I'm Egle Gerulaityte, a traveler, a writer and a journalist. I'm passionate about discovering strange and obscure places and cultures, and as a journalist, I always want to know all there is to know about the local life. All around the world, people are so ordinary and extraordinary at the same time - and I love telling their stories, because it's the stories that connect us!
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South America is so much more than just an exotic destination. Indigenous Quechua women are discovering feminism, Andean shamans are falling in love with motorcycling, contemporary jazz is taking over Colombia and human rights activism is sweeping across Argentina.
At the same time, South America is home to lost legends of vanished tribes, Patagonian ghost stories, Andean myths, and Caribbean melancholy. Tales from South America is a mix of the everyday, the curious, and the fantastical.
Publishing this book means the world to me. And to the people in the book, this means the world will get to hear their stories!
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If you back this project, not only you'll get an electronic or printed copy of the book, but you'll also help the actual people in the book - I've decided to donate 5% of the book sales to the people and families I met on the road.
Want to have a quick look before you back it? Download the first chapter of "Tales from South America" HERE!
What I Need & What You Get
To make Tales from South America a reality, I need:
- $1,500 to finish the research and revision of the book
- $2,000 to work with a professional editor
- $3,500 to publish & print the book
- $500 to cover shipping costs for sending out books
- $600+ in IndieGoGo platform costs and fees
Backing this project, you'll get a whole bunch of unique perks including:
- the digital or printed version of the book
- a postcard from South America
- a motorcycle tour in Ecuador
- an opportunity to meet the actual people in the book
- a chance to be featured in the book yourself!
The Impact
Tales from South America: Everyday Life, People, and Legends has a simple but important message: around the world, ordinary people's lives can be made extraordinary through storytelling.
If this project overfunds, I would love to include numerous illustrations in the book, produced by local South American artists!
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As a freelance writer and journalist, I have successfully published these stories, among many others:
- Guna Yala: Islands Where Women Make All the Decisions, BBC Travel
- Venezuelan Refugee Crisis: A Glimpse, Egle On The Road
- Miraculous Hill of 100,000 Crosses, BBC Travel
- Last Leather Tanners of Ecuador, BBC Travel
I have also created and still edit an online magazine for women motorcyclists, Women ADV Riders, aimed at women who love travel, adventure, and motorcycling.
My first book, Testimony of a Vagabond - a predecessor to Tales from South America - was published in Lithuania in 2017.
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I'm pouring my heart and soul into this book, and I hope you'll enjoy meeting all the incredible local people from Peru, Bolivia, Argentina, Chile, Ecuador and Colombia!
There are some risks involved. Independent self-publishing can be a complicated process, but I am confident that with your support, I can make this book a reality.
Other Ways You Can Help
Please share this campaign with your friends, families and coworkers, and post it on social media.
Let's make this happen!
