Walking home by simon armitage as he treads the pennine way, a modern day penniless troubadour delivering poems for his supper. Having walked the 260odd miles of the pennine way as a modern troubadour, earning his keep with poetry readings and being put up at various homes along the way, simon armitage undertook to do the same on a similar lengthed section of the south west coast path. All these are present in simon armitages equally entertaining walking. Yes, i like journeys, an excursion every now and again, the occasional expedition and even an odd adventure once in a while, but at the end of the day im very happy with. In those days the pennine way was indeed an arduous struggle, hed enjoy walking it again a lot more now, he felt, were he physically able. This is the second book of this nature from simon armitage, the first being his hard slog along the pennine way where he started in scotland and made his way to his home town in yorkshire.
His narrative about walking the pennine way using no money except that which he earns from readings of poetry along the way is charming and interesting. The poets latest project is to travel the pennine way reciting poetry for his supper. Over the course of several years, simon armitage has written hundreds of poems for various projects, commissions, collaborations and events, which stand outside of his mainstream collections but now form a substantial body of work in their own right. Reading walking home was much like i imagine the pennine way to be.
Simon armitage s walking home book posted on further to our recent news item about simon armitages talk about his time spent in the north pennines, we have received information from his publisher faber books about his forthcoming book walking home. Odysseus journeys home, his famous flair for storytelling seducing friend and foe. Paperback in summer 2010 simon armitage decided to walk the pennine way. In 2010, armitage walked the 264mile pennine way, walking south from scotland to derbyshire. Walking home is still a highly readable account of poet simon armitage s southwards pilgrimage down the pennine way, but more interestingly it gives away, unintentionally, just what a tricky ideological struggle the apparently simple of walking is. In 2010 simon armitage spent 19 days walking the 256 mile pennine way as a modern troubadour. The romantic poets tramped all over the lake district searching for inspiration.
Simon armitage s first and last days on the trail, and particularly the legs from about dufton to hawes, included some of the best writing about walking that i have read. This is an engaging book about poet simon armitage walking the pennine way in the wrong direction in the summer of 2010. Writer and poet simon armitage introduces his book walking away and reads an extract from the book. In july 2010, the poet simon armitage, set out to walk the whole of the 256 mile way from north to south. British poet simon armitage trods the 256mile pennine way in the poetically. Simon armitage audio books, best sellers, author bio. Simon armitage, who narrates his own book, has a very relaxing voice which makes this an enjoyable read. Simon armitage is a great poet with a unique and interesting voice and a very broad appeal. In the summer of 2010 the british poet simon armitage decided to have, at age 47, his midlife crisis. The challenging 256mile route is usually approached from south to north, from edale in the. Now simon armitage, with equal parts enthusiasm and trepidation, as well as a wry humor all his own, has taken on britains version of our appalachian trail. In 2010 simon armitage walked the pennine way back to the place of his birth. Armitage s account of the walk, walking home, was published in 2012.
Poet laureate one summer, simon armitage decided to walk the pennine way a challenging 256mile route usually approached from south. Along the route he stopped to give poetry readings, often in exchange for donations of money, food or accommodation, despite the rejection of the free life seen in his 1993 poem hitcher, and has written a book about his journey, called walking home. Paris to the pyrenees and walking home the boston globe. He took no money with him, but relied on what his audiences contributed after his readings. This is the opposite way that most guide books to this first of the designated national trails have been written. Armitage wanted that, but also, to write a book about the north, one that. At a very basic level, poet simon armitage decides to walk the pennine way from north to south, and to finance his trip from donations made at poetry recitals he gives on the way. Walking home with simon armitage special collections. This resource presents archive material relating to the walk and creation of walking home, held by special collections. Though he walked the pennine way in high summer, armitage was surprised by how few people he encounteredespecially along its lessreached northern stretches. The challenging 256mile route is usually approached from south to north, from edale in the peak district to kirk yetholm. On new roads with simon armitage five years after completing the pennine way, the poet simon armitage embarked on a companion walk along the southwest coast, giving readings as he went. He planned his route in advance by asking for volunteers to put him up and for venues in which to give poetry readings each evening. The english poet simon armitage hikes the pennine way, giving readings en route, and chronicles his experience in the book walking home.
