It’s publication day for Along the Borders: In search of what divides and unites the British Isles. Here’s what my first book is all about.
After years of reporting, travelling and writing, my first book is now officially on the shelves of famous bookshops like Waterstones and Stanfords, and in independent stores and online retailers.
Along the Borders: In Search of What Divides and Unites the British Isles, which is published by Penguin Random House, is available in all decent bookstores across the UK and online.
But what exactly is my book about, and how did I come to write it?
Keep reading (or check out the YouTube Q+A below) to find out more!
From travelling along borders to writing a book
For much of the past decade, my work has focused on frontiers; those edges where geography and politics collide. While writing for outlets such as BBC Travel and National Geographic (as well as this blog, of course!), I kept returning to the same questions. Why do borders matter so much? Who defines borders? Who decides where the borders are drawn?
Initially, I assumed any book I wrote would be set overseas, given I’d spent most of my life travelling. Much of my reporting has taken me to remote or politically complex regions. But this project took shape much closer to home, and under circumstances that reshaped how many people in Britain experienced our regional borders.
When the Covid pandemic began, I returned to the UK from Mexico and ended up in Devon during lockdown. Almost overnight, internal boundaries that had long seemed administrative became tangible. Travel restrictions differed between nations, and in places like Llanymynech, where the England–Wales boundary runs down the middle of a street, the border suddenly mattered again. A line often traced back to Offa of Mercia and the construction of Offa’s Dyke in the 8th century reasserted itself in daily life, for perhaps the first time in 500 years.
That was the point when this book began to take shape, when it felt as though the UK’s ancient borders were being resurrected.
What is Along the Borders all about?
In Along the Borders, I travel through hundreds of miles of British borderlands. From the English-Scottish border, the English-Welsh border and the Northern Irish border, to the Kent coast, the Cornish border, and beyond. This is a journey through some of the oldest and most politically charged frontiers in the British Isles. Along the way, I set out to discover what these borderlands can tell us about the United Kingdom’s past, present and future, at a time when the country can seem so divided.
My goal wasn’t simply to uncover the history of these often ancient borders, but to understand why they still matter today, in an age of increasing division. What followed was an epic journey, where I spoke with hundreds of borderers, including Cornish nationalists, politicians, refugee charity workers, historians, tour guides, farmers, and publicans.
What emerged was a picture of a Britain divided, but one where there is still hope that we can all get along, and the UK can stay together.
So that’s it, in a very brief summary. To find out more, why not give the book a read or join one of my upcoming events (see below for more information).
You can purchase Along the Borders from all good bookshops:
https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/462381/along-the-borders-by-collett-richard/9781529935882
Events and book tour
It’s pretty mad that I can now say that I’ll be taking this book on tour (a mini tour, anyway!).
I’ve organised a series of talks, Q&As and appearances across the UK. I’ll be adding more events over the next few weeks/months, including several festival appearances. For now, the tour is as follows:
- 12 May 2026 – Propellor, Exmouth, Devon
- 15 May 2026 – Malmesbury Town Hall, Wiltshire
- 4 June 2026 – Black Cat Books, Launceston, Cornwall
- 9 June 2026 – East Gate Bookshop, Totnes, Devon (Tickets coming soon!)
- 18 June 2026 – Hawick Library, Scottish Borders (Tickets coming soon!)
- 19 June 2026 – Heron & Willow, Jedburgh, Scottish Borders
An official launch event will also take place in London at Stanfords in Covent Garden on 6 May 2026 (limited availability; please contact me directly for more information).
Along the Borders has been years in the works, and it draws on so many of the themes you’ll be familiar with (borders, history, travel, etc.) if you’ve followed my blog, travel writing or more recently, my YouTube videos. Hopefully, this is just the start of many more, many more travel books!
Thank you for reading! And please, don’t forget to pre-order your copy of Along the Borders: In search of what divides and unites the British Isles, today.
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