Tom Sykes has been a travel writer and editor for 10 years. In 2013 he travelled extensively in Ivory Coast and is now a regular contributor of articles about Ivorian culture, history, politics and tourism to the New African and African Courier magazines. Few English-speaking journalists have visited the Ivory Coast in recent years and Tom is regarded as an authority on the country. His fiancé is also Ivorian. His work includes research and writing in the Ivory Coast for The London Magazine, New African and African Courier. He has also published travel stories in The Telegraph, The Journalist and numerous in-flight magazines. Tom is the co-editor of five anthologies of travelogues; the first, No Such Thing as a Free Ride? was serialised in The Times and named The Observer’s Travel Book of the Month. He is currently Lecturer in Creative Writing at the University of Portsmouth and is studying at Goldsmiths, University of London for a PhD on Western travel writing about the developing world.