Hilary Bradt

From 1972, Bradt spent 18 months backpacking from Colombia to Tierra del Fuego and then Argentina and Brazil with her then husband George, with whom she subsequently co-founded Bradt Travel Guides. Their first book was Backpacking along Ancient Ways in Peru and Bolivia.

The Bradt guides began by covering exotic or off-beat destinations, such as Rwanda and Albania, and have continued to target this niche, frequently publishing guides to countries not yet covered by any other travel publisher. The Bradt books have won a number of awards. The company is based in Chalfont St Peter, England.

After running the company for 35 years, Bradt announced her retirement in 2007, but retains an involvement as a director of the company. She also continues to write after her retirement, authoring a guide book to Devon and contributing articles to national newspapers and magazines, as well as in a collection of travellers tales.

Bradt has also worked extensively as a tour leader. Her area of special expertise is Madagascar and she has written several books on this African island nation. Bradt is a long-standing member of the British Guild of Travel Writers, from which she received a Lifetime Achievement Award in November 2009.