American travel writing is very healthy. I'm always flicking through the reviews and I see plenty of travel writing - and an impressive line up and continual demand. John Gimlette More Quotes by John Gimlette More Quotes From John Gimlette There is a whole genre of funny travel writers - that's very popular. There's Bill Bryson and people who follow that route and sell travel writing through making people laugh. It's a very difficult group to take. The line between comedy and mockery is sometimes a bit thin. John Gimlette writing laughing people I don't want to pay good money to hear ordinary people's lunatic views. Most of the people who phone in are [lunatics] - certainly in Britain. John Gimlette phones views people I was talking to my publisher in Britain and was told here we are - we are sixty million people and we reckon only four hundred thousand people in Britain really read. John Gimlette four talking people I wonder if this reason is partly geographical, that talk radio is so much more successful in North America than in Britain? People who are very remote - I'm thinking of Newfoundland - feel very connected though the radio. John Gimlette successful america thinking Radio is very popular [in Britain], but it doesn't connect us in the same way. It seems to have this community function. John Gimlette radio community way There are 60 million of us [britains] crammed into an area the size of a state. So you don't have that feeling of remoteness at all, ever. And that's reflected in the way our media works, and so on. John Gimlette media feelings way I often think I would like to come even closer to home and write about somewhere like Wales, for example - which we in England tend to be a little snooty about. That's where the coal comes from and that sort of thing. John Gimlette home writing thinking A lot of books are sold and given away as presents. But who actually reads and enjoy reading? John Gimlette given reading book I was writing the Paraguay book, a Paragauyan told me that only five thousand people in Paraguay read. John Gimlette writing book people India, to some extent, courses through my blood. My father was brought up there, and my grandfather served there, and so on. We have a very strong family affinity for the place. John Gimlette strong father blood I'd like to write fiction. Perhaps at some stage. John Gimlette stage writing fiction I feel better off doing what I know how to do. I feel a strong element of fictional style in travel writing anyway. Some call it creative nonfiction. John Gimlette feel-better strong writing I think one should express opinions and these books are relatively opinionated. They would be a bit dry without it. John Gimlette would-be book thinking I have dipped into Ian McEwan and so on. I tend not to stick with one writer. But I dip in here and there. John Gimlette dip here-and-there sticks One does have to learn to travel with a degree of humility and that reflected in writing and personality. John Gimlette humility personality writing I realize how much [Mark] Twain fabricated things. I like it very much, but it's only half true. And it shows what he was trying to do, which was just entertain. Which he does very successfully, though the humor is almost dated now. John Gimlette half doe trying I am always surprised when people do get upset. Perhaps its just the nutty people who write to newspapers who get upset. John Gimlette upset writing people I find the public reaction to writing - it's fascinating in this modern age. Of course people are able to interact with me and email me, and I get quite a few I suppose. John Gimlette age writing people What's fascinating is where they come from in the world. People in Bangladesh, a chap in a fire-base in Tikrit in Iraq. Chap in an Irish pub in Dublin. And lovely to think this literary network - or rather network of readers - is well spread out. John Gimlette iraq fire thinking I would love to write a book that opens people's eyes to the more interesting side. John Gimlette eye writing book
