About me
I’m Leigh Turner, writer and former ambassador. Thanks for visiting my blog.
My diplomatic and life handbook “Lessons in Diplomacy: Politics, Power and Parties” is available from Bristol University Press, from Amazon, or from all good bookshops.
You can buy my thrillers and other books from Amazon or leading bookshops. Read about my published books here.
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Latest Articles

My writing course on Lesbos: 10% discount
Writing courses: I am leading a writing course on the beautiful Greek island of Lesbos from 6-13 September 2025.

Salonica, City of Ghosts
“Salonica – City of Ghosts” is an eery, elegiac portrait of a city that – in many respects – had a completely different identity to

Fake facts: “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy”
Fake facts: my theory about the origin of “42” in “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” was nonsense. The puzzle of its true origin persists.

Katse Dam Site, Lesotho
Katse Dam site, Lesotho: photographs taken on visits in March-April 1988 as construction of the Dam began. Katse: where are the photos from? In March-April

“Burma Sahib” and “Burmese Days”
“Burma Sahib”, by Paul Theroux, fictionalises George Orwell’s Burma years from 1922-27. Orwell’s novel “Burmese Days” does the same. How do they compare? “Burmese Days”

Zelensky/Trump: what next after the Oval Office car crash?
Zelensky/Trump: what exactly happened in the Oval Office on 28 February? What might happen next? Just over two weeks ago, President Trump rocked Europe by

Russia and Ukraine 3 years on: what next?
President Trump has rocked Europe by starting talks with Moscow. What next for Russia and Ukraine 3 years on?
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