The Gathering Place

The Gathering Place, shortlisted for the Edward Stanford Travel Book of the Year 2024, has been praised as "Deeply poetic" by Caroline Lucas MP, "A masterpiece of storytelling" by Nick Mayhew-Smith, "A candle of open-minded curiosity" by Patrick Laurie, and "An unforgettable story" by Michael McCarthy.

Mary Colwell makes a solo pilgrimage along the Camino Francés, winding through forests, mountains, farmland, industrial sprawls, and places of worship.

Pilgrims have always walked in times of upheaval, pitching themselves against weather, hunger, thirst, and sometimes pain, as they tread the paths their ancestors once followed. In the winter of 2020, author, nature campaigner and veteran solo walker Mary Colwell walked a 500-mile pilgrimage along the Camino Francés in northern Spain.

In a typical year, many thousands of people walk this route, but Mary had it virtually to herself at a unique historical moment—a time of profound political change, escalating climate and biodiversity emergencies, and a global pandemic.

The modern world weaves in and out of the Camino’s worn trackway, providing a focus for contemplation and a place for memories and experiences to gather. In her delightful book, Mary weaves experiences from her solo winter pilgrimage with stories from a walk millions have undertaken over the centuries. Her thoughtful and, at times, humorous journey of body and soul includes moments of intense spirituality, meetings with a demon slayer, strange goings-on, and magical tales, as well as her exquisite descriptions of the constant backdrop of nature in all its complexity and wonder.