Meet Richard Collett
Richard Collett is an award-winning British travel journalist, photographer and author with a particular interest in offbeat destinations, borderlands and cultural identity.
Since becoming a professional travel writer in 2018, Richard’s work has appeared in publications including National Geographic, BBC Travel, CNN Travel, Lonely Planet and The Telegraph. His reporting has taken him to more than 90 countries, often in search of places and stories beyond the most familiar tourist trail.
Born in Scotland to English parents and now living in Exmouth, Devon, Richard brings both personal curiosity and a reporter’s eye to the question of British identity. Time spent in Devon and family connections to Cornwall helped inspire his first book, Along the Borders: In Search of What Divides and Unites Us, published by Doubleday in April 2026.
The book follows a multi-year journey through the borderlands of the British Isles, meeting people who live where history, language, politics and local loyalties collide. It begins in the South West, where the Devon–Cornwall border opens onto larger questions about what makes a county, a nation and a shared country.
In episode 35 of Destination Unlocked, Richard joins Daniel Edward to explore Devon and Cornwall through the South West Coast Path, food, art, tourism, regional identity and the practical choices that can make a visit more rewarding.
Along the Borders
Richard’s debut book asks what Britain looks like when viewed from its edges and internal seams. Travelling by bus, boat, train, plane, car and on foot, he explores places where national identities can become more pronounced, but also where cultures mix and boundaries are crossed every day.
Along the Borders: In Search of What Divides and Unites Us is published by Doubleday in hardback and ebook.
Richard’s gallery
