We are formed by the land, just like plants – growing spines if we’re threatened, flourishing in the light, developing deeper ties if the going is tough… Place is the birthplace of character, both real and imagined, and where all writing starts.

Susan has written travel pieces for the Financial Times for many years and continues to find it the best possible way to engage with the world. Here are a few of her favourite pieces.

Two women standing barefoot on a wet brick patio, raising their arms joyfully under a large, sprawling tree with hanging moss and lush greenery.

TRINIDAD

Group of people riding a horse-drawn wagon through a grassy field with trees under a partly cloudy sky.

ROMANIA

A young boy sitting on a beige couch with a blanket and pillows in a rustic log cabin living room, with a wall-mounted deer head and smaller animal taxidermy on a wooden wall behind him, a lamp on a side table, and wicker chairs and baskets in the room.

NEW HAMPSHIRE