Robert Penn (born 1967) is a British writer, photographer and broadcaster. He is a frequent columnist in UK national newspapers and has written widely on such subjects as cycling, travel, British woodlands and life in the Brecon Beacons, Wales. Penn was born in Birmingham and grew up in Wales and London before studying history at the University of Bristol. He has cycled around the world and across Wales in the dark. His latest book, ''Slow Rise: A Bread-Making Adventure'' was published by Particular Books/Penguin in February 2021. His book, ''The Man Who Made Things Out of Trees'' was BBC Radio Four 'Book of the Week' in December 2015. His other books include ''The Wrong Kind of Snow'' – a survey of the British obsession with the weather, co-authored with Antony Woodward – and ''It's All About the Bike'', which documents his worldwide search for the perfect custom bike, while narrating the social history of the bicycle. ''It's All About the Bike'' was a Sunday Times bestseller in the UK; it has been translated into thirteen languages.

Television

In 2010, he wrote and presented the television documentary ''Ride of my Life: the Story of the Bicycle'', based on his book ''It's All About the Bike'', which was broadcast on BBC4 and BBC2. In 2012, he presented the six-part series ''Tales from the Wild Wood'' for BBC4, about British woodlands. In 2013, he cycled 1,200 km through the heart of the Amazon rainforest with former England cricket captain

Andrew Flintoff Andrew "Freddie" Flintoff (born 6 December 1977) is an English television and radio presenter and former international cricketer. Flintoff played all forms of the game and was one of the sport's leading all-rounders, a fast bowler, middle-ord ...

for the two-part Sky1 documentary ''Flintoff's Road to Nowhere''. In 2014, he travelled round Britain in a fish and chip van with Flintoff, making a six-part series for Sky1
"Lord of the Fries"
was broadcast in February and March 2015. The second series, ''Flintoff Fries Again'' was broadcast on Sky 1 in February and March 2016.

Publications

*2021 - Slow Rise: A Bread-Making Adventure (Particular Books. ) *2015 - ''The Man Who Made Things Out of Trees (''Particular Books. ) *2010 – ''It's All About the Bike: The Pursuit of Happiness on Two Wheels'' (Particular Books. ) *2008 – '' The Celtic Trail: The Official Guide to National Cycle Network Routes 4 and 47 from Fishguard to Chepstow'' (Pocket Mountains Ltd. ) *2007 – ''The Wrong Kind of Snow: The Complete Daily Companion to the British Weather'', with Antony Woodward (Hodder & Stoughton. ) *2005 – ''A Place to Cycle: Amazing Rides from Around the World'' (Conran Octopus. ) *2004 – ''The Sky is Falling on Our Heads: A Journey to the Bottom of the Celtic Fringe'' (Sceptre. )

References

External links

Official website

Lecture: "An Ode to the Bicycle"

YouTube: Penguin Books trailer for ''It's All About The Bike''

YouTube: "It's All About The Bike by Robert Penn"
{{DEFAULTSORT:Penn, Robert Living people English male journalists English television presenters English non-fiction writers People from Birmingham, West Midlands Manx people 1967 births Alumni of the University of Bristol English male non-fiction writers Cycling writers