{"product_id":"the-gathering-place-a-winter-pilgrimage-through-changing-times-9781399400541","title":"The Gathering Place: A Winter Pilgrimage Through Changing Times","description":"\u003cp\u003eSHORTLISTED FOR THE EDWARD STANFORD TRAVEL BOOK OF THE YEAR 2024 \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e'Deeply poetic.'\u003cb\u003e CAROLINE LUCAS MP\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'A masterpiece of storytelling.' \u003cb\u003eNICK MAYHEW-SMITH\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'Mary Colwell is a candle of open-minded curiosity.' \u003cb\u003ePATRICK LAURIE\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'An unforgettable story.' \u003cb\u003eMICHAEL MCCARTHY\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e- \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003eMary Colwell makes a solo pilgrimage along the Camino Francés winding through forests, mountains, farmland, industrial sprawls and places of worship.\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003ePilgrims 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 Francés in northern Spain. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eIn 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. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eThe 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.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eMary Colwell\u003c\/b\u003e is an author, producer and campaigner for nature. She has written for \u003ci\u003eThe Guardian\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eBBC Wildlife\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eThe Tablet\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eCountry Life\u003c\/i\u003e and many other publications. She has made TV and radio documentaries for the BBC Natural History Unit and has published four books: \u003ci\u003eJohn Muir - The Scotsman Who Saved America's Wild Places\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eCurlew Moon, \u003c\/i\u003e \u003ci\u003eBeak\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003e Tooth and Claw\u003c\/i\u003e, and\u003ci\u003e The Gathering Place\u003c\/i\u003e, which was shortlisted for the 2024 Edward Stanford Travel Book of the Year. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eMary 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 and, in 2022, she was awarded the prestigious RSPB Medal. In 2020, she set up the charity Curlew Action. Mary also spearheaded the successful campaign to introduce a GCSE in England.\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Bloomsbury Wildlife","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50390298689810,"sku":"9781399400541","price":18.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_87919973-2e04-4541-9c4d-02f51e3cb860.jpg?v=1728944456","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/the-gathering-place-a-winter-pilgrimage-through-changing-times-9781399400541","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}