Catching up on Ring of Bright Water
What did we make of this nature writing classic at our first walk back on the Heath?
Dear walking book clubbers,
It was such a joy to see you on that sunny Sunday on the Heath! When we gathered near the light-dappled pond at the end, it felt almost as idyllic as Maxwell’s Camusfearna, and we half-expected to see Mij slink out of the water. (Though, perhaps this was thanks to the wee dram of whisky we’d shared earlier…)
Thanks for a great discussion of this book, which most of us admired as well as finding troubling. Essentially: beautiful lyrical writing + problematic treatment of wild creatures. More on our Heath and Zoom discussions in this month’s short video.
Hope you enjoy the webcast - it’s always lovely to hear your feedback in the comments.
Thanks also to those of you who pointed me towards this fascinating article from the Independent - definitely worth reading to try to gather more psychological insight into Gavin Maxwell, a highly unusual man.
A reminder that these emails will always be free to those who need them to be, but if you are able to support Emily’s walking book club by subscribing for £20/year, or £50/year to include a bespoke literary consultatation with me, then please do so.
NB. The subscription price has gone up from £15/year to £20/year as this is now the minimum price per year that Substack allows.
Our next meetings
I’m looking forward to discussing At Freddie’s by Penelope Fitzgerald with you. Many of you will know that Fitzgerald is one of my favourite writers, and I try to treat us to one of her books each year. This is a wonderful visit behind the scenes of a 1960s stage school - expect the Fitzgerald classic winning combo of eccentric characters, dry wit, and pared-back prose. A treat!
Look out for more links about the book in the next newsletter.
We will meet on Hampstead Heath on Sunday 23rd May, 11.30-1pm.
For those of us who can’t make it to the Heath, look forward to seeing you on Zoom 8-8.30pm the next evening, Monday 24th May.
Buy the book from Daunt’s and get 10% off using the code WBC at checkout (or tell them you’re in the gang if you go to their shops.
Tickets are now on sale for our June Mrs Dalloway extravaganza too:
Sunday 13th June, 11.30-1pm for the walk:
Monday 14th June, 8-8.30pm for the Zoom:
In case you missed it, full details for all our next books and meetings are HERE.
Wishing you all the best for a lovely May,
Emily