Journeys without a map

Award-winning author Marion Molteno takes us on a magical journey of discovery into the life of a writer and her readers. From book events in small English towns to huge literary festivals in India and Pakistan, from the mountains of Tajikistan to remote parts of Africa, she traces the roots of the fictional worlds she has so brilliantly created in her novels. Weaving through these vignettes are reflections on the creative process, her own and anyone's - her own journey as a writer, what fiction does for us, and the vital relationship between writers and readers.  With an ability to find significance in the ordinary and the extraordinary alike, she describes encounters with the people and cultures that have inspired her, and rediscovers at every turn what connects us to others, from next door or around the world. Compelling, written with great pace, and full of insights into different cultures. And what a brave book it is - laying bare levels of feeling and reflection that, though beautifully written, still feel quite raw.