Alan Pedder

Alan Pedder

Writer

Arts and science writer in Istanbul.

Q: In 200 characters or less, why do you want be part of #PassportToAsia?

A: Living in Istanbul I can get to Asia easily: hop on a ferry and hey new continent. But that’s pure prologue. To go deeper would be a dream come true. To do it with other creatives, maybe an awakening.

Q: In 200 characters or less, tell us which of the following monkey attributes best describes you: Intelligent, curious, quick-witted, versatile, or mischievous. Why?

A: Versatility came to me at a very young age, moving from country to country. As an adult, it has been my greatest strength and comfort. To reimagine life repeatedly is to feel almost invincible!

Q: What is your creative pursuit? How might #PassportToAsia play a role in developing it?

A: I came to writing through a series of mathematics degrees and programming languages long since consigned to the dustbin of progress. Some days I can call myself a journalist; on others I am a researcher, a consultant, a recovering poet. I came to photography through music, and through photography to the joy of new angles. Maths again, great. #PassportToAsia could be my green light, my blueprint, my red letter addressed to A. Creatively Satisfied Person. And also to really good food, which helps.

Q: Why is travel important?

A: Nothing in my experience educates, inspires, nourishes and heals as much as travel. It is easier to embrace the cliché and reverse the question – why is travel not important? To which I would answer, no reason at all. If the door is open, who can stay still in this world of boundless possibilities? And if the door seems closed, who can afford not to do everything they can to find a crack that they can slip through? Books and movies and Instagram photos can only do so much. There is no substitute for being out there, no replacement for participation in as much of the real world as one too-short lifetime can offer. Why is travel important to me? Because my life would be so much narrower without it.