The Roads I Travelled by Paul Theroux - A Singapore Writers Festival 2014 Lecture

Behind every journey is a story, and the best travel writers take their readers along for trips that they will never forget. Join us at this Singapore Writers Festival 2014 Lecture, where we’ll hear from master wordsmith and storyteller Paul Theroux, who started his travelling life in Africa and later included Singapore in his sojourn. By the end of the lecture, you might just get inspired to chronicle your next life-changing adventure.

[@normhall1622]

Theroux is such an interesting person. It's hard to believe that one person has done all the traveling he has. Great moderator, she has real personality and kept it all going. Super show!

[@chathall574]

A thoroughly enjoyable and informative talk by a brilliant writer. I don't understand the criticisms from the comments below: the moderator was fine (she was enthusiastic and clearly knows Theroux's work); and the talk itself was interesting, engaging and articulate. I just think some people like to complain and expect perfection. What I love most about Theroux's work is his humanity and care of ordinary, often poor and downtrodden, people.

[@ChrisHansenCristoforoM54]

My all-time favourite author - thanks for sharing this and for being writers interested in the world.

[@busterbiloxi3833]

GREAT VIDEO! His accent is unusual. New England for sure. Maybe some English acquired during his time there. Anyway, a great video.

[@driftingsouliswritten]

Thanks for uploading this!

[@eddenoy321]

His books helped me to kill time while working.That is a good legacy.

[@muratisik6956]

What work did you do?

[@eddenoy321]

@@muratisik6956 Was a Captain with Singapore Airlines

[@sattarabus]

Paul was gripping in spite of his desultory and aleatory talk. He packed in far too much in a conversation that should have primarily highlighted the excitement and tribulations of a seasoned traveller, and writer, in general. In a catalogue that included Freud, Jung, Ericson, Angola, Herat, Hawaii, the deep South etc--- the name of his mentor VS Naipaul was conspicuous by its absence. Similarly the legacy of his two or three children to be inscribed on his epitaph is less durable than the nonbiological children of his mind ---a handful of his laudable books for the posterity. 'The Great Railway Bazaar' is one of those rare travelogues you can read and reread by a single candle in the Antarctica.

[@rampageclover9788]

Gosh, Louis really is a chip off the old block

[@bhattkris]

VSN liked talkative people near him. They do not mean much anyway. Oh he doesn't think D H Lawrence a great writer.

[@alanpowers4577]

Thanks, Krishna. Not a fan of this guy, bec of his befriending and betraying VSN. As for Lawrence, he wrote some good novels (Rainbow, maybe Lady Ch, Women), but you can always tell where he stands--as opposed to Tolstoy and Shakespeare, who could state opposing views.

[@bhattkris]

Alan Powers Yes Alan. That is true.

[@johnrankin7135]

@@alanpowers4577 by all accounts sir Vidia was a very difficult person to get along with

[@themixedraceexperience4560]

@@alanpowers4577 VSN was incredibly racist. I don't think you can fault Theroux for not wanting to maintain a friendship with a racist!!!!!!

[@vagrantwanderer5810]

Theroux is far more fluent writer than speaker.

[@eddenoy321]

That is true. I have read most everything he has written. Speaking is a different thing altogether. He had a compelling style of writing.

[@rosslocincam9916]

When speaking one does not get much of a chance to rephrase or rewrite- this is not a practised speech and will always be less 'fluent'

[@vagrantwanderer5810]

@@rosslocincam9916 Agreed.