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MEET THE AUTHOR
Christopher P. Baker is acclaimed as one of North America's most multi-talented and successful travel writers and photographers, with a special focus on the Caribbean and Latin American. He is acknowledged as a regional expert on Cuba.
 Baker was born and raised in Yorkshire, England. He received a B.A. (Hons) in Geography at the University of London's University Coll- ege, during which time he participated in two Sahara research exp- editions and an exch- ange program at Krak- ow University, Poland. He later earned Master's degrees in Latin Amer- ican Studies from Liverpool University, and in Educ- ation from the University of London's Institute of Education. He began his writing career in 1978 as a contributing editor on Latin America for Land & Liberty, a London-based political journal. In 1980, he received a Scripps-Howard Foundation Scholarship in Journalism to attend the University of California, Berkeley. He has made his living as a professional travel writer and photographer since 1983. He also writes frequently on natural sciences and tourism related issues.
His passion for travel writing and photography helps Baker maintain a schedule in which he travels around the globe on assignment for leading editors and publishers.
Baker is a member of the Society of American Travel Writers, the North American Travel Journalists' Association, the National Writers Union, and Guidebookwriters.com.
Publication credits:
Baker has written for more than 150 publications worldwide as far-ranging as Caribbean Travel & Life, Elle, Islands, Maxim, National Geographic Traveler, National Wildlife, National Times, Newsweek International, The Robb Report, Saveur, The Los Angeles Times, The Chicago Tribune, Christian Science Monitor and South China Morning Post.
His numerous books include best-selling guidebooks to Cuba, Jamaica, Costa Rica, Bahamas, and elsewhere on behalf of such publishers as Avalon Travel Publishing, Frommer's, Lonely Planet, National Geographic Society, and Prentice Hall. He has also contributed chapters to books on behalf of Time-Life, the Discovery Channel, etc. and is the author of the award-winning literary travelog, Mi Moto Fidel: Motorcycling Through Castro's Cuba
Awards:
Baker, the Lowell Thomas Award 2008 “Travel Journalist of the Year,” has been honored with many awards for outstanding travel writing, among them the Society of American Travel Writers' prestigious Lowell Thomas Travel Journalism Award (eleven times, including "Best Travel News Investigative Reporter"), and the "1995 Benjamin Franklin Award" from Publisher Marketing Association of North America for his Moon Handbooks: Costa Rica. In 2005, he was named "Travel Journalist of the Year" by the Caribbean Tourism Organization. In 2002 he won both the Lowell Thomas “Travel Book of the Year” AND the Grand Prize in the North American Travel Journalists Association "Awards of Excellence" for his literary travelog, Mi Moto Fidel: Motorcycling Through Castro's Cuba.
Click Awards for a complete list of Baker's honors.
Lecturing:
Baker is an acclaimed public speaker and has given dozens of slide presentations and lectures at bookstores and other venues throughout North America. He has been honored to address the National Press Club, World Affairs Council, and the National Geographic Society as a member of the Live from... National Geographic, among other prestigious organizations.
He has also been a faculty member of Cunard Cruise Lines and Holland American Cruise Line, and lectures aboard cruise ships throughout the Caribbean and further afield.
Click Baker in Public for information on forthcoming venues.
Radio & Television:
Baker appears frequently on radio and television talk shows and has given live and recorded interviews for CNN, "Fox Magazine," the National Geographic Channel, NPR Public Radio, ABC, NBC, and many other nationally syndicated programs.
Consulting:
Baker has wide experience in marketing and has been a consultant to dozens of travel companies, including such industry leaders as Backroads, Ker & Downey, Mountain Travel-Sobek, and Wilderness Travel, as well as for major international corporations such as Intel. He has written brochures, catalogs, press releases, etc. for dozens of companies, and has been honored with awards from the American Catalog Awards, the Direct Marketing Creative Guild, and Target Marketing. He is available for freelance projects.
Group Tour Operations and Escorting:
Baker also has wide experience within the travel industry. For seven years he was president of British Pride Tours, which he founded. In addition to operating his own tours to England, he has packaged and managed group tours on behalf of several universities, and has escorted group tours to Cuba, England, Hong Kong, Korea, and New Zealand.
Teaching:
Baker is a leading faculty member of the prestigious SATW Institute of Travel Writing & Photography. He also regularly teaches travel writing classes for the Learning Annex and has participated in the annual Book Passage Travel Writer & Photographer Conference. As a teacher, Baker regales students with his experiences with the hope that his enthusiasm and love for his work can inspire them to also succeed in this competitive but exciting field.
Check out Baker's website at www.guidebookwriters.com |
christopher p. baker 