The Art of Wandering: The Writer as Walker

(Paperback)

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Description

From pilgrim to pedestrian, fl!neur to stalker, the names may change but the activity of walking remains constant, creating a literary tradition encompassing philosophy and poetry, the novel and the manifesto; a tradition which this book explores in detail. Today, as the figure of the wanderer returns to the forefront of the public imagination, writers and walkers around the world are re-engaging with the ideas which animated earlier generations. For the walker is once again on the march, mapping new territory and recording new visions of the landscape.

Reviews

This is a real eye opener of a book and one I would recommend to anyone -- Harri Roberts * Outdoor Focus Magazine *
Path to enlightenment: how walking inspires writers -- Billy Mills * The Guardian *
A brisk history of why and in what ways writers have walked -- David Sexton * Evening Standard *
Coverley's approach is an enlightening one. Covering an astounding amount of material, both well-known and cult writers feature with equal prominence; from Baudelaire, Blake, Whitman and Rimbaud, to the lesser-known Papadimitriou and Walser -- Declan Tan * Huffington Post UK *
Splendid, scholarly and suffused with evocative stories and biographical sketches, Coverley's book not only proffers pleasure and diversion but also potently explores the historical significance of the art of walking * Booklist *

Author Bio

Merlin Coverley is the author of seven books: London Writing, Psychogeography, Occult London, Utopia, The Art of Wandering, South and Hauntology. He lives in London.