraging a boom of backpackers heading to Thailand's beautiful Koh Phi Phi and the surrounding islands. The novel follows a British backpacker who seeks an untouched paradise. Although the story is based in Thailand, a destination which Garland thought more suited the tale of escapism and his characters, the location itself is based on the shores of El Nido in Palawan.
Homage to Catalonia by George Orwell
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Published in 1938, Orwell's account of Barcelona during the Spanish Civil War - in which he fought until a bullet through the throat sent him back home to Britain - is unforgettable. His writing is both political and autobiographical, as well as being tragically prophetic: upon reaching England, Orwell wrote that the country seemed to be 'sleeping' through the growing tension in Europe and he feared 'we shall never wake till we are jerked out of it by the roar of bombs'.
Notes From a Small Island by Bill Bryson
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Bryson's travel writing is light-hearted and humorous. This novel centres on
The Great Railway Bazaar by Paul Theroux
One of the finest travel writers, Theroux's debut novel, published in 1975, recalls his four-month journey from Europe, through the Middle East and into Asia by train. From the iconic rail lines of India and the famous Trans-Siberian Railway to more obscure routes through Iran and Myanmar, Theroux writes of the places he visits and the people he meets along the way in this travel literature classic.
The Shadow of the Sun by Ryszard Kapuscinski
Kapuscinski was a foreign correspondent in Africa for close to 30 years. The Shadow of the Sun records the end of colonial rule throughout the continent, from Nigeria to Rwanda. During his time in Africa, Kapuscinski immersed himself in the places he visited, living in slums, wrestling snakes and surviving malaria. A fascinating and unique novel, full of vivid description and astute observations, The Shadow of the Sun offers an insight to various groups of people, cultures and politics around the African continent.
The Beach by Alex Garland
An iconic travel novel (though Garland describes it as 'anti-traveller in a lot of ways'), its popularity boosted by the film adaptation starring Leonardo DiCaprio, The Beach is responsible for encouraging a boom of backpackers heading to Thailand's beautiful Koh Phi Phi and the surrounding islands. The novel follows a British backpacker who seeks an untouched paradise. Although the story is based in Thailand, a destination which Garland thought more suited the tale of escapism and his characters, the location itself is based on the shores of El Nido in Palawan.
Homage to Catalonia by George Orwell
Published in 1938, Orwell's account of Barcelona during the Spanish Civil War - in which he fought until a bullet through the throat sent him back home to Britain - is unforgettable. His writing is both political and autobiographical, as well as being tragically prophetic: upon reaching England, Orwell wrote that the country seemed to be 'sleeping' through the growing tension in Europe and he feared 'we shall never wake till we are jerked out of it by the roar of bombs'.
Notes From a Small Island by Bill Bryson
Bryson's travel writing is light-hearted and humorous. This novel centres on