The Gathering Place
A Winter Pilgrimage Through Changing Times
Published on 12. September 2024
Book
Paperback/Softback
256 pages
978-1-3994-0056-5 (ISBN)
Description
SHORTLISTED FOR THE EDWARD STANFORD TRAVEL BOOK OF THE YEAR 2024
'Deeply poetic.' CAROLINE LUCAS MP
'A masterpiece of storytelling.' NICK MAYHEW-SMITH
'Mary Colwell is a candle of open-minded curiosity.' PATRICK LAURIE
-
Mary Colwell makes a solo pilgrimage along the Camino Frances winding through forests, mountains, farmland, industrial sprawls and places of worship.
Pilgrims have always walked in times of upheaval, pitching themselves against weather, hunger, thirst and sometimes pain as they tread the paths their ancestors once followed. In the winter of 2020, author, nature campaigner and veteran solo walker Mary Colwell walked a 500-mile pilgrimage along the Camino Frances in northern Spain.
In a typical year, many thousands of people walk this route, but Mary had it virtually to herself at a unique historical moment - a time of profound political change, escalating climate and biodiversity emergencies and global pandemic.
The modern world weaves in and out of the Camino's worn trackway, providing a focus for contemplation and a place for memories and experiences to gather. In her delightful book, Mary weaves experiences from her solo winter pilgrimage with stories from a walk millions have undertaken over the centuries. Her thoughtful and, at times, humorous journey of body and soul includes moments of intense spirituality, meetings with a demon slayer, strange goings-on and magical tales, and Mary's exquisite descriptions of the constant backdrop of nature in all its complexity and wonder.
'Deeply poetic.' CAROLINE LUCAS MP
'A masterpiece of storytelling.' NICK MAYHEW-SMITH
'Mary Colwell is a candle of open-minded curiosity.' PATRICK LAURIE
-
Mary Colwell makes a solo pilgrimage along the Camino Frances winding through forests, mountains, farmland, industrial sprawls and places of worship.
Pilgrims have always walked in times of upheaval, pitching themselves against weather, hunger, thirst and sometimes pain as they tread the paths their ancestors once followed. In the winter of 2020, author, nature campaigner and veteran solo walker Mary Colwell walked a 500-mile pilgrimage along the Camino Frances in northern Spain.
In a typical year, many thousands of people walk this route, but Mary had it virtually to herself at a unique historical moment - a time of profound political change, escalating climate and biodiversity emergencies and global pandemic.
The modern world weaves in and out of the Camino's worn trackway, providing a focus for contemplation and a place for memories and experiences to gather. In her delightful book, Mary weaves experiences from her solo winter pilgrimage with stories from a walk millions have undertaken over the centuries. Her thoughtful and, at times, humorous journey of body and soul includes moments of intense spirituality, meetings with a demon slayer, strange goings-on and magical tales, and Mary's exquisite descriptions of the constant backdrop of nature in all its complexity and wonder.
Reviews / Votes
A compelling storyteller, Colwell's 500-mile pilgrimage is rich with memories, myths and associations from the past. In this deeply poetic journey into an inner and an outer landscape, the natural world is often her only companion, powerfully evoked and brilliantly observed. * Caroline Lucas, Member of Parliament * The Gathering Place is a beautiful thing: like a warm crystal, full of light, reflecting and refracting and celebrating everything both inside and outside the book. * Charles Foster, author of Being a Human * In The Gathering Place, Mary Colwell is a candle of open-minded curiosity, and she reminds us that while clear answers are hard to come by, we should never stop asking questions. * Patrick Laurie, author of Native * The Gathering Place is sheer literary alchemy; Colwell's words are mica-spangled and penetrating. * Hannah Brooks, @anotherbloodybook, Instagram * An unforgettable story of heroes and villains, kindness and horror, holiness and wickedness, miracles, bizarre legends, lost souls, and eventually, solace in a troubled world. Not to be missed. * Michael McCarthy, author of The Moth Snowstorm * A rich tapestry full of myth, wisdom and humility, accompanied always by evocative musings on the natural world, enveloped in hope and sprinkled with humour. -- Tiffany Francis-Baker * Resurgence * Mary Colwell brings an inspiring sense of openness, courage, humility and loving curiosity to her daily encounters with the natural and human worlds. * Jeremy Mynott, author of The Consolation of Nature * This is a masterpiece of storytelling about a journey that will move hearts and minds alike. * Nick Mayhew-Smith, author of Britain's Pilgrim Places * Beautifully written. * Kate Green, Country Life * The Gathering Place is much more than a travel book down a well-trodden path. It is a brutally honest examination of why we are as we are, and just how important the cultural landmarks of our lives have become in a world of anxiety and change. Brave, tough and surprisingly funny, this is a witness statement from one of the UK's great campaigners. * Roger Morgan-Grenville, author of Liquid Gold * Amazing. * Tim Birkhead, author of Birds and Us * An enjoyable account of a popular pilgrimage in unusual circumstances. -- Philip Welsh * Church Times *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Dimensions
Height: 197 mm
Width: 128 mm
Thickness: 17 mm
Weight
210 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-3994-0056-5 (9781399400565)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
E-Book
04/2023
1st Edition
Bloomsbury Wildlife
€11.49
Available for download
E-Book
04/2023
1st Edition
Bloomsbury Wildlife
€11.49
Available for download
Person
Mary Colwell is an author, producer and campaigner for nature. She has written for The Guardian, BBC Wildlife, The Tablet, Country Life and many other publications. She has made TV and radio documentaries for the BBC Natural History Unit and has published four books: John Muir - The Scotsman Who Saved America's Wild Places, Curlew Moon, Beak, Tooth and Claw, and The Gathering Place, which was shortlisted for the 2024 Edward Stanford Travel Book of the Year.
Mary has won a Sony Radio Academy Gold Award, the David Bellamy Award for her conservation work on curlews, the WWT Marsh Award for Conservation, the BTO Dilys Breese Medal for outstanding science communication, the prestigious RSPB Medal and in 2024, the Zoological Society of London's Silver Medal for outstanding contributions to the understanding and appreciation of zoology. In 2020, she set up the charity Curlew Action. Mary also spearheaded the successful campaign to introduce a GCSE in England.
Mary has won a Sony Radio Academy Gold Award, the David Bellamy Award for her conservation work on curlews, the WWT Marsh Award for Conservation, the BTO Dilys Breese Medal for outstanding science communication, the prestigious RSPB Medal and in 2024, the Zoological Society of London's Silver Medal for outstanding contributions to the understanding and appreciation of zoology. In 2020, she set up the charity Curlew Action. Mary also spearheaded the successful campaign to introduce a GCSE in England.
Content
Prologue
Chapter 1 - Wooden Staffs and Mountains
Chapter 2 - Moors and Myths
Chapter 3 - Witches and Forests
Chapter 4 - To The Stars
Chapter 5 - The Kindness of Strangers
Chapter 6 - Wine and Wonder
Chapter 7 - War and Peace
Chapter 8 - The Unravelling Road
Chapter 9 - Stones and Snow
Chapter 10 - Ultreia
Epilogue
Acknowledgements
References and Further Reading
Index
Chapter 1 - Wooden Staffs and Mountains
Chapter 2 - Moors and Myths
Chapter 3 - Witches and Forests
Chapter 4 - To The Stars
Chapter 5 - The Kindness of Strangers
Chapter 6 - Wine and Wonder
Chapter 7 - War and Peace
Chapter 8 - The Unravelling Road
Chapter 9 - Stones and Snow
Chapter 10 - Ultreia
Epilogue
Acknowledgements
References and Further Reading
Index