Ben Aitken: Author Profile

by Travel Writing World
Ben Aitken

Ben Aitken stops by Travel Writing World again to answer a few questions about his career as a writer. He is the author of several books, including the recent The Gran Tour: Travels with My Elders (Icon Books 2020).


How did you first become interested in writing travel books?

I noticed the postcards I was sending home were getting longer and longer. 

How did you manage to get your first travel book published?

I published it myself.

What is your writing process like, both on the road and at home? And how long does it take you to write a book inclusive of the research, travel, writing, and editing phases?

On the road I try to write every day, in bits, as and when, but as fully and cleanly as I can manage. I hate it when I’m at my desk or wherever and I take out some notes, written months or weeks before, and they mean practically nothing to me. Example: “April 12. Munich. Pistachio. Hellbent. Awkward currywurst. Moon landing.” Because I try to write fully and amply on the road, writing at home is more like editing — with some nipping and squashing and bolstering and so on. How long to write a book? First one was two years, the second was two years, and the third was about nine months. 

What books or authors influence or inform your own work?

J. B. Priestley’s English Journey. Geoff Dyer gives me things to think about. But if I’m honest, I don’t read much travel writing. 

What advice would you give to someone interested in writing a travel book?

Just write it.

What is so appealing about the travel book as a literary form?

As a writer, it appeals because you get to travel. And you don’t have to worry about plot. 

Why write about travel?

See above.


Ben Aitken stops by Travel Writing World again to answer a few questions about his career as a writer. He is the author of several books, including the recent The Gran Tour: Travels with My Elders (Icon Books 2020).

If you enjoyed this interview with Ben Aitken, you might enjoy our other author profiles for more behind-the-scenes interviews with authors of travel books.

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