Monisha Rajesh is a British journalist and travel writer whose writing has appeared in Time magazine, The New York Times, The Guardian, Vanity Fair and The Sunday Telegraph in which she wrote a monthly column about travelling the world by train.
Her first book Around India in 80 Trains (2012) was named one of The Independent’s top ten books on India, and her second book Around the World in 80 Trains was published in 2019 to great acclaim.
Monisha was born in Norfolk and mostly raised in Yorkshire – with a brief stint in Madras. She currently lives in London with her husband and two daughters.
Show notes
- Who is Monisha
- Moving to India when she was 9 years old
- Doing a French Degree at Leeds
- Moving to London
- Where her love of travel comes from
- Moving around a lot when she was younger
- Wanting to travel around India via trains
- F28
- The cultural aspects of travelling
- The magical moments from India
- Her writing process
- Using a paste board
- Fitting writing into her life
- Writing her second book being 8 months pregnant
- Feeling happiest when writing
- Planning an around the world train adventure
- The route
- Day to day life on the trains
- The community on the trains
- The epic train journeys
- The Qinghai–Tibet railway
- Being ready to head home
- The challenges of travel in North Korea
- Arriving back into London
- Sending 7 months on trains around the world
- The 3rd Book!
- The importance of sustainable travel
- The challenges and stresses of air travel
- Buy from an independent book shop!
- Buy signed copies of her books from - Queen’s Park Books
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