1
of
1
Anima
A Wild Pastoral
Ratings/reviews counts are updated frequently.
Check link for latest rating. ( 174 ratings, 29 reviews)
Brief Description
The spellbinding new book by the prizewinning writer Kapka Kassabova tells the story of her time with the last moving pastoralists in Europe—a gripping portrayal of human-animal interdependence, and a plea for a different way of living. "A book that mesmerises with its sense of adventure...
Read More
Format: Paperback / softback
$3000
Unit price
/
Unavailable
AVAILABLE WITH SUPPLIER
Ships from our Auckland warehouse within 4-6 weeks
Found a better price? Request a price match
Anima
$3000
Unit price
/
Unavailable
Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and
still learning, it may not be perfect - your
feedback is welcome!
Description
The spellbinding new book by the prizewinning writer Kapka Kassabova tells the story of her time with the last moving pastoralists in Europe—a gripping portrayal of human-animal interdependence, and a plea for a different way of living.
"A book that mesmerises with its sense of adventure and epic sweep, this is creative non-fiction at its best" – GUARDIAN
Over the course of one summer, Kapka Kassabova lives with perhaps the last true pastoralists in Europe. She joins the epic seasonal movement of vast herds of sheep, along with shepherds and dogs, to find pasture in the mountains. As she becomes attuned to the sacrifices inherent in this isolated existence, Kassabova finds herself drawn deeper into the tangled relationships at the heart of this small community.
Anima is a spellbinding portrayal of the human-animal interdependence in pastoral life, and a plea for a different way of living—one where we might all begin to heal our broken relationship with the natural world.
Book Details
INFORMATION
ISBN: 9781529933413
Publisher: Vintage Publishing
Format: Paperback / softback
Date Published: 12 June 2025
Country: United Kingdom
Imprint: Vintage
Audience: General / adult
DIMENSIONS
Spine width: 23.0mm
Width: 129.0mm
Height: 197.0mm
Weight: 269g
Pages: 384
About the Author
Kapka Kassabova is a prize-winning writer of non-fiction and poetry. Her recent Balkan quartet includes Anima (2024), Elixir (2023), To the Lake (2020) and Border (2017). Border won a British Academy Prize, the Scottish Book of the Year, Stanford-Dolman Travel Book of the Year, the Highland Book Prize and the Prix Nicholas Bouvier. It was also a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award. The French edition of To the Lake won the Prix du Meilleur Livre Etranger (non-fiction). Kassabova grew up in Sofia, Bulgaria, and studied in New Zealand. Today she lives by a river in the Scottish Highlands.
Also by Kapka Kassabova
View all-
Anima
Anima, by the award-winning writer Kapka Kassabova, is a spellbinding journey into the heart of Europe's last moving pastoralists. Set against the breathtaking backdrop of the Pirin Mountains, this poignant narrative explores the lives of shepherds who still follow the ancient rhythms of transhumance—moving with their grazing animals in search of seasonal pastures. For thousands of years, humans and grazing...Hardback$5000Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
To the Lake
A BBC Radio 4 Book of the Week Lake Ohrid and Lake Prespa. Two vast lakes joined by underground rivers. Two lakes that have played a central role in Kapka Kassabova's maternal family. As she journeys to her grandmother's place of origin, Kassabova encounters a civilizational crossroads. The Lakes are set within the mountainous borderlands of North Macedonia, Albania and...Paperback$2300Elsewhere:$2499Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 4-6 weeks -
Elixir
Set in the valley of the Mesta, one of the oldest inhabited river valleys in Europe and a nexus for wild plant gatherers, Elixir is an unforgettable exploration of the deep connections between people, plants, and place. 'Uplifting and beautifully written' - SPECTATOR 'Dark and mysterious and beautiful' - FINANCIAL TIMES 'Exceptional' - BBC WILDLIFE Over several seasons, Kassabova spends...Paperback$3000Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 4-6 weeks -
Borrowed Land
Magisterial and unforgettable - an intimate story of a Scottish Highland glen, from the prizewinning author of Border. This is the intimate story of a Scottish glen and its inhabitants, of whom I am one. From the powerful rivers that bring life and prosperity; to the Pictish cairns, undisturbed for centuries; to the meadows of bluebells, where deer emerge, God-like,...Hardback$5500Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 4-6 weeks -
Geography for the Lