Travels in a Dervish Cloak

Shortlisted for the 2018 Stanford Dolman Travel Book of the Year

'A discursive, funny, moving portrait of Pakistan, one of the most opaque and difficult and complex of countries, but here rendered in bright chiaroscuro and with obvious affection. It's a brilliant debut by a major new talent.' William Dalrymple  

Spellbound by his grandmother's Anglo-Indian heritage and the exuberant annual visits of her friend the Begum, Isambard Wilkinson became enthralled by Pakistan as an intrepid teenager, eventually working there as a foreign correspondent during the War on Terror. Seeking the land behind the headlines, Bard sets out to discover the essence of a country convulsed by Islamist violence. What of the old, mystical Pakistan has survived and what has been destroyed? His is a funny, hashish-and whisky-scented travel book from the frontline, full of open-hearted delight and a poignant lust for life. 

*** Shortlisted for the 2017 Stanford Dolman Travel Book of the Year Award

'Isambard Wilkinson's Travels in a Dervish Cloak is a discursive, funny, moving portrait of Pakistan, one of the most opaque and difficult and complex of countries, but here rendered in bright chiaroscuro and with obvious affection. It a brilliant debut by a major new talent.' William Dalrymple 

'Conjures up the best of Thubron and Dalrymple while being informed by a distinctive voice, a deep knowledge of Pakistan's tragic history and an unusual commitment to that country based on close family links' Dervla Murphy

'I roared through it. A great balance of self-deprecating wit, oldfashioned adventure and insight. Very good fun' Owen Bennett Jones, author 

'Travels in a Dervish Cloak does an excellent job … redressing the balance by revealing the complex patchwork of the real country, home to diverse multitudes. In this it shows the great value of travel writing itself, when skilfully practised by such a humane, humorous and enthusiastic author' Tim Hannigan, author.