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James Kenny
Location: St. Tropez, Provence, France
Member Since: 3 January 2009
Professional Associations
Travelwriters.com
Introduction
I am a "Kenya Celt", born and raised in Ireland. On completion of my education, I fled to Africa and, in time Kenya became 'home'! I have lived and worked in Kenya for twenty years and from there I have explored every part of that country and almost every country in the eastern half of Africa, from Egypt to Botswana. I have been a freelance writer, specialising in travel, eco-tourism, Africa, Europe, France, people & place, culture and inter-culturalism, 'third world' development, natural health and healing.......... I have e a BSc majoring in Geography & Philosphy. In addition I have a diploma English literature and creative writing. As a keen environmentalist, I became interested in appropriate technologies and renewable energy. After studying and taking a diploma in Renewable Energy, I managed development projets in Africa, working with relief and development agencies. This provided me with an ideal platform for writing about my travels to some of the remotest places in Africa and an opportunity to research and write about student travel projects, charity travel and voluntourism. By this time I had also phased into writing about 'green' travel and technical writing with a 'green' angle. Ten years ago, I took time out to settle in my 'other Africa', the West Indies; living in Grenada and cruising the islands which led me into an area of writing that covered the culture and way of life of 'exiled Africans'! For the past six years I haved lived in the 'Massis des Maures' (foothills) overlooking the Mediterannean in Provence, France. I have travelled extensively throughout France and Western Europe, -not to mention regular returns to Kenya, to service the charity I co-founded two years ago which addresses the needs of the forgotten poverty-stricken villages inland from the coast. I am a seasoned photographer and have produced and archived a a large bank of fine pictorial material to support my travel writing. I am currently in the course of finishing my 'flag-ship' book (a 'travel biography') - and putting together material for two follow-ups, one about Africa and the other about The West Indies. I am also co-writing a specialised guide to sailing and walking the French Mediterannean coastline, and a booklet on voluntourism and charity travel. I enjoy it most when I write with a 'sense of story', some diologue, a leaning towards humour (if appropriate), lusty lines, lively quotes, compelling anecdotes, colour and colourful characters! BUT I am also a perfectionist when it comes to factual travel writing, backed by meticulous research!
Experience & Expertise
My most noteworthy travel 'enterprises'were: 1. A seven month overland drive from Dublin, Ireland to Dar Es salaam, Tanzania in a delapidated 'Renault 4'; an experience that saw life in its most vivid and vibrant forms. Ireland's leading national daily gave me a 'one-a-week' feature assignment covering the entire journey, on reading my introductory article. These features won widespread acclaim for content, perception and style. A book built around this adventure, but not restricted to it, is nearing completion. 2. A five month overland (no flying) trek from London to Mombasa, Kenya by bus, cattle boat, delta camels and nile railway to Safaga, Egypt, where signed on as a supernumery, I joined a slow trading coaster working its way down the Red Sea to Aden, and onwards along the East African coast to Mombasa, calling at almost every 'port' along the way. A series of articles on this trip was written and sold to a variety of newspapers and magazines, again widely praised. 3. A two-year sailing and island treking sojourn through the Caribbean Island chain, from Grenada to the Virgin Islands on board my 36 foot sailing cruiser "Umoja". This resulted in a 14 part travel feature series commissioned by Spain's leading English language newspaper; and syndicated to numerous major regional newspapers around the world.
Publishing Credentials
Outback, Irish Times,yachting monthly, Liverpool Echo, Boston Globe, Wanderlust, Coasta Blanca news, The Guardian, Daily Nation, East African Standard, Irish Independent, Outlook Magazine, Compass, Coastweek, Daily News, The Islands, Cruising life, and many others
Awards Received
Awards: none Acclaim: much
