It's World Book Day, so if you're stuck in the office today, fear not, you can still travel the world. You'll just have to use your imagination.

Writers build places. Sometimes they conjure make-believe realms, unfettered by rules of sense or science. But sometimes they evoke real ones – destinations you can find on a map. And sometimes they manage to make those real places feel more real than any photo ever could.

They render locations large in mere ink, perfectly capturing their sights, sounds, smells and essence, turning a previously blank sheet into a teleporter for the reader’s imagination.

In her new book, The Inspired Travellers’ Guide to Literary Places, Sarah Baxter reveals the finest...