Welcome to EnQuire

Hello and welcome. I’m Sarah Murray and I suppose the best way to describe myself is as a writer seeking answers to two questions: How does the world work? And what makes us human?

I’ve explored some of this at the Financial Times, where I’ve spent more than two decades writing about the evolving relationship between business and finance and people and the planet. I also been a travel writer and published a couple of non-fiction books—one on the global journeys of food and one on death, or rather the things we do around the globe to celebrate those we’ve lost.

Now, with EnQuire, I’m delving into things I don’t often get to write about. This is an occasional series (the day job makes it hard to commit to a schedule) that features everything from art, music and travel to tales of unexpected human connections, curious corners from my family history, a few life lessons and anything I feel might shed light on the experience of being alive. At a time when many of us need a break from the doomscrolling, I aim to enlighten, entertain and perhaps offer a few opportunities for thoughtful reflection.

Speaking of reflection…

A word about the illustrations: Where available and relevant, I’ll add images that contribute to the story. Sometimes there will be artworks or photographs by people whose work I admire. Otherwise, I’ll make a seasonal selection from the more than 4,000 pictures of plants and flowers I took over the course of a year during the pandemic.

You can find them all here. They’re best seen in grid form (although they worked better as squares before Instagram changed its format). Wander back through the seasons as you scroll down.

Why subscribe

Everything on EnQuire can be read for free—but anyone who’d like to support my work is welcome to take out a paid subscription. If not, please do subscribe for free (all subscribers get notified of new posts) and spread the word by introducing it to others.