John Gimlette

An improbable world beckons as John Gimlette takes us on a journey - both contemporary and historical - amongst the fantastical landscapes, beguiling creatures, isolated tribes and descendants of 17th century English pirates of tropical Madagascar, an island so vast that – if it was stretched out across Europe - would reach from London to Algiers. No humans lived on the world's fourth largest island until 10,000 years ago and then, when mankind did finally settle, they came all the way from Borneo, 3,700 miles away on the other side of the Indian Ocean. Ever effusive and entertaining, John has travelled to over 80 countries, authored six travel books and won both the Shiva Naipaul Prize and the Dolman Travel Book Prize.  His Wild Coast was listed by the Daily Telegraph amongst the ‘Twenty Best Travel Books of all Time’.