Tower and Town, September 2022 (view the full edition)Anita Sethi and Simon Parker - The Consolation Of Travel
Born in Manchester, Sethi loved nature as a child, so knew that it had the power to revive her sense of identity. Her first book, I Belong Here, interweaves the impact of being abused verbally with pushing herself mentally and physically as she walks further into the north Pennines, the 'backbone of Britain', exulting in the freedom and splendour of high places, waterfalls and wildlife. Often exploring the nature of language as well as the scenery around her, Sethi's writing is at its best when describing the ever-changing landscape and its effect on her spirits. Parker had spent several years writing stories from around the world to hide from his recurring anxiety disorder. Knowing that travel and exercise had previously brought distraction, he took his bike to Shetland with the aim of cycling round the coast of Britain to find out how everyone else was coping with Covid. Riding Out tells the story of his 3,500-mile adventure with disarming honesty, humour and insight into the characters he encounters along the way. As readers, we travel with both writers as they battle their demons and the terrain they have chosen to cover. I certainly felt better for having shared their experiences. And I look forward to hearing what parallels they draw themselves at this joint session, having read each other's books before coming to LitFest. Genevieve Clarke |
This is a must for anyone with a love of Britain - two writers seeking solace in the beauty of our varied landscape. In both cases the decision to travel came from a need to expend energy as a way of tackling depression. For Anita Sethi, it was the lingering aftermath of a racist attack while on a train in northern England and the realisation that revisiting her long-held love of nature could help to restore her equilibrium. Simon Parker was dealing with the sudden death of his oldest friend, the terminal illness of another, all while financial uncertainty was hitting him and his girlfriend hard with the onset of Covid lockdowns. The instincts of Sethi and Parker, journalists and writers both, were similar: to challenge themselves with a journey and write about it.