Richard Fidler visit
Perrie Croshaw
10 November 2022, 11:55 PM
Richard Fidler, who is perhaps best known for his personal interview program and podcast Conversations on ABC radio, is himself in conversation with Bouquiniste’s Clayton Zane Comber in Kiama on Thursday November 17.
He is coming as part of a national tour promoting his latest book, The Book of Roads and Kingdoms, which is the story of medieval wanderers who travelled out to the edges of the known world during Islam's fabled Golden Age.
This was an era when the caliphs of Baghdad presided over a dominion greater than the Roman Empire at its peak, stretching from North Africa to India.
The book was sparked when Richard came across the account of Ibn Fadlan, a 10th century Arab diplomat who travelled all the way from Baghdad to the cold riverlands of modern-day Russia.
“I was struck by how modern his voice was, like that of a 21st century time-traveller dropped into a medieval wilderness,” he says.
On further investigation, Richard discovered this was just one of countless reports from Arab and Persian travellers of their adventures in medieval China, India, Africa and Byzantium.
Put together, he saw these stories formed a crazy quilt picture of a lost world - a lost imperial city, full of wonder and marvels; an empire that was the largest the world had ever seen, established with astonishing speed; a people obsessed with travel, knowledge and adventure.
His book weaves together these pictures of a dazzling lost world with the story of an empire's rise and utterly devastating fall.
Once a member of the Australian comedy group, the Doug Anthony All-Stars, he has received acclaim for previous bestselling novels Ghost Empire (“I am speechless with admiration,” says Simon Winchester) and The Golden Maze. He is also co-author of Saga Land with Kári Gíslason.
Thursday Nov 17, 6pm, Kiama Leagues Club Auditorium. Live music by Mark Crotti.
$10 (ticket only) & $49.99 (Book & Ticket)
