Thread 15: 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's original exposé: The real Salt Path: how a blockbuster book and film were ...

The 14 Observer items currently available on their online 'The real Salt Path' page: The real Salt Path | The Observer

4 more from The Observer:
‘Hope is extinguished’: CBD patients respond to Salt Path...

The real Salt Path | The Observer (The Slow Newscast)

(Live/online event)

The Observer YouTube Channel: The Observer UK - YouTube

Raynor Winn/Sally Walker's statement: Raynor Winn

Thread One ^www.mumsnet.com/talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/5368194-to-feel-disappointed-after-reading-this-in-the-observer-about-the-author-and-her-husband-from-the-salt-path-book-and-film?^

Threads 2-11: Links all in the OP of Thread 12

Thread 12: www.mumsnet.com/talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/5384574-thread-12-to-feel-disappointed-after-reading-this-in-the-observer-about-the-author-and-her-husband-from-the-salt-path-book-and-film?

Thread 13: www.mumsnet.com/talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/5386458-thread-13-to-feel-disappointed-after-reading-this-in-the-observer-about-the-author-and-her-husband-from-the-salt-path-book-and-film?

Thread 14: www.mumsnet.com/talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/5388981-thread-14-to-feel-disappointed-after-reading-this-in-the-observer-about-the-author-and-her-husband-from-the-salt-path-book-and-film?

New posters joining us in the genuine spirit of our civil discourse welcome. It would be helpful to get the background from at least some of the Observer items above before posting. There are currently a number of interesting items on The Observer website and linked to above.

To all - Please be extremely cautious when it comes to naming or implicating people and addresses not in the public eye or with no direct connection to the story, and around the understandable health speculations, especially where details are unclear or still emerging. Remember, even Hollywood rabbits attract the odd flea. Please do not engage with visitors who seem to have their own agenda and seek to derail. Avoid @'ing and quoting them as - from experience - this will only encourage them back to the threads. We have done amazingly well together for fourteen very interesting, very serious and very silly threads so far. I can't be here as much as I'd like so all help with keeping our discussion walking along in our usual reasonable and respectful fashion is very welcome.

#Pinchofsaltpath
#Fudge
#Cider
#OurChloe
#OurSimon
#Correspondents
#Salray
#Timmoth
#MistakesWereMade
#EmbellishedBollox
#JustBollox
#DriveByScolding
#Glumwashing
#ThereBeSharks
#Scones
#NakedHikers
#TurquoiseGString
#BudleighSalterton
#SallyForth
#YesItReallyIsThread15
#Rabbits

Keep to the path. No saltiness. May the fudge be with you.

My partner mentioned that Daren McGarvey's Trauma Industrial Complex is being serialised on R4. I have not read it but used to follow him on Twitter and understand some of his basic premises-that baring trauma in public is not the useful act that has become accepted in recent times.

It made me think of TSP, it might just been ahead of the zeitgeist in its writing about the Walkers trauma, pity it was all fake (almost) and maybe this is what led to some of its success.

Publicly exposing our unflinchingly honest selves will not miraculously dissolve any trauma, especially whatever you are baring is a load of old codswallop.

On other points I cant see why Moth is complicit in the whole sorry saga.

On a happier note, this time next week my partner and I will be on the path, starting from The Lizard (a very silly place to start) and promenading to Budleigh Salterton. We are both over 60, both had cancer and numerous other afflictions, will not be writing a book and expect to meet some lovely people. We started in Minehead before TSP came out and this will be our forth but not quite final block.

I think others have already contacted CH about 500MW. Difficult to prove.

Similarly the members of The Salt Road production team who believed there was a certain amount of er 'artistic borrowing' , decided to take it on the chin and not complain.

Interesting ... I hadn't been aware of either of those points, so thanks for that 😊

That’s an interesting point about 500MW! I also read it and loved it, whilst trying to see if there were any obvious similarities between that and TSP. Apart from a few very similar passages that people have picked up on in our previous thread, I couldn’t see any other similarities - although, admittedly, I wasn’t going through it with a fine tooth comb.

Briefly going back a few posts to the RW brand. I do think she struck gold with the Angela Harding covers. AH's artwork is so recognisable (and now unfortunately indelibly linked to SW's books). Would there be a " brand " without it? I honestly think the covers elevated it beyond anything the contents merited.

Also, is it true that SW is miffed at AH benefitting financially from the books? Ir ought to be the other way round!

The juxtaposition of artwork, story line and target market is brilliant. Cover of the latest TSP reprint? Meh.

Interesting disclaimer at the start of Enchanted Islands by Laura Coffey.

Publisher an imprint of Hachette.

I agree! It’s her artwork which is selling those nice little items for the Winns. Her artwork alone.

