As a travel writer, Annabelle Thorpe has seen some impressive sights. When she’s not writing up her travels for national newspapers, she’s pouring them into her novels.
We spoke to Annabelle to see how she combines travel and fiction.
Is it an adjustment changing between writing fiction and non-fiction?
It’s a huge adjustment, rather like being set free! With non-fiction and journalism you’re always bound by facts, so there’s a limit to how creative you can be. With fiction, it’s all about your imagination; you create characters, give them words, set up their lives, tell their stories. It uses a different part of your brain. We use our imagination so much as children and then it almost melts away in adulthood. It’s wonderful to get that muscle working again.
Your novels are set abroad – have your travels influenced the kind of stories you like to tell?
Very much so. Travel is such a gift; it gives us the chance to peer into other cultures, get a glimpse of how other countries live – their attitudes, beliefs and ways of being. In my books I try to really get under the skin of the destination I’m writing about – I do a lot of research, so that I can write a realistic portrait of a country, the good and the bad sides.
Would you ever write something set in the UK – or in Ditchling itself?
I know there have been books written about Ditchling – and there’s certainly plenty going on! But for me, it’s travel that really fires up my creativity; twenty-five years as a travel journalist has made me a very descriptive writer. I want to transport my readers somewhere different, really immerse them in another country and culture. I may set something in the UK one day, but there’s a lot of other countries I want to write about first!
You have an impressive writing and travel portfolio. Is there a place you’ve visited that has left a lasting impression on you?
So many places! There are very few places I go that I wouldn’t go back to and explore further. India was extraordinary; it’s everything people say and more – intense, chaotic, vibrant, beautiful – the Taj Mahal is the only building that has ever moved me to tears. It’s so iconic, but it has a very particular atmosphere too, an extraordinary beautiful monument to love and grief. I’d also have to say Japan – such welcoming, kind people and a culture that is entirely different to ours on almost every level. That sense of feeling like you’ve been transported to another planet and you have to find your way – that’s real travelling for me.
Is there a piece you’re most proud of writing?
I wrote the eulogy for my Mum’s funeral. It was the most difficult thing I’ve ever written; and I have a big family, so it had to be something everyone was happy with. I still think about my sister reading out the words I had written; she read it so beautifully. I don’t think I’ll ever write anything that means quite as much.
Who are your creative inspirations?
I’ve always liked to read books set abroad, so the writers I aspire to be like are those who are almost artistic in their writing; transporting you to the place they are writing about. Khaled Hosseini, who wrote The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns (my all-time favourite book) combines an incredible sense of place, wonderful characters and moments of great beauty alongside heart-breaking stories. Ben Okri, too, is a writing genius in my book.
What was the last great book you read?
Two spring to mind; Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo which was an absolute masterclass in writing. She conjures up unique but totally believable female characters in a series of contemporary short stories that just left me in awe of her talent. And then, Away with the Penguins by Hazel Prior. A very different kind of book, a very light, easy read, but such a wonderful, quirky story – the perfect holiday read.
What’s next on the literary horizon for you?
My third book, An Independent Woman, is coming out next year – hopefully late Spring, which is hugely exciting. It’s set in Italy in the Second World War and tells the story of two families, the Capaldis and the di Lucas, and what happens to them after Italy signs the armistice and the country descends into a kind of civil war. The war in Italy is far less known about than the German side of things, so it’s been fascinating to research – and writing about Italy is always fun – so much good food and gorgeous landscapes. There’s set to be a sequel too, so I’m in it for the long-haul!