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Community Q & A with Lonely Planet author!

Posted at 04:31AM May 16, 2008 by geekgal

Celebrated Lonely Planet author Frances Linzee Gordon is coming to Australia and will be visiting Lonely Planet headquarters. While she's here, we're getting her to answer your questions - about her guidebooks, about working for Lonely Planet, about the places she's been and the travel industry in general.

Simply post your questions on this Thorn Tree thread, we'll gather up a selection of the best, have Frances answer them on camera with the Lonely Planet.tv team for you, and post her responses online.

This is your chance to find out everything you ever wanted to know but were afraid to ask about travel writing and being a Lonely Planet author.

Ask Frances a question via the Thorn Tree. She'll answer on Lonely Planet.tv!

Frances grew up in Scotland and now lives in London. After 12 years of writing for Lonely Planet, she’s travelled to nearly 100 countries and contributed articles and images to dozens of travel publications. Her first edition guidebook, Ethiopia, Eritrea & Djibouti was nominated for the Travelex-Observer Guidebook of the Year Award and is often cited as Lonely Planet's best ever guide by readers and reviewers.

In 2007, Frances reportedly became the first person ever to be granted a visa as an independent traveller to Saudi Arabia, and she’s one of very few women to travel alone in Yemen (albeit in disguise). She once fought for survival on an Ethiopian whitewater rafting trip gone wrong, and has been repeatedly arrested on suspicion of spying in Djibouti (until she requested a meeting with the Chief of Police, who then became a great ally!) She’s eaten pizza with Yemen’s Minister of the Interior around the Cabinet table, sat for a portrait by Ethiopia’s most famous artist, and been involved in a car chase with kif (hashish) bandits in Morocco. All in a days work!

Frances’ tally of travel ‘near missesr>
revolting tropical diseases – 3
nearly swept away in a flood – 1
nearly bombed in a war zone – 1
lost-somewhere-in-the-desert – 4
lost-somewhere-in-the-jungle – 2
lost-somewhere-on-a-mountain – 2
encounter with a hungry shark – 1
encounter with an angry llama – 1
flea bites – 2082
car accidents (minor) – 3
motorbike accident (alcohol related) – 1
high-speed car chase (with drugs barons) – 1
arrests on suspicion of spying (deeply flattering) – 3
marriage proposals (from pity - not flattering) – 53

Questions must be posted on the Thorn Tree by Thursday 22 May (5pm AEST) to be considered. If your questions are chosen we will read out your handle on camera (we will only reveal your personal details if you want us to).

Category: Events | Tags: author frances_linzee_gordon video