I'm a freelance journalist based in Paraguay. Since 2014, I’ve travelled widely across Latin America on assignment, reporting in print, radio and video for the BBC, The New York Times, the Guardian, The Economist and others.

I’m the author of PATRIA: Lost Countries of South America, an alternative history of the continent. It was a Financial Times Best Book of 2024. The Telegraph gave it five stars, describing it as “extraordinary … romantic, adventurous and thrilling.” Marie Arana called it “a magnificent contribution to the Latin American canon.” You can order PATRIA by following the link here.

I studied history at university, and love chasing stories that lead me off the beaten track, whether on foot, in the saddle, in the archive or with a paddle. I’m the founding editor of The Paraguay Post, an independent news source on South America’s most intriguing and least-understood country.

I grew up in Dorset, southwest England, and hope to head back there someday to shear sheep and work through Thomas Hardy’s back catalogue.

Get in touch: with tips, feedback, commissions, queries, or just to say hi, you can reach me on laurie.a.blair@gmail.com. I’m also on Twitter @laurieablair and on Instagram @printsoflblair.