 In 1972 , The Sunday Times Magazine hired Chatwin as an adviser on art and architecture . Initially his role was to suggest story ideas and put together features such as " One Million Years of Art , " which ran in several issues during the summer of 1973 . His editor , Francis Wyndham , encouraged him to write , which allowed him to develop his narrative skills . Chatwin travelled on many international assignments , writing on such subjects as Algerian migrant workers and the Great Wall of China , and interviewing such diverse people as André Malraux , Maria Reiche , and Madeleine Vionnet . 
