Our Fellows

Leon McCarron is a writer whose words come from slow, immersive journeys. He has travelled over 30,000 miles on foot and by bike and boat, and tells stories big and small through the voices of those on the ground. He has been a Fellow of the Abraham Path since 2017, and is also a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society. He has presented two films for the BBC, and his journalism has appeared in National Geographic, Smithsonian magazine, New Scientist and Noema. He is the author of ‘The Land Beyond: A Thousand Miles on foot through the Heart of the Middle East’ and his upcoming book, ‘Wounded Tigris: A River Journey through the Cradle of Civilisation’ will be published in late 2022.

Since 2017, Leon has been exploring the ancient pathways and trails in the Kurdistan region of Iraq where he now lives. “Working in this region brings great promise and hope to a place and people that have suffered greatly, and are keen to open to a brighter path for the future,” says Leon. “Our footsteps there follow centuries of other walkers that have sculpted these landscapes.”

Alison Tanik is a poet, playwright and performer who lives in the English Midlands. She returned to the town of her birth, Derby, after spending many years working and living in North Africa and the Middle East, including 7 years in a Kurdish village, Yuvacalı, in southeast Turkey. While living in Yuvacalı, Alison became involved with the Abraham Path Initative, helping to introduce hundreds of visitors to the hospitality of the region, before leaving to return to the UK with her two children in 2012.

Since returning to the UK, Alison has developed her interest in writing while working in education and raising her children. She is currently studying at Manchester Metropolitan University for an MA in creative writing. Alison performs her work widely at venues across the UK and is an Associate Poet for the Derby Poetry Festival 2023.

Ömer Tanık is a Kurdish Turk who has lived in Turkey and the UK, and currently resides in Şanlıurfa, in southeast Turkey, where he owns and runs a guest house. He has worked in tourism and sustainable development for many years, being one of the founding members of the Turkey Culture Routes Society. He has been involved with the Abraham Path Initiative since 2010, bringing visitors from all over the world to walk in southeast Turkey.