Wander Woman on walking and mental health

MAY is National Walking Month and Wander Woman is travelling to Hungerford for an inspirational Talk on Walking and Mental Health.

Bill Bryson calls the multi awardwinning adventurer, presenter and photographer Phoebe Smith a ‘splendid writer and inspiring traveller’.

Known for her hit podcast Wander Woman where she offers a behindthe-scenes look at different destinations as well as interviewing celebrities like Cerys Matthews and Levinson Wood, she has also penned 10 guides on walking and wild camping.

Her latest book Wayfarer, however, is much more personal, and she will be visiting Hungerford to talk about it to host Rebecca Fletcher on May 22 in an event organised by Hungerford Bookshop.

While on an assignment to walk the most famous pilgrimage in the world – the Camino de Santiago, in northern Spain – Phoebe Smith somehow lost her way. Having spent a lifetime exploring unfamiliar

Bill Bryson calls the multi award-winning adventurer, presenter and photographer Phoebe Smith a ‘splendid writer and inspiring traveller’

places, she quit her dream job, ended her long-term relationship and headed home to North Wales to discover the point to... everything.

In her search for answers she found herself – quite by accident – walking

some of Britain's oldest pilgrim paths.

And by following these old ways, she ended up confronting past traumas that she thought she had laid to rest.

But while it follows holy trails, this is not a book about religion.

From losing her mother as a teenager to surviving toxic relationships, Phoebe offers an unflinchingly honest look at her battle with an eating disorder, depression, and the pitfalls of newfound singledom. Skilfully weaving together Phoebe’s own story with those of countless travellers past and present, Wayfarer reveals how nature and place can heal past wounds, offering a pathway to salvation she’d never thought existed.

The talk, followed by a Q&A and book signing will be held at The Croft Hall, Hungerford, at 7pm. To book, visit hungerfordbookshop.co.uk