Thread 4: To feel disappointed after reading this in The Observer about the author and her husband from The Salt Path book and film?

[DisappointedReader]

The Observer The real Salt Path: how a blockbuster book and film were ...

Second article in the Observer
https://observer.co.uk/news/national/article/the-salt-path-whats-in-the-book-and-what-the-observer-has-found

Third article in the Observer
https://observer.co.uk/news/national/article/the-salt-path-the-truth-behind-the-blockbuster-book-video

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Thread 3 https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/5369425-thread-3-to-feel-disappointed-after-reading-this-in-the-observer-about-the-author-and-her-husband-from-the-salt-path-book-and-film?

Raynor Winn/Sally Walker's statement Raynor Winn

Many memoirs may do this, but do their authors all have legal contracts with their respective publishers stating that the events described in the book are true?

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/review/B09YYPZ43G/R1GMGSAF77ERUX?ref_=cm_sw_r_mwn_dprv_Z4B0JG4QEHDP9E8EZCTD&language=en-US

Sorry, I'm way behind but the original article in the Observer by Chloe Hadjimatheou.

Look at this from the About Us section of the publishers archived website. Two thoughts:

1. Doesn't Tim Scott's story sound just like Moths?
2. Three men and friends.... With three stories that sound like the three male protagonists in the book written by unknown writer "Izzy".

So we have Tim/Duncan/Paul = Moth/Cooper/Wyn = Ellias/Jeremy/Baxter?

Meet the Team
Tim Scott - Director
Career highlight - Selling ice cream in Port Grimaud

**It would be easier to say what Tim hasn't done, than what he has! He studied Ecology in Birmingham before being arrested for leading a protest against nuclear waste dumping. He has had a long and fulfilling career in Arcitechtural Presevation, contributing to many publications. He came to live in Wales when he still had his own teeth, and has remained here, continuing to be a thorn in everyone's side.His determination has allowed us to reach this point, we couldn't function without him.

Duncan Hendry - Financial Controller
Career highlight - losing £300 000 in the RBS crash

•                                                                                       *
  

**

•                                                     *
  

Duncan studied Business in Edinburgh. He is a regular visitor to Wales, when he can spare the time from his financial career in Nottingham. His absolute diligence have ensured that we can securely offer you the Gangani Farmhouse in the Free Prize Draw.

Paul Calais - Editor, Literary Advisor
Career highlight - having his motor cycle helmet surgically removed.

Paul studied English Literature in Derby, before pursuing the career of motorcycle courier, distributing his literary confetti far and wide. With his true poetic personality he's spent much of his life on the hills and beaches of Wales and wild places across the world. His acid literary criticism can be relied on to bring any author to heel.

Opinion piece in the Telegraph.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/books/non-fiction/salt-path-scandal-killed-middle-class-fantasy/?ICID=continue_without_subscribing_reg_first#comment

Just wondering if it’s definitely proved that Izzy W T is an alias of Sally Walker? I know people on here were leaning towards that as a possibility, but I don’t think it’s been proved, has it?

Those gingani biographies are super cringe as well!!

Having said all that I do think a lot of this is on the publisher. They could have done a lot more checking and interrogating in the first place. They are letting her take all the shit now and denying responsibility, having made a lot more money from it than she did.

Perhaps.

But she did sign their standard legal contract stating that everythign int he book was true.

Yes. Standard practice.

Just a slightly off-topic observation, but it feels very inappropriate for Duncan Hendry, as a financial controller, to list losing a huge amount of money as a ‘career highlight’. Perhaps he wanted it to come across as light-hearted and funny, or as a flex to show that he’s been in charge of huge budgets, but it looks really poor. It definitely doesn’t read as an endorsement of his professional or financial skills.

Interesting how Gillian Anderson referred to her as “guarded”, I bet she was.

There are different ways of handling this, though. Tara Westover's Educated has a postscript which gives examples of significant events that she remembers differently to others who were there - it is very upfront about it being her recollection and uses the subjectivity as part of its writing and construction. Looking at the blurb and the marketing description on Amazon, it is described as 'memoir' but doesn't use the exact term 'true story'.

actually, this isn’t true. (I’m a journalist/writer and by coincidence had legal training on defamation yesterday).

There is no legal “right to reply” before publication. it’s certainly best practice in journalism and something The Observer did in this case, but it’s not actually demanded by law. It’s different after publication when the person then has the right to reply to address factual inaccuracies and the paper has to print that if requested (though not necessarily in full if eg they sent a five page doc and it’s a lot of waffle).

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/review/B0793GXSBL/R187JQ0PIQH5BM?ref_=cm_sw_r_mwn_dprv_JQCX3628010501HFHPSG&language=en-US This is such a great reveiw

There is a Duncan Hendry who was a big arts and theatre exec and promoter in Edinburgh. Is this the same guy? Why would he get involved in this?

For some reason my gut instinct is telling me that Moth is the writer of both the "Izzy" and the "Sally" books.

Yes, it's as standard as stipulating it's all your own original work.

“The Salt Path scandal has killed the middle-class fantasy of escapism”

God, the Telegraph somehow always manages to come up with the silliest and smuggest headlines that play into the stingy prejudices of its readership. It’s not these two were just a couple of grifters, oh no it’s that ANY dream of ANYTHING that doesn’t prioritise a detached house in the London suburbs in a good catchment area and a twice a decade vote for the Tories was always escapist nonsense. 😆

Her MO seems to be expend some initial energy on charming people, then revert to type: entitled, grasping, graceless, aloof. This is what the DM article has 'an insider' (they spoke to locals?) saying about the swift relationship arc with the Haye Cider Farm millionaire owner:

'Bill was initially very taken with Raynor and it seemed like a perfect set up but then there was some trouble between them and we understand it all ended badly with them falling out,' the insider said.

Sound like it should say 'very taken in by' 😄

🤣🤣🤣

I want to thank previous posters for recommending Stone Lands by Fiona Robertson. My copy just arrived and I’m only a few pages in but it’s beautiful writing, already funny and very moving and the tone is completely authentic. It’s basically everything I wished TSP was. I loved the way she describes her husband and kids in the first few pages.

I am very very glad to have come across it and I think it deserves a wide audience.

Thanks.

the doc with his signature is not the French property purchase although it is in the article below the French property info.

The doc showing his signature is a deed for a charge being registered against an unnamed property, presumed to be the house in Wales (roughly £90k plus £10k costs owed by the borrower to the lender)

Unless that wasn't why they remortgaged the house and that's what she embezzled the £64K to pay for?

What were they spending all their money on?

Yes saying people will never trust another memoir is like saying no one will ever trust another bookkeeper. There’s a couple of dodge ones in every field …

Yes I enjoyed that review too and it makes a very good point about them merrily crapping everywhere and just walking off. Experienced wild campers definitely know they should carry a trowel and deal responsibly with their waste.

Agree with this - and I disliked the subtle implication that the Hemmings were at fault.