Autism makes travel a challenge. Here’s how I learned to cope

Busy places and unexpected events used to send me into meltdown on holiday. An autism diagnosis helped me to adapt my plans and rediscover the joy of travelling

The Half Bird by Susan Smillie review – a life less ordinary

How the author swapped journalism for the freedom, adventure and terror of life on the ocean

Maurice and Maralyn by Sophie Elmhirst review – all at sea

The electrifying story of a couple who set out on an ocean adventure – and got far more than they bargained for

In brief: Rabbit Hole; Local; The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World – reviews

A gritty, grubby tale of family secrets; an adventurer learns about his own neighbourhood; and historian Bettany Hughes explores the impact of the wonders of the world

Dom Joly looks back: ‘My wife says I’ve become slightly nicer in my 50s. I’m still very argumentative, but I have relaxed a bit’

The comedian on being terrified of fame, living with self-doubt, and finding a new niche as a travel writer

In brief: And Then What?; The Dimensions of a Cave; Turkiye – reviews

Former EU representative Catherine Ashton is a voice of reason in a polarised world; Greg Jackson’s psychological thriller warrants comparisons with Heart of Darkness; and Julian Emre Sayerer travels Turkey on two wheels

Edgeland by Sasha Swire review – political landscapes

A Westminster diarist’s decade of walks in the West Country

Nothing Ever Just Disappears review – fascinating journeys into LGBTQ+ courage

Diarmuid Hester’s travelogue celebrates the history of queer spaces in 20th century subculture, from Josephine Baker’s Paris to EM Forster’s Cambridge

High Caucasus by Tom Parfitt review – beauty and trauma in the Russian south

An epic trek through the mountains brings healing and understanding to a veteran journalist

High Caucasus by Tom Parfitt review – one man and a mountain range

This record of an extraordinary 1,000-mile trek across the mountainous southern Russian republics of the Caucasus uncovers a brutal history that resonates today

In brief: 1923: The Mystery of Lot 212 and a Tour de France Obsession; Four Seasons in Japan; The Draw of the Sea – review

An exhaustive study of footage from an exhausting bike race, an affecting novel within a novel, and a hymn to the beauty of the Cornish coastline

In brief: Because I Don’t Know What You Mean…; One Midsummer’s Day; Imagine a City – reviews

Josie Long’s first story collection brims with wry wit, Mark Cocker pays philosophical tribute to the swift, and Mark Vanhoenacker offers a pilot’s-eye view of urban life

‘Travel is medicine’: how the Sherborne Travel Writing Festival can inspire our trips

Colin Thubron, Sara Wheeler and other celebrated writers will be in Dorset to explain why travel literature still has an important role to play despite the climate crisis and hardening of borders

American Ramble review: a riveting tale of the divided United States

Neil King Jr, once of the Wall Street Journal, walked from Washington to New York. His account of the journey is essential

Sarn Helen by Tom Bullough review – notes from a small country

Wales is the measure of all things in this timeshifting story of ecological change