AN ISLE of Wight author has had her evocative travel story collection published.

Cowes based Julie Watson’s collection, Travel Mementos: Personal Stories about Faraway Places, has been released by independent publishers Beachy Books.

The volume of 20 travel tales was published on Friday, and is intended to whet the appetite of armchair travellers currently trapped in lockdown.

Retired English teacher and academic, Julie Watson, said: "When I retired, I wanted to create something out of my travel memories I could later read in order to relive bits of my life.

Isle of Wight County Press: Cowes based Author Julie Watson.Cowes based Author Julie Watson.

"In my early twenties an amateur palmist read my hand and informed me I 'would travel a lot, and could write but probably lacked the willpower.’

"It took a while, but I hope I have now, definitively, proved her wrong about the last prediction!"

Julie wrote Travel Mementos in her home town of Cowes, crediting the pace of life and abundance of nature for allowing her to complete the book.

Isle of Wight County Press: Julie Watson's new Travel Memories publication.Julie Watson's new Travel Memories publication.

A spokesperson for Beachy Books said: "Travel Mementos is a collection of true stories from locations around the world.

"Spanning continents and cultures, the evocative retelling of these personal memories will transport, surprise and delight you in an immersive reading experience."

Travel Mementos: Personal Stories about Faraway Places by Julie Watson retails at £6.99 and is published by Beachy Books Partner Publishing.

Buy it locally at Medina Books in Cowes or via links on the Beachy Books website.