Stanfords Travel

18/09/2026

Stanfords are delighted to once again sponsor the British Cartographic Society's Stanfords Award for Printed Mapping. This annual award is open to any mapping in the printed form, and aims to celebrate cartographic excellence from around the world.

This year's award winners were announced at the British Cartographic Society's annual conference on 9th September by Stanfords CEO Vivien Godfrey.

Winner: The Boroughs of London by Mike Hall maps & illustration and Matt Brown
The Boroughs of London is a beautifully designed hardback celebrating all 32 of London’s boroughs through bold graphic-map illustrations and insightful commentary. https://www.stanfords.co.uk/bcs-stanfords-award-2026

Featuring retro-inspired artwork by map-maker Mike Hall and engaging text by London expert Matt Brown, the book offers a fresh cartographic and cultural portrait of the capital.

Each borough is presented with distinctive maps, colourful design, key landmarks, local quirks and surprising facts, making it an ideal read for Londoners, visitors, history lovers and anyone fascinated by the character of the city’s diverse neighbourhoods.

You can browse the all shortlisted maps in Store or Online 🔗

17/09/2026

Join author, academic and map-expert Alastair Bonnett in conversation with the editor of The Geographical Graeme Gourlay to discuss his latest book New Ruins: The Story of the World in Twenty-One Abandoned and Collapsing Places published by

Discover how modern life is defined by constant creation, abandonment and collapse, and why ruins are no longer relics of the past but a defining feature of the present.

This is the age of ruins. The wreckage of our speeding, super-sized era can be found on the Moon, at the bottom of the sea, in the internet’s haunted attics, in desecrated jungles and in abandoned shopping malls. We live amid the accumulating debris of an economy that never stops producing, creating mountains of things that rarely last.

Unlike the reassuring relics of the past, today’s ruins are unsettled and unstable. They are not fixed in time, but shifting, uncertain and often reversible: virtual worlds can be rebooted, retail parks revived, ecosystems rebuilt.

Across 21 case studies, New Ruins explores:

Abandoned technologies, space junk and obsolete digital worlds.
Dead malls and empty retail parks.
Ghost cities, shrinking towns and unfinished megaprojects.
Polluted rivers, collapsing coral reefs and damaged ecosystems.
Extracted landscapes, from deforested jungles to mined environments.
The strange “zombie” afterlives of places that are ruined yet still active.
Together, these places reveal a world where obsolescence and ruination are built into modern life.

Step into the unsettling reality of New Ruins and discover why you will never see the world – or its ruins – in the same way again.

16/09/2026

Immerse yourself in an all-round exploration of your next travel destination 🌍

All you need is 1 Map. 1 Travel Guide. 1 Book.

This week, Stanfords Booksellers recommend their top picks for three incredible countries around the world: Cyprus, Madagascar, and India! 🗺️✈️

From heartbreakingly beautiful fiction to deep-dive expert guides and detailed road maps, these curated picks have everything you need to plan, explore, and truly connect with a culture before you even hop on the plane.

Here is the ultimate book breakdown for your next big adventure:🇨🇾

With so many books and maps to choose from, narrowing it down isn't easy! We would love to hear from you: What is your top recommendation for these three countries? Let us know in the comments! 👇

16/09/2026

16/09/2026

Join broadcasting legend Michael Palin .palin for a unique evening in conversation with award-winning author Nicholas Crane, and get exclusive early access to his latest book 'Michael Palin in the Philippines'.

Michael Palin’s latest adventure sees him exploring one of the most fascinatingly complex and contradictory countries on earth: the Philippines.

This extraordinary new book offers a richly illustrated travel adventure across the island nation, brimming with wry humour, colour photographs, and fascinating insights into a country of striking paradoxes.

During his journey, Michael explores the archipelago in all its beauty and complexity, meeting some of the warmest people he has ever encountered, before ending with an unexpected meeting with the Marcos family.

Tickets still available at the link in Bio 🔗

13/09/2026

“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime.” - Mark Twain

10/09/2026

For our September Fiction pick, we’re highlighting a book we’ve raved about before that is now officially out in paperback, making it the perfect time to catch up if it’s still on your TBR list: A Splintering by Dur e Aziz Amna

https://www.stanfords.co.uk/a-splintering-a-bbc-radio-2-book-club-pick-9780715655917?

Winner of the Fiction with a Sense of Place Award at the Edward Stanford Travel Writing Awards 2025, this incredible novel masterfully traces the struggle of a woman caught between province and metropolis, and between motherhood and ambition.

Living in rural Pakistan, Tara is desperate to leave her quiet life behind. She marries a middle-class accountant and moves to the capital, Islamabad, but soon discovers that life as a respectable housewife still isn't enough. Craving the lifestyle of the rich mothers at her children’s school, Tara becomes an unforgettable, complex character who will risk everything to carve out a life of her own.

A brilliant, deeply atmospheric exploration of identity and desire

Grab your copy in paperback today! Available in-store and online https://www.stanfords.co.uk/a-splintering-a-bbc-radio-2-book-club-pick-9780715655917? 🔗

https://www.stanfords.co.uk/a-splintering-a-bbc-radio-2-book-club-pick-9780715655917?

08/09/2026

Looking to trade your couch for a trail map? 🗺️ Here are six inspiring travel books guaranteed to feed your wanderlust and inspire your next big trip:

Wanderlust: Hiking on Legendary Trails by gestalten A stunning guide to the world's most breathtaking long-distance treks.

Where To Go When Hiking Essential inspiration for matching the perfect trail with the right time of year.

Secret Wonders of the World Off-the-beaten-path marvels and hidden gems waiting to be discovered.

Beyond Timbuktu by Catherine Devrye. An unforgettable tale of adventure, resilience, and remote exploration.

Hidden in Plain Sight by Ronan O'Connell. Uncovering extraordinary stories in unexpected places.

Sunrise Destinations by Lea Teuscher. The world's most magnificent locations to watch the dawn break.

Available in Store and Online.

04/09/2026

Signed by the Author ✍ We are extremely excited to announce that our Children's Book of the Month in September is Mouse Goes to the Mountains Alice Melvin
, a new wonderful chapter in the numerous adventures of our absolute favourite Mouse 😍 Imagine our delight when we found out that the brilliant Author and Illustrator Alice Melvin was coming to sign copies of the book together with other books in the beautifully illustrated series. Published by Thames & Hudson Children’s

In this stunningly illustrated new story, join Mouse on a new adventure as he leaves the urban bustle of a busy railway station and makes his way to a remote and majestic mountain peak.. As he journeys up toward a majestic mountain, readers can lift interactive flaps and gatefolds to discover friendly woodland wildlife and learn beautiful, gentle lessons about nature and biodiversity! 🍁🐿️

You won't be able to resist this book, we definitely couldn't!

Signed copies available in Store and Online while stock lasts 🔗