Laurence Blair
@laurieablair
writer & journalist @NYTimes @guardian @BBC | PATRIA (2024) | Fascinated by South American history | Paraguay posting @theparaguaypost
Ten years since I first touched down in South America, I’m really happy to say that my first book, PATRIA, is out in November 2024! It’s now available for pre-order and I can’t wait to share it with the world: penguin.co.uk/books/435719/p…
Tonight in St Leonards-on-Sea! I’ll be talking with @nickballon about our travels to guano islands, the Atacama, and with Bolivia’s landlocked navy 🚢 A few signed copies of Patria will also be available 🦤
I wrote about why Brazil has been spying on Paraguay – and the importance of the Itaipu dam renegotiation – for @ForeignPolicy with thanks to @mercedescanese Miguel Carter & @julyheduvan 🇵🇾👀🇧🇷 foreignpolicy.com/2025/07/10/ita…
Patria hits UK bookshops once more – this time in stunning Inca Sun God gold:
Happy #PublicationDay to @laurieablair whose spellbinding book #Patria comes out in gorgeous paperback today! @vintagebooks 'Absolutely wonderful' - DOMINIC SANDBROOK 'A luscious, erudite romp ... a tour de force of literary mezcla' - ALICE ALBINIA
Arrancamos en breve!
Hoy tenemos un invitado muy interesante. Laurence Blair @laurieablair, escritor y periodista del @nytimes, @guardian y @bbc. Actualmente vive en nuestro país y dirige @theparaguaypost donde publicó un interesante material sobre el tráfico de drogas en el. Bosque Mbaracayu.…
Was Madame Lynch – Paraguay’s Irish empress – a selfless heroine, scheming villain, or something more complex? For @guardian with thanks to @KyguaVera @edu_nakayama and gravediggers Jorge & Faustino theguardian.com/world/2025/jun…
Hablé con @laurieablair sobre la Madame Lynch. Es muy difícil aún hablar de y sobre ella sin que la poderosa figura de Francisco Solano López no se cuele en medio. ¿Quién fue ella? ¿Por qué en el Panteón? y no menos importante; ¿Quienes quedan atrás? theguardian.com/world/2025/jun…
🌳The Bosque Mbaracayú is one of Paraguay’s last great forests – – but it’s being invaded by narcotraffickers. 🚨 Read the full investigation: theparaguaypost.com/p/paraguays-fo…
An advance copy of the PATRIA paperback has landed in Paraguay! Available for pre-order now:
The rumours are true! A pleasure to delve into the epic and tragic guerra guazú (The Great War) and its long shadow over Paraguay 🇵🇾 Featuring Dr Francia, an Irish would-be empress, swords, pens, artichokes, & the Attila of the Americas:
A brilliant bonus for @TheRestHistory Club members today, as the great @laurieablair explores the mad story of the PARAGUAYAN WAR. One of the most fascinating stories we've ever done on the show, inspired by his wonderful book PATRIA. Don't miss it! 🇵🇾 therestishistory.com
I'm properly buzzing with this kind & thoughtful review of PATRIA - thanks @TheTLS 🐝 "A luscious, erudite romp through centuries of pre- and post-Columbian history ... The book buzzes like a beehive ... a tour de force of literary mezcla" the-tls.co.uk/politics-socie…
“Gulf of America,” my review of the indispensable new history by @GregGrandin is up on @LAReviewofBooks. lareviewofbooks.org/article/gulf-o…
Deforestación salvaje y riesgo de genocidio en el Chaco paraguayo. Como duele este país.
Paraguay’s Ayoreo people warn that deforestation at a ranch called Faro Moro poses an “alarming risk of genocide” to their uncontacted relatives our story with @mariamagdarre for @guardian theguardian.com/global-develop…
Paraguay’s Ayoreo people warn that deforestation at a ranch called Faro Moro poses an “alarming risk of genocide” to their uncontacted relatives our story with @mariamagdarre for @guardian theguardian.com/global-develop…
🧵 THREAD: some @theparaguaypost stories you may have missed: ⚡️😫✊🏽 How sleep-deprived Villarrica locals took on a Canadian bitcoin mine: tinyurl.com/criptovrica
Really pleased to see this kind review of PATRIA in the @IrishTimes by Tim Fanning: irishtimes.com/culture/books/…
I’m reliably informed that PATRIA is currently a Kindle Daily Deal! Hundreds of years of South American history at your fingertips for just £1.99 Tap the link to claim this absolute OFERTÓN: tinyurl.com/PatriaKindleDe…
Our time has come:
Mexico’s president calls for parts of US to be renamed ‘Mexican America’ on.ft.com/3W9zWp0
with @unseenhistories, I hazarded some thoughts on guano, nostalgia, ancient Amazonian agroforestry – and whether the patria grande was ever more than a pipe dream Here’s the full interview. Happy 2025 friends! unseenhistories.com/patria-laurenc…
A highlight of 2024 was returning to Espíritu Pampa, the last city of the Incas. Here’s the write-up @FT with fantastic photography by @nickballon Read here for free! on.ft.com/3BQLqqw
