Journey to the Sea edited by Sarah Brown published by Ebury Press

Journey to the Sea is an inspired collection of short stories and travel writing. Alexander McCall Smith’s Bangkok, Ruth Rendell’s South America and Joanne Harris’ Blackpool surface in an eclectic fusion of fact and new fiction from 22 writers. A definitive sense of place, from Long Island to the west coast of Scotland, allows the reader to experience ‘the sun, the wind, the waves’ of Andrew Motion’s introductory poem. Tracy Edwards and Robin Knox-Johnson recall their adventures and surfers express their passion riding the waves. I particularly liked Libby Purves’ bitter-sweet story, set at the local leisure centre, and Gervase Phinn’s charming story of a retiring school teacher inspired by a traveller pupil’s gift for creative writing. This is the discerning reader’s ideal ‘holiday read’, admirably suited to armchair adventurers as well. £1 from each copy will raise funds for PiggyBankKids/Special Olympics Great Britain.

(Originally published in The Good Book Guide)