This charming book written and researched by cartographer Judith Scalansky is the kind of text which, on first observation, you might mistake for a personal travel memoir. On second glance however, you discover that research has led her to map-out and personally illustrate some of the most isolated and unexplored islands on earth. She has labelled this work (with endearing honesty): ‘ Fifty Islands I Have Never Set Foot On and Never Will’.
Schalansky focuses on exploring the cultural aspects of the localities she ‘discovered’, including scientific facts, local legends and folklore, in an attempt to capture the essence of what life in such remote locations might be like for their inhabitants. Hand-drawn maps are perhaps the most enticing aspect of the book, as they really conjure up the notion of ‘unchartered territory’ from days gone by into our modern-day reality.
If you thought there was nothing more on earth to explore – you thought wrong. Atlas of Remote Islands details 144 pages of content to satisfy the most travel-hungry among us. It’s a refreshing change from the Instagram-worthy books feeding the travel-photography trend sweeping the shelves, and one you’ll dive in and out of for years to come.
