When I first read this book years ago I was dreaming of travelling and its attraction was the wide range of places it could take me. This book has become a treasure because it offers so much more than that. From its very moving introduction provided by Salman Rushdie (written just a couple of years into his now lengthy life in hiding) Writing Away delivers insights that put it a step above your average travelouge. The people and places described are vivid, thanks in part to the fact that these piece were all provided by seasoned Canadian authors, many at the top of their craft. Particularily notable are the pieces my David Adams Richards, Margaret Atwood, Timothy Findlay, and Joyce Kyluk Keefer. This is one of those collections I come back to time and time again. A true gem of travel writing.