EmmaLucy Cole researches, writes, researches, presents, and travels on a motorcycle. She is UK-based (South West) and is a fellow of the Royal Geographical Society, Associate Fellow of the Higher Education Academy as a university lecturer and Editor-in-Chief of the MHR journal. EmmaLucy is studying towards a PhD at the University of Bristol, researching the ethics of representation in Travel Writing. Her chapter Bedouin is a Place: Freya Stark’s Travel with Nomads has been published in the anthology “Travel Writing in an Age of Global Quarantine” (2021, Anthem Press).
After over two decades spent studying and sharing aspects of North African and Middle Eastern (SWANA) cultures, in 2011 EmmaLucy was invited to spend six weeks with a Bedouin community in Sinai, learning the local Arabic dialect, and engaging with local life. Two years later she finally left, having not only gained a ginger Bedouin cat (called Bryan) and a myriad of experiences, but also having witnessed first-hand some of the ways in which marginalised groups can be misrepresented. This led her to pursue the PhD, in order to understand how the written word can have impact far beyond the page.
She is currently focused on exploring the concept of Downward Exploration: rather than travelling long distances and seeing many places superficially, this type of exploration allows us to focus in-depth on communities and local environments, learning about the cultures, habits, food and history – and forming connections which may allow for deeper understanding and more ethical representations.
“Emma is a passionate and engaging speaker. Hearing about her adventures and ‘Downward Exploration’ in Sinai was inspiring and motivated me to think about my next challenge!” Rachel S., Exeter [Adventure Stories, April 2019]
