📚 🚶Our October Walkers' Walks
This month, we join two walking book clubber writers who walk for inspiration
Dear walking book clubbers,
Thanks so much for the positive feedback about Our Walkers’ Walks.
Welcome to the October instalment of this new monthly feature in which I seek to shine a light on your own walking habits.
Some of us walking book clubbers are also writers, and I love the way that walking can be a great means of mulling over what we’re writing, as well as reading. So this month, we’re getting to know the walks of two writers among us - Celia and Colleen - who enjoy walking for inspiration, reflection and daydreaming.
Celia’s walk
Celia was one of the first walking book clubbers. She was always a really positive presence on our early Hampstead walks, and has stayed in touch by email since moving to Wales years ago to pursue her writing career. She published her very charming, uplifting first novel, Finding Henry Applebee, in 2019, which you can buy from Daunt Books here. You can find Celia on Twitter @CeliaRWriter.
I'm on the stretch of the Wales Coast Path that passes alongside Mumbles, in Gower, South Wales. I rediscovered the path when I was researching Finding Henry Applebee as the young girl in the novel hails from this area, and I mention the cliff path in the book. Aside from that, walking the coast path kept me sane during lockdown, when we were all encouraged to take our hour of exercise a day...
Colleen’s walk
Some of you met Colleen at the joyous event of her London book launch for her debut novel Housebreaking in August. She used to walk with us on Hampstead Heath until moving to near Bath, staying in touch via email and wonderfully meandering chats on Instagram. Find Colleen on Instagram at @theformermrsstanleyborzak; you can buy Housebreaking via Daunt here.
Her walk is on the Kennet and Avon canal towpath:
This is my daily route for walking/daydreaming/thinking about taking up running (but never doing it) and sometimes reading on a bench. I'm a natural daydreamer, to the inconvenience and annoyance of everyone around me. Walking is a way, for me, to set aside time for daydreams, to think about books I'm reading and books that I'm writing, to engage with imaginary people thinking interesting things. I love how the towpath changes by season: from the summer hustle of holidaymakers and the clink of bottles in the recycling bin to quiet winter walks that smell of coal fire and fried bacon from the narrowboats. We won't live here forever, and that ephemerality makes it special as well: I feel like a photographer capturing images I'll flip through years from now to remember our year in the village.
And how about your walks?
I would LOVE to hear about your walking life. When you have a chance, please reply to this email with a snap or two of a walk that is meaningful to you (please check you have permission to share if anyone else is in your photo; landscape format rather than portrait tends to sit best), along with a couple of lines about the walk and why it’s special for you.
What’s next?
Look out for links and masses more information about our November book in next week’s newsletter:
A Fortunate Man by John Berger & Jean Mohr
In this highly original, slim book, John Berger's words come together with Jean Mohr's photography to portray the life of a GP in the Forest of Dean in the 1960s. Through examples of common - and uncommon - cases, digressions into psychology, history and more, Berger and Mohr reveal the complex and unique role of a doctor in the community, and the sacrifice entailed.
Renowned writer and critic John Berger, and photographer Jean Mohr spent six weeks living with and shadowing their friend, Dr John Sassall, to create this extraordinary work in which pictures and text are in conversation. First published in 1967, this fascinating and poignant meditation on society, humanity, and the value of healing takes on new relevance today, given the current state of and debate around the NHS.
On the Heath: Sunday 13th November, 11.30-1pm, setting off from Daunt Books Hampstead, 51 South End Road, NW3 2QB
On Zoom: Monday 14th November, 8-8.40pm
Live Discussion Thread: Friday 25th November, 2-2.30pm
Buy A Fortunate Man from Daunt Books HERE and receive 10% off using the code WBC at checkout, or just tell them you’re in the group if you’re buying it in the shop.
Happy walking!
Emily