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Wounded Tigris is out in paperback on Thursday, 6th June! Here I try to use the mountains in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, and the exquisite matching of tones between book and backdrop, to sell it to you. Order from your favourite bookstore here: geni.us/WoundedTigrisPB

The river Tigris is in danger. It has been the lifeblood of ancient Mesopotamia and modern Iraq, but geopolitics and climate change have left it at risk of becoming uninhabitable. Follow Leon McCarron as he journeys the full length, in search of hope: brnw.ch/21wKvkl

Last week I was awarded the Cherry Kearton Medal from Royal Geographical Society (with IBG), for a dedication to unearthing the importance, beauty and fragility of natural history. Came back from Iraq for the ceremony but arrived too late for pics, so here’s the medal now safely back in Ireland.

I’m so pleased the paperback version of this book is out, and I’d be extra pleased if you decide to buy it from Stanfords! The travel writing genre can feel tough at times, but we are very lucky to have a renowned bookseller like Stanfords who offer so much support 🙏

Given the news coming out of France, & how big the discussion around migration/immigration seems to be, I wanted to repost about ‘My Fourth Time, We Drowned’ being available in French now. We’ve struggled to get media interest in its release but the info in it is very relevant.

I’ll be in #Belfast tomorrow night, Thursday, to talk about the Tigris river and Iraq. And whatever else comes up! 7pm at Queen’s University, hosted by Royal Geographical Society (with IBG). It’s also free, and I’ll be signing books. rgs.org/events/upcomin…

Bus station in Derry. Are you going to Donegal? I ask a driver. ‘Are YOU going to Donegal?’ he replies. I’d like to, I say. ‘Sure we’d all like to go to Donegal,’ he says. ‘Letterkenny?’ asks a lady next to me. ‘We could try that too,’ he says, so we get on, confused but cheery.

Wrapping up a life-enhancing four months at Yale University as part of the YaleWorldFellows. I’m very grateful to the program, to the students and faculty that I got to know, and especially to my 15 fellow fellows, all doing astounding things in their fields. Now heading back east for 2025…

Could a railroad that once linked Damascus to Medina, its tracks & stations now crumbling or destroyed by treasure hunters, help stitch a fragmented region back together? Leon McCarron explores. noemamag.com/the-unlikely-r…

I have spent most of this year in Syria, mostly researching an upcoming book. I wrote this essay for Noema Magazine from Damascus on the past, present and future of the Hejaz Railway: noemamag.com/the-unlikely-r…

My report from Bosra in southern Syria for ‘From Our Own Correspondent’ on BBC Radio 4 and BBC World Service. I ask whether there are realistic hopes for a revival of tourism in the country, or if it is simply too soon, and too uncertain- starting at 22.20: bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m0…

“For thousands of years, Syria was a crossroads of empires, a pivotal point for Silk Road trade & a bridge connecting the Mediterranean to Mesopotamia & points further east.” Could its crumbling, Ottoman-era railway now reinvigorate the region? Leon McCarron explores.

NEW: With 90% of the population going hungry, Syrians are turning to looting of archaeological sites just to survive. Leon McCarron reports from across Syria to assess the damage, for New Lines Magazine. newlinesmag.com/reportage/trea…

Looting the Past To Survive With 90% of the population going hungry, Syrians are turning to looting of archaeological sites just to survive. - Leon McCarron reports from across Syria to assess the damage, for New Lines Magazine. newlinesmag.com/reportage/trea…

I wrote about the damage caused by treasure hunters to heritage sites in Syria since the fall of Assad, and the circumstances that have caused such desperation. For New Lines Magazine, here: newlinesmag.com/reportage/trea…

Some of the sites I visited for this story on treasure hunters- the crusader castle at Krak des Chevaliers, the 3rd millennium BC port city of Amrite, classical-era Palmyra, and Roman Bosra. Such a privilege to see even a fraction of Syria’s riches. newlinesmag.com/reportage/trea…

With 90% of the population going hungry, Syrians are turning to looting of archaeological sites just to survive. Leon McCarron reports from across Syria to assess the damage, for New Lines Magazine. newlinesmag.com/reportage/trea…

NEW: Leon McCarron speaks to ATHAR Peoject’s Amr Al-Azm for New Lines Magazine about the growing illicit antiquities trade in the new Syria 🧵 newlinesmag.com/reportage/trea…