I definitely was influenced by the beautiful cover- unfortunately ruined by a hideous Costa prize “ sticker” which I thought was removable but was unfortunately printed on. I don’t think I’d have bought the book ( certainly not as a gift) with the most recent cover since film came out- looks like the worst kind of chick lit.

Imo her artwork adds authenticity and had a huge impact on the success of TSP and SW's subsequent books.

Add to that the PRH brand and you have a kind of health stamp that gives the reader confidence that they are not buying something from a snake oil salesperson and 'it does what is says on the tin' (ie is a truthful non fiction travelogue)

Also combined with their “wholesome” personal style. Wonder how many books they’d have sold if they looked like me and my OH. When allegations came out, there’d be no apologists, they’d be universally condemned. Immediately. heh heh

I'm not sure if OWH will see the light of day in any form. Even if it's another year or more before it's released, the moment it is, all this will come up again. Any reviews will have the scandal front and centre and I don't see how Salray could or would do publicity. OK, I'd quite like to see it in its current form 😂(we probably all would) but not to appreciate the literary merits or marvel at her strength and bravery. It would be a forensic hunt for more inconsistencies and that's not a great launch point for a book, even if some diehards still think the Empress has nice clothes.

I suppose if there is a massive rewrite with a full mea culpa it might be different, but I dont think that will happen. The statement after Chloe's first piece was basically an angry rant that admitted nothing and did nothing to clarify Moth's illness. I don't think honesty is in her and doubling down on their current position will just attract even more negative publicity for PRH.

My betting is it will be quietly binned.

I think OWH will see the light of day:

• PRH have invested heavily in it
• The SW brand will sell a decent number of copies to faithful fans
• SW stays in B&Bs and Moth isn't on the walk so its not likely to make great claims about Moth walking to hold back the ravages of CBD and its easier to fact check
• a walk across Britain on the C2C path in bleak midwinter is unlikely to be a hugely uplifting read but then TWS wasn't a laugh a minute as I recall but was moderately successful
• SW may not have to do any publicity. The book can just be launched and PRH can see how it is received. It's not going to be a TSP rip roaring success but it will probably do ok

This, plus whatever PRH have already spent on it will be sunk costs. So if they don't publish that's money lost. If they do, whatever they make offsets the costs and they will probably make some profit even if reduced.

I would bet on some significant editing work being put in though. More than on TWS and LL combined.

All good points @Catwith69lives . I confess I'd really, really love a peek at it now. It would be interesting to know what she had to say about doing the walk because Moth felt he was declining and she refused to accept it and the "turbulent year" that lead up to that.

ETA, also, in fairness, scandal sells and it might attract a different readership.

@DisappointedReader might be worth a google reverse image search to see if any similar images of them appear elsewhere online?

Yet Moth made a 'miraculous Lazarus like recovery' (as per normal) to travel up from the West Country to attend the film launch and interview with GA and JI. Some things never change!

I think lots of people might buy it out of curiosity, even if they know it’s a load of BS. In fact, this controversy might make it sell even better than it would have otherwise - despite the film I think the brand was losing momentum

Moth's ability to constantly recover from adversity reminds me of a Marvel comic all action hero.

Book 4 with the drama of Moth's decline removed ( if indeed the book is severely edited) will lose the emotional hook/ deceit that has sustained it through the previous 3 books). Without the emotional hook it's a woman going for a week' s walk musing about nature = so what.

Moth is laid low - hence SW's solo flight north like a 'migratory bird' (apparently) and her musings on the transience of human existence/global warming/ecological vandalism/the iniquities of land ownership in the UK and restrictions on the right to roam etc etc. Many of these topics are perfectly valid and worthy of discussion but I wonder what SW's unique perspectives on these issues are.

I agree, it will be published.
The blurb says she walked “unexpectedly alone” and that “Setbacks in his health have led him to believe his decline is now inevitable, something Raynor refuses to accept. With Raynor feeling trapped and tormented” yada yada
This so ridiculous as others have pointed out. Firstly, why is it unexpected? How many years has it been now? Frankly everyone declines after a certain age so that doesn’t really mean anything. Everyone’s decline is “inevitable”. I think she’s still writing for the alter egos and thinking in the third person. This certainly sounds like it. If he was at that time thinking his time was up, she wouldn’t leave him. The way she’s described their relationship (at least the Raymoth one) she’d be caring for him. I think Sal and Tim had a big row, she was obligated to write another and he said fine, you can do it without me.

Yes, and this time he seems to have regenerated without a gruelling long distance walk, doesn't he?

As someone on a previous thread humorously remarked, no doubt sustained by a month of batch cooked meals prepared by SW (images of which subsequently deleted from her IG feed) and binge watching of various dramas on Netflix (while rereading Beowulf and watching the cricket on Sky).