Profile of Vivien Devlin

Name:

Vivien Devlin

Professional title

Freelance arts and travel writer

Address

15 Leslie Place
Edinburgh EH4 1NF

Telephone (day)

0131 343 2116

Telephone (evening)

0131 343 2116

Fax:

Mobile

07808 923 318

E-mail

vivien.devlin@lineone.net

Website 1

Website 2

Biography

After graduating with an English degree, I joined the BBC and had a long and successful career researching and producing arts and literary programmes for BBC Scotland, Radio 3 and 4. I also produced and presented regular travel features which gave me an incurable travel bug. In 1999 I left the BBC to develop a career as an arts and travel writer. My specialities are Scotland, hotels, spas, cultural journeys, arts festivals, cruises, railway journeys, islands - from Scotland to the Seychelles - and US cities.

Main professional activities

Deputy Editor, Hotel Review Scotland, www.hotelreviewscotland.com the first in a series of international websites under company title, Hotel Review World. www.hotelreviewworld.com. I am also deputy editor of Hotel Review Madeira which is due to be active January 2006.

I contribute regularly to Scotland magazine - aimed at international visitor. Also Sunday Herald, Good Holiday, Travel Lady, Luxury Scotland, Uncovered, Rampant Scotland.

Memberships

British Guild of Travel Writers

Awards

Best on-line Travel Writer, 2005 (runner up)- Visit USA

Most recent publications

Other important publications

Two social histories - Kings, Queens and People's Palaces - the Scottish Theatre (1991) and Motherhood, 1920 to the present day. (1995 & 1997).

Areas of particular interest or expertise

Scotland, Paris, New York, Los Angeles, Pittsburgh, St. Louis, Spoleto, (Umbria - Italy). Hotels, cruises and railway journeys.

Other relevant information

With an arts background, the underlying theme to much of my travel is on the cultural side. I love writing city guides, contributing a lively and colourful overview on where to stay, eat and what to do. Hotels, restaurants, bars, art galleries, theatres.

I am also fascinated to find out about the haunts of famous artists, musicians and writers in places I visit and tracing their legacy today. I have experienced many exciting literary journeys, such as following in the footsteps of Noel Coward around Jamaica 50 years on (1948-1998), Marilyn Monroe in New York (where I stayed in her suite at Waldorf Astoria) and Ernest Hemingway in Cuba and Key West. Thousands of tourists love to visit the former homes of such eminent people every year. Cultural tourism is big business. I am interested in the history and heritage of places I visit, such as Halifax, Canada with its strong Scottish population.

I am now researching Grenada which has a large Scottish community descended from immigrants in the 19th century. I hope this will not only be a feature but an important social history book about the early travellers from the UK to the Caribbean - following this story through the mass tourism to these tropical islands today.