I’m Joe, a British writer and journalist covering the former Soviet Union, but perennially curious about other topics. My work has appeared in The Financial Times, Nikkei Asia, The I Paper, TRT World, The Diplomat, The Times of Central Asia, Riddle Russia, and Vlast.

These are exciting times as my travel book, Farewell to Russia: A Journey Through The Former USSR will be published by Elliot & Thompson in Spring 2026. Stay tuned for updates!

You can find me on Instagram and X — @joelucbarnes.

For anything official, you can get in touch with my lovely agent, Tom Cull – https://cullandco.com/