Author series

Japan specialist Lesley Downer on falling for the cultural enclave of Kyoto with its sashaying geishas and hidden temples

Roopa Farooki on falling for steaming mussels, surfer bars, and delectable food markets in the French beach town of Biarritz

The bestselling author tells of Carcassonne, the ancient French city where stories of the present are indelibly linked to those of the past 

After recessions and housing crises, the Greek capital has certainly suffered. But its creative locals and life lessons prove it can be a gentle, generous teacher

On a trip to the Japanese city of Osaka, sights and sounds offer ideas for a second novel, but it's personal truths that have the power to inspire

The limestone hills that surround the city of Ipoh aren't on the tourist map but their strange formations made them worth casting as a 'character' in a novel

It's easy to feel insignificant in a city whose living ruins mark some of the most triumphant accomplishments of civilisation — yet Rome's magnetic pull is undeniable