Most UK — and European — Travel writers tend to look to the West, the East or the South for their inspiration. They search for the truly exotic in a kind of Greek sense. Think of some of the greats, Robert Byron in Oxonia (Afghanistan), Chatwin in Patagonia or the Aussie outback or Leigh Fermor on the Greek Islands. Not many people write about the Arctic, one of the areas that fascinates me the most. Joanna Kavenna did a great job in searching for the last land of Thule The Ice Museum but that’s about it. This book, though, is an absolute delight. I’ve not heard about Scottish writer Francis before — and Amazon seems to suggest this is his first book (at least his first major publishing deal — but trust me, this man is a star of the future.
Francis got the idea for this book while doing aid working in the tropics. He worked with an Icelandic woman who confessed that she loved her work and the tropics but couldn’t bear to be out of Iceland for too long. She has constructed her life so that she spends half of the year in Iceland and half in warmer climates. Francis began to spend more and more time thinking about the arctic and this book is the result.
For True North Francis set out on a journey to explore the lands of the European Arctic, to learn about their history and to encounter both their indigenous people and those who for some reason or another have chosen to live there. The journey begins in the Shetlands (not Scotland you know) and moves on to the Faroes, Iceland, Greenland, finishing up in Lapland. I think I’ve missed somewhere, but never mind …
Francis tells the story of each place with care and affection. Ancient history and stories of exploration and discovery are often found in (or triangulated with) the Norse Sagas. The Sagas tell of the Irish, Viking and English ancient explorers that first visited these lands — those seeking new discovers, others seeking to take forward religious messages, some looking for wealth and others seeking sanctuary or simply keeping their heads down. More recent history sees the great European trading powers seeking new routes through the North West passage and so on.
In each place people and communities are given pride of place. Of course there are the ancient communities, the Inuit and the Sammis for example, but there are all manner of settlers and visitors. Many of these places have colonial pasts — or colonnial presents — and Francis gives voice to those who are now beginning to be be proud of their unique identities.
There’s also the natural world, explored mainly on foot as Francis and his tent explore the wonders of Arctic Fjords, volcanic landscapes and seek to avoid the dangers of the polar bears. But this is no adventure book but a lovely, lingering, account of a world which exists within its own set of rules and is firmly routed in its own setting.
It may easy to ignore the Arctic but it is of course so important to us all and we realise this, not least, through the dramatic changes that are happening there through global warming and that are effecting us all as well.
I really, really, enjoyed this book. If wild, cold, tundra wildernesses get you going — well don’t miss it.
Francis is a writer to watch.
This sounds great. I’ve got to read this one. Thanks for sharing it with us, Andy!