R.L.Stevenson, in his lovely 'Walking Tours' essay suggests: "a volume of Hazlitt's essays would be a capital pocket-book on such a journey; so would a volume of Heine's songs; and for TRISTRAM SHANDY I can pledge a fair experience."
Rather marvellously, the index to Morris Marples's
Shanks's Pony, actually includes references for
'Books carried by walkers'. These include: Carl Philipp Moritz, who tramped from London to the Peak cavern in Derbyshire and back again in 1782, carrying with him only 'four guineas, some linen, my English book of the roads, and a
map and pocket-book, together with Milton's Paradise Lost', which Marples tells us 'he often sat down to read by the roadside'. [What walkers carry with them is another project...]
In 1794, John Hucks and Coleridge walked to North Wales. Hucks carried withi him the poems of Thomas Churchyard.
In 1802, Coleridge walked through Cumberland, carrying with him 'a shirt, a cravat, two pairs of stockings, tea, sugar, pens and paper, his night-cap, and a book of German poetry wrapped in green oilskin.' He apparently read the Book
of Revelations in Buttermere.
In 1818, Keats travelled the Lake District and up to Scotland with his friend Charles Brown. Keats' carried Dante's
Divie Comedy, Brown the works of Milton.
****
I am presently reading Dorothy Wordsworth's Tour in Scotland A.D. 1803. Unfortunately, I am not walking that tour, but if I was, this is the book I'd take with me - though large parts of it are not very complimentary to the
folks of Scotland! If I was walking this tour, I might also take along Richard Holmes
Footsteps: Adventures of a Romantic Biographer. I've not read it, but writer Linda Cracknell recommends it on her walking and writing blog,
http://walkingandwriting.blogspot.com/
I recollect when I interviewed Linda, that on her own extensive walking projects, she would sometimes take a book with her that was in seemingly stark contrast to the place she was in: e.g. in a very hot Spain, take something about
the Antarctica. Perhaps the contrast sharpened the perceptions of the place? A Brechtian 'defamiliarisation'? In any case, I'm quite taken by her choice to go against the flow.
****
Best, Dee
Dr. Deirdre Heddon
Reader
Theatre, Film and Television Studies, University of Glasgow, G12 8QQ
0141 330 6286
Dean of Graduate Studies, College of Arts
D H Lawrence 'Twilight in Italy'
Richard Mabey 'The Unofficial Countryside'
Rebecca Solnit 'The Art of Getting Lost'
Alice Oswald 'Dart'
And I'll be taking Dorothy Wordsworth's journals to the lakes with me, but haven't read them yet.
Cathy
Hello Walkers,
Inspired by a talk by Alec Finlay in Edinurgh who raised the idea of taking books for walks, I thought i would invite the list to share their reading lists of fiction/non-fiction involving walks/walking, walking landscapes, etc--basically, any
book you think would be great to take for a walk.
Best wishes
Misha
Sent from my iPhone
This email is confidential and intended solely for the use of the intended recipient only. If you have received this email in error, please inform us immediately and then delete it. Unless it specifically states otherwise this email does not form part of a
contract.
Any views or opinions presented are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of University College Falmouth. You should carry out your own virus check before opening any attachment. University College Falmouth accepts no liability for
any loss or damage which may be caused by software viruses