James Wong

Born and raised in London, I started out as an entertainment publicist and social media manager for television networks, Turner Broadcasting and The Disney Channel.

After eight years, I was graciously permitted time to take a sabbatical, with my job waiting upon return. I backpacked through Asia and Australia and had the most incredible experience. The moment I sat back at my desk in Hammersmith, I knew I’d be handing in my notice within the year.

When I did, I packed my things and flew to Vancouver on a working holiday visa, becoming an entertainment reporter for the local website, Vancity Buzz.

However, it was when I moved to Tokyo a couple of years later that things really took off. I snagged an entertainment column in Tokyo Weekender, and a few months later a friend joined me in Asia as the editor of Singapore Airline’s in-flight magazine, Silverkris. He asked me to cover Japan and that became my speciality. I also wrote about my region for Cathay Pacific’s magazine, plus Esquire and Vogue.

By 2018, I was picking up regular commissions from both fashion titles and airline magazines. I moved to New York, but found writing there extremely competitive. During Covid, I struggled to get work, so I relocated to Austin, Texas. There, I had better luck. I became the sole state writer for Time Out, covering happenings across four major cities and occasionally manning the US news desk. I also freelanced for The Knot, Thrillist, and Fodors, as well as some fashion titles.

I am so happy to live in London again, and appreciate it more than ever, after being away so long. In 2024, I released two Lonely Planet guidebooks, and I can’t wait to share my stories of travelling the world with TravelSupermarket.