Melissa Shales Writer Education Ph.D., Literature, University of Essex B.A., History and Archaeology, University of Exeter Introduction Travel and tourism writer specializing in Africa and the MediterraneanPh.D. in literature (creative non-fiction)ESOL/EFL teacher Experience Melissa Shales is a travel and tourism writer, English teacher, and editor. As an award-winning writer and editor, she specializes in travel writing, with particular expertise in the Mediterranean and Africa. She has written over 30 guides to destinations around the world, as well as articles for a number of publications.In 2009, Shales won a Winston Church Memorial Fellowship to travel across Africa by train, which inspired her to write a book on the history of railways in Africa based on these trips. Education Melissa Shales holds a Ph.D. in creative nonfiction from the University of Essex. She also earned a B.A. in History and Archaeology from the University of Exeter. ThoughtCo and Dotdash Meredith ThoughtCo, a Dotdash Meredith brand, is an award-winning reference site offering education content created by experts. ThoughtCo reaches 13 million readers each month. Learn more about us and our editorial guidelines.