Gail Simmons Author

Travel writer Gail Simmons was born in Northumberland to an army family who, after periods living overseas, settled in a Chiltern commuter village on the borders of Buckinghamshire and Hertfordshire. After completing an MA in medieval history Gail pursued a varied career that included working in a Cumbrian castle, protecting historic buildings and leading walking trips in Europe and the Middle East, before becoming a full-time travel writer specialising in independent and sustainable journeys. In 2016 Gail completed a PhD in Creative Writing and she now teaches travel writing at Bath Spa and Cambridge universities. Despite her lifelong global wanderings Gail finds special enjoyment in exploring her home country of Britain, recently rediscovering the quiet allure of the Chiltern Hills where she grew up and which, aged eighteen, she couldn't wait to leave. Now, with HS2 looming, Gail realises just how important this threatened landscape still is to her.