The author and journalist Jini Reddy talks to Julia Wheeler about her book Wanderland, a paean to the joy of roaming, both figuratively and imaginatively. Serendipity and her inner compass guide her around the country in pursuit of the Other and a connection to Britain’s captivating natural world. Where might this lead? And if you know what it is to be Othered yourself, how might this colour your experiences? And what if, in invoking the spirit of the land, ‘it’ decides to make its presence felt? Whether following a ‘cult’ map to a hidden well that refuses to reveal itself, attempting to persuade a labyrinth to spill its secrets, embarking on a coast-to-coast pilgrimage or searching for a mystical land temple, Jini depicts a whimsical, natural Britain. Along the way, she tracks down ephemeral wild art, encounters women who worship The Goddess, falls deeper in love with her birth land and struggles – but mostly fails – to get to grips with its lore. Throughout, she rejoices in the wildness we cannot see and celebrates the natural beauty we can, while offering glimpses of her Canadian childhood and her Indian parents’ struggles in apartheid-era South Africa.
BOOKS
◆ Buy the book here
https://www.stanfords.co.uk/Wanderland_9781472951939
◆ All the books discussed are available to buy from https://www.stanfords.co.uk/STWF and many of them are signed by the authors.
STANFORDS TRAVEL WRITERS FESTIVAL
Travel the world through a series of talks from authors as the world-famous independent map and travel bookshop brings you the Stanfords Travel Writers Festival online.
Watch 23 talks for FREE on the Stanfords website from 28th January – 4th February and online thereafter. Travel may not be an option right now but we can still see the world through travel writing and we have an amazing lineup of authors to guide you around the world.
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