 With the publication of In Patagonia , Chatwin invigorated the genre of travel writing ; according to his biographer , Nicholas Murray , he " showed that an inventive writer could breathe new life into an old genre . " The combination of his clear yet vivid prose and an international perspective at a time when many English writers were more focused on home instead of abroad helped to set him apart . Aside from his writing , Chatwin was also good looking , and his image as a dashing traveller added to his appeal and helped make him a celebrity . In the eyes of younger writers such as Rory Stewart , Chatwin " made [ travel writing ] cool . " In The New York Times , Andrew Harvey wrote , 