The odyssey is a book of changes, and simon armitage s retelling of homers epic quickens and revitalizes our sense of it as oral poetry. Go search best sellers gift ideas new releases deals store. Simon armitage introduces his book walking away youtube. Simon armitage references are to walking home travels with a troubadour on the pennine way, faber, 2012. Whether youve loved the book or not, if you give your honest and detailed thoughts then people will find new books that are right for them. Simon armitage at appledore, north devon, with the walking stick he cut from a holly bush in his garden. One summer, simon armitage decided to walk the pennine way a challenging 256mile route usually approached from south to north, with. The trail runs from the scottish border to the english midlands, ending in the yorkshire dales.
Simon armitages walking home is the travelogue of a penniless poet along the pennine way simon armitage, whose walking home describes his travels along the pennine way photo. Its really the perfect book for me, concerned with two of my most longstanding interests poetry and walking, or rambling if you like. This book is a travelogue of his journey along the south west coastal path that goes from minehead to lands end through somerset, devon and cornwall. The crisis manifested itself not in buying a red sports car or taking up with a younger woman, but rather in hiking the pennine way and then writing about it. Mark wallingtons book pennine walkies in which the author is accompanied by his dog is another humorous personal story of the walk, as is walking home by yorkshire poet simon armitage, who walked northtosouth along the pennine way without money, relying on his earnings from nightly poetry readings along the way. It was given to me when i was preparing to walk the way in 2016 and i. Faber and faber i n 2010, simon armitage walked the.
All these are present in simon armitages equally entertaining walking home, an account of the poets attempt on britains most gruelling trail, the 256mile pennine way, as he tramps it the. He includes a couple of his poems later in the book which are magical. References to wainwright are to his pennine way companion. Grid references are osgb, estimated by eye from the ntg maps or in some cases noted while on the way from the free smartphone app os locate. Simon armitages walking home is the travelogue of a penniless poet along the. This reminds me that having mentioned simon armitage above, i didnt really enjoy his pennine way book 2 when i first read it. Armitage s 2012 non fiction book walking home, an account of his troubadour journey along the pennine way, became a sunday times top ten bestseller for over a month and was shortlisted for the 2012 portico prize. Other readers will always be interested in your opinion of the books youve read. In one classic walking book, travels in england carl philipp moritzs. A uniquely charming, droll, moving, british narrative from writer and poet simon armitage as he recounts his 256 mile north to south walk along the pennine way.
As heard on bbc radio 4, the brilliant sequel to simon armitage s acclaimed bestseller walking home the story of his travels on britains south west coast. In 2010 the poet simon armitage walked the pennine way in the wrong direction, ending up at his home village in yorkshire. One summer, simon armitage decided to walk the pennine way a challenging 256mile route usually approached from south to north, with the sun, wind and rain at your back. Not content with walking the pennine way as a modern day troubadour, an experience recounted in his bestseller and prizewining walking home, the restless poet has followed up that journey with a walk of the same distance but. Walking home is simon armitages memoir of a trek on the pennine way, britains 260 mile public path across lonely, inhospitable moorland. Simon armitage in the summer of 2010 simon armitage decided to walk the pennine way. In summer 2010 simon armitage decided to walk the pennine way. The challenging 256mile route is usually approached from south to north, from edale in the peak district to kirk yetholm, the other side of the scottish border. Walking home the pennine way is not a book of poems from this famous poet but a personal account of simon armitages experience, walking one of the toughest. Simon armitage walking home the subtitle of this book is travels with a troubadour on the pennine way. And, for any pilgrim following on, it reveals where some of the traps are set.