So that became kind of a through line, from the time that I was out of college all the way to present day. And one thing that I did discover is that I really loved to cook. I studied natural resources in college, but quickly kind of let that go. It was important to learn something about a subject in order to have something to write about. I didn’t study writing in college because it wasn’t “practical.” But I’m ultimately grateful for that because it was important as a writer to know about something other than myself. That was something that I knew from a fairly young age and was something that I practiced and worked at as a young person. Of course it’s also incredibly sad and bittersweet to be publishing this book without my co-author. I think that it’s going to appeal to a lot of different types of readers. From the time that we conceived of the idea and started working on the book proposal until publishing is almost exactly four years, so it’s been a really long process. Laurie Woolever: I’m very excited to finally have the book out in the world. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.Įater: This book has been a long time coming how are you feeling now that it’s in the world? I spoke with Woolever over the phone about the process of bringing World Travel together, how working with Bourdain changed her career, and where she hopes to travel when COVID safety allows.

And of course, this volume, while bittersweet, will be welcomed by Bourdain’s many fans. But beyond its (limited) use as a guide, this book is full of stories that make for good reading on their own, transporting the reader to many of Bourdain’s favorite places, including ones that are not often covered in mainstream Western food and travel media. While the world is far from clear of COVID-19, many are beginning to feel hopeful that travel and dining will be safer in the near future. Originally slated for 2020, production costs delayed World Travel’s release, but this may be fortuitous. To provide context around the words Woolever deftly pulled from Bourdain’s TV shows and writings, she collected essays from his friends, colleagues, and his brother Christopher Bourdain, whose contributions are particularly illuminating of the life Bourdain lived. Entries on each location include some information about where to stay and how to get around, but the emphasis is not so much on the practicalities of visiting a city as it is on Bourdain’s love of and connection to a place, his experiences there, and the ways in which food is entwined with a larger culture and global political histories.

World Travel is set up like a travel guide that spans 43 countries. World Travel: An Irreverent Guide is out April 20.

Anthony bourdain world travel book