The Story of The World’s Rarest Silk with BBC Travel’s Eliot Stein

Going Places

Today, we'll learn about the story of the world's rarest silk with writer, editor, and now book author Eliot Stein. Eliot and I first got to know each other through our shared passion for the types of stories that reveal something about a place through the lens of tradition and unique cultural practices.

Eliot has edited a few of my stories at BBC Travel, where he currently serves as the deputy editor, and where he started a column called Custom Made that highlights cultural custodians preserving vanishing customs. Eliot has recently completed a book inspired by this column that will be published this fall.

This conversation has given me a sense of joy and lightness that I haven't felt in a while. You're going to hear about our shared passion for telling stories about people preserving cultural traditions, like the last remaining sea silk seamstress in Sardinia and Japan's craft soy sauce brewer who still makes shoyu in a traditional way. We also discuss what the book writing process was like for Eliot and hear more about his upcoming book. If you want to learn more about Eliot and receive updates on his upcoming book, follow him on Instagram @Eliot.Stein.

This episode and the entire season is brought to you by Visit Jordan. Be sure to visit myjordanjourney.com to learn more about Jordan.

What you’ll learn in this episode:

• Discussion about the story "The Last Surviving Sea Silk Seamstress" for BBC Travel
• Importance of highlighting the person, tradition, and craft rather than the writer
• Insight into the process of building relationships and trust with subjects for storytelling
• Importance of traditions in shaping places and people
• Recognition of the depth beyond tourist attractions
• Discussion on changing reading habits and the impact on storytelling
• Multifaceted approaches to storytelling in the digital age
• Eliot's upcoming book "Custodians of Wonder"
• Eliot's background in travel journalism and its influence on the book
• The labor of love and intense commitment required to write a book
• Advice for aspiring authors: prioritize passion over monetary or personal gains
• Resources and opportunities for aspiring authors, such as the Writer's Digest conference
• Story behind a photo featuring traditional soy sauce production in Japan
• Importance of clear pitching guidelines for democratizing travel journalism
• Hope in the power of travel journalism to foster empathy and understanding across cultures

Featured on the show:

• Follow Eliot on Instagram: @eliot.stein
• Read Eliot’s article on BBC Travel: The last surviving sea silk seamstress
• Learn about the Barrel-aged soy sauce, also available online at trf-ny.com
• Pitch your book idea: writersdigestconference.com
• Read the BBC Travel author brief

Get more information at:

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Going Places with Yulia Denisyuk is a show that sparks a better understanding of people and places near and far by fostering a space for real conversations to occur. Each week, we sit down with travelers, journalists, creators, and people living and working in destinations around the world. Hosted by Yulia Denisyuk, an award-winning travel journalist, photographer, and writer who's worked with National Geographic, The New York Times, BBC Travel, and more.

Learn more about our show at goingplacesmedia.com.

Our theme music this season, Abbad El Shams, is provided by Rawan Roshni, a Palestinian/Balkan singer based in Jordan.