But perhaps we can return to a type of travel that is sometimes forgotten – specifically, that of the imagination, through travel writing. But at its best this writing understands the complexities of such a position (think of Orwell and his elephant). Which is of course one mark of the greatest writing, and something the best fiction does too. At their best, both travel and writing are acute forms of looking: of empathic imagination, of seeing commonalities as well as differences, of immersion, of self-questioning. And while it is true nothing can replace that first physical moment of different air, different light, one can still, in a way, be abroad.

Source: The Guardian July 11, 2021 16:30 UTC