News Desk, News Nation 360 : One of the most renowned historians and travel writers, William Dalrymple, gave an insightful talk on the first day of the Apeejay Kolkata Literary Festival 2025. Under the direction of fellow historian Rana Safvi, Dalrymple, who has spent decades studying history, culture, and geopolitics, humbly stated that he has no talent other than writing." During the session, William Dalrymple spoke of the origins of his first book, "In Xanadu," conceived as a result of a wish for an extraordinary journey when he was at Cambridge. A grant of £750 supported his daring plan to follow in the footsteps of Marco Polo across Israel, Syria, Cyprus, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and China. This daring journey not only formed the basis of his book but also bought him front-page prominence in The Times. Dalrymple spoke at length about how the 1980s phenomenon of travel writing influenced his writing and was nostalgic about working on "City of Djinns" as well as having spent much of his life roaming Turkey, Syria, and Lebanon. He spoke about "From the Holy Mountain," a work on the lives of Christian minorities in the Middle East. Emphasizing the subtle interaction between Islam and Christianity, Dalrymple noted the great extent to which these Eastern Christian communities are a bridge between the two faiths: "A world still survives there," he said, sketching a picture of tenacious survival and living together. His celebrated historical writings, such as The White Mughals, emerged from this shift. He discussed his new book, The Golden Road, and stated that the Golden Road's remarkable success is due to its positive depiction of India as the world's centre, highlighting its historical and cultural significance.
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