Charlie Walker

Award-winning explorer and author, Charlie Walker shares the stories and drama from his intrepid trek along the frozen rivers of Siberia, just at the moment that Russia invaded Ukraine.

In early 2022, explorer and author Charlie Walker set out to hike 600 miles along Siberia's frozen rivers, camping in temperatures as low as -50°C and meeting reindeer herders and the descendants of Gulag survivors along the way. Then, on 24 February, Russia invaded Ukraine and his adventure turned into a paranoid nightmare of surveillance, arrest and imprisonment.

Recently selected as BBC Radio 4's Book of the Week, On Thin Ice has been hailed as a gripping blend of travelogue and thriller. "Imagine John Le Carré mixed with James Bond," says fellow explorer Benedict Allen, as Charlie offers a rare, first-hand insight into Putin's Russia at a moment of historic upheaval.

About the author:
Charlie Walker is an award-winning explorer, author and keynote speaker who has covered over 60,000 miles by foot, bicycle, ski and dugout canoe across some of the world's most remote regions. He is a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society and the author of Through Sand & Snow and On Roads That Echo. Join him at Shipston Bookfest as he shares the extraordinary story behind his latest book.