Gone To Timbuktu

Sophy Roberts

'Gone To Timbuktu', hosted by the bestselling author and journalist Sophy Roberts, explores the art of travel with writers, poets, photographers and filmmakers. Conversations range from physical journeys to inner landscapes, creative influences and new ideas.

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36 episodes
Updated April 24

Episodes36

Newest first

Mar 20, 2025 · 40 min
Series 2 Ep 4: Noreen Masud
Short bio: Writer Noreen Masud discusses her book, A Flat Place, delving into how level landscapes – from Pakistan to England's Suffolk coast — can echo the psychology of complex trauma.
Mar 6, 2025 · 37 min
Series 2 Ep 3: James Rebanks
James Rebanks, a farmer and Sunday Times-bestselling writer from the Lake District, discusses his new book, The Place of Tides, revealing a moving story of courage and determination on a remote Norwegian island.
Feb 20, 2025 · 57 min
Series 2 Ep 2: Jeff Young
Jeff Young, a Liverpudlian writer for screen, stage and radio, discusses his recent book, Wild Twin, and paints a moving portrait of memories gained and lost. He highlights the vibrant influence of a host of artistic and musical giants, from Joseph Cornell to David Bowie and Werner Herzog.
Feb 6, 2025 · 1 hr 15 min
Series 2 Ep 1: Paul Theroux
The American novelist and travel writer Paul Theroux discusses his latest book, Burma Sahib — and describes a life spent on the move from Myanmar, to Malawi, to Mexico. He unpicks the evolution of travel writing, his friendship with Bruce Chatwin, and how age has changed his work.
Jun 23, 2023 · 28 min
Ep 12: Jon Lee Anderson
Sophy Roberts in conversation with author and journalist Jon Lee Anderson about his life of reportage, from Central America to Liberia to singing to reindeer in Alaska.
Jun 9, 2023 · 40 min
Ep 11: Laura Beatty
Author Laura Beatty discusses her book, Looking for Theophrastus, delving into Greece, the interconnectedness of space and time, the concept of wonder, and why we should care about someone who lived 2,400 years ago.
May 26, 2023 · 33 min
Ep 10: Michael Turek
The British-American photographer Michael Turek returns to his roots in the Yorkshire Dales, discussing the influences that shape his work. He talks about the photographer-writer collaboration that he and Sophy have built, taking them from Siberia to Tajikistan and more.
May 12, 2023 · 35 min
Ep 9: Leon McCarron
Leon McCarron discusses his epic source-to-sea river journey through Turkey, Syria and Iraq. He unravels what deep history, beauty and ecological collapse really look like on the River Tigris.
Apr 28, 2023 · 34 min
Ep 8: Don McCullin
The 87-year-old British photojournalist talks about the travels, writers and images that have given him respite from the brutality of war. He paints a vivid picture of India, Turkey, Greece, North Africa, Syria and the healing power of the Somerset Levels.
Apr 14, 2023 · 42 min
Ep 7: Tharik Hussain
Tharik discusses his award-winning book, Minarets in the Mountains — documenting a road-trip through six European countries — the decolonisation of travel writing, and the rich Islamic traditions still kept alive in a region much ignored.
Mar 31, 2023 · 36 min
Ep 6: Gail Simmons
The British author talks about her latest book, Between the Chalk and the Sea — a stunningly evoked pilgrimage that feels both ancient and new, with the conversation running from Chaucer's Wife of Bath to finding relevance in travel close to home.
Mar 17, 2023 · 39 min
Ep 5: Levison Wood
The ex-paratrooper, author and TV personality talks about how he covers so much ground, physically and creatively, with the publication of his eleventh book. He unpicks the role of a modern-day explorer, taking us from the desert to the Hindu Kush.
Mar 3, 2023 · 41 min
Ep 4: Cal Flyn
Cal Flyn talks about her awardwinning book, Islands of Abandonment: Life in the Post-Human Landscape. This episode takes us on a fascinating journey from the nuclear wasteland of Chernobyl to California's Salton Sea, investigating the ecology and psychology of abandoned places.
Feb 16, 2023 · 36 min
Ep 3: Taran Khan
The idea of a foreign woman walking alone in Afghanistan might seem a world away from current events — but it's what makes Taran's book, Shadow City, urgent reading. Sophy and Taran meet up in Delhi's Aerocity to talk about breaking stereotypes.
Feb 3, 2023 · 43 min
Ep 2: Colin Thubron
In his 80th year, one of the most important travel writers of our time journeys along the Amur River — 1,100 miles, much of it on the China-Russia border. Sophy and Colin talk about their obsession with remote Siberia, and how to avoid (or avert) the gaze of the FSB.
Jan 5, 2023 · 37 min
Ep 1: Anthony Sattin
The British writer and broadcaster Anthony Sattin discusses his new book, Nomads: The Wanderers Who Shaped Our World — a Sunday Times book of 2022 — and draws a curious link between travellers and ADHD.