Laurence Blair (b 09) is pleased to report that his first book, PATRIA, was published by Vintage Books on 7 November 2024.
PATRIA is an alternative history of South America, combining archival research, travel writing, and a decade’s worth of present-day reporting for the BBC, the Guardian, and the New York Times from across the continent.
Some of the adventures featured in the book include a week-long trek over the snowbound Andes, and an electrifying journey through the jungle via road and river with Colombian guerrillas shared with seasoned adventurer Seb Jaques (b 09) and travel specialist Henry Comyn (d 09).
Early reviews praised PATRIA for its “scholarly verve and literary dexterity,” calling it “an unputdownable delight from start to finish” and “a magnificent contribution to the Latin American canon.”
None of it, of course, would have been possible without the first-rate coaching in Spanish, English literature and (ancient) history Laurie received at Sherborne School.
PATRIA can be purchased online via Penguin, Waterstones, Amazon, Blackwells, and in physical form in all good bookshops.
Imprint: Bodley Head
Published: 07/11/2024
ISBN: 9781847924681
Length: 448 pages
Price: £25.00