Travel Writer: Claire Polders

Claire Polders is a Dutch author of fiction and nonfiction. Her latest of five books is A Whale in Paris (Atheneum, Simon & Schuster), a historical novel for younger readers. Her short stories and essays have been widely published in literary journals, including TriQuarterly, Prairie Schooner, Tin House, and Electric Literature. She’s currently finishing a memoir, revising a multi-generational novel about the dark Dutch colonial past, and exploring the world of contemporary travel writing.

How did you get started traveling?

I’ve loved traveling for as long as I can remember. Being away from Holland frees me from social customs and role patterns and lets me experience life as a child; I’m less self-conscious and more observant. But I didn’t travel on the scale I do now, living as a nomad, until 2019, when my husband and I lost our rent-controlled home in Paris. We couldn’t afford a new place there and didn’t know where else we wanted to settle, so we decided to roam for a year or two, checking out various locations. During the pandemic I learned that I can make my home almost anywhere, in a wooden hut in North Vietnam or a friend’s spare bedroom. I still keep my eyes out for a place to live long-term, but am not done exploring the world. (Can one ever be?)

How did you get started as a writer?

I wrote diaries and stories as a kid, published a monthly with friends in high school, and joined the editorial team of the college newspaper, where I was responsible for interviewing foreign exchange students. After graduation, I planned to write my PhD in philosophy, then changed my mind and wrote a novel. While living in Paris, I published a few travel pieces and opinion articles in Dutch magazines, yet concentrated on composing novels. In 2015, I switched to writing in English and now publish short prose regularly.

What do you consider your first “break” as a writer?

There were only two literary agents in the Netherlands at the start of this century and I was lucky that the first one I emailed wanted to represent my debut. I was in my mid-twenties. She edited my novel and got me a deal with a great publisher. I remember walking toward the bookshop where my book presentation would be held and seeing the entire store front window filled with copies of my debut. Although the novel never became the bestseller everyone had hoped for, it sure felt like a break to me then.

As a traveler and story gatherer/creator, what is your biggest challenge on the road?

Time management. The more I travel, the more I want to write about what I experience day by day. I want to get my impressions on the page as soon as possible. But there are books to finish, deadlines to meet, emails to respond to, submissions to follow up on. I cannot afford to spend all my writing hours on a new piece. I’m still looking for a way to work on book-length projects with focus while braiding in the new insights I gain every day.

What is your biggest challenge in the research, writing, and editing process?

I’m not used to pitching articles and writing on commission. I usually don’t know what I have to say exactly until the first draft of a piece is done. So I tend to write the article first and later see where it might fit. But this is the wrong approach when it comes to travel writing. Newspapers and magazines are very particular about what they want a piece to be. So I need to learn to develop an idea and write a summary first. It’s an interesting transition.

What has been your biggest challenge from a business standpoint?

Getting to know the right editors. Making the match between my writing and their needs. For many top-tier publications, I cannot even find the proper contact details or author guidelines; it’s as though one has to be an insider from the start.

Have you ever done other work to make ends meet?

Sure. I am (or have been) a research assistant, production coordinator, writing teacher, editor, and web designer. In the future, I hope to host writing retreats.

What travel authors might you recommend and/or have influenced you?

I’ve been inspired by classic authors such as Ryszard Kapuściński, Graham Greene, Barry Lopez, Norman Lewis, Pico Iyer, Jenny Diski, and Jan Morris. These writers bring their personality and background into their stories yet let their focus lie confidently on the people or landscapes they meet.

Contemporary travel authors I recommend are: Megan Harlan, whose award-winning Mobile Home is a lyrical an insightful mediation on transience, Maggie Downs, whose Braver Than You Think takes you on a very personal journey across the world, and Jenna Scatena, who dives deep into stories she’s not allowed to tell and gives fabulous workshops and master classes.

What advice and/or warnings would you give to someone who is considering going into travel writing?

Write from curiosity about subjects that truly interest you. Write toward an audience by imagining what might be of interest to others. Make these two paths meet on the page.

What is the biggest reward of life as a travel writer?

Let me compare it to the life of a novelist: sitting at a desk versus cycling through Angkor Wat, sitting in a coffee shop versus meandering through a Moroccan souk, sitting at a kitchen table versus eating your way through Hanoi. In short: As a travel writer, you also get to live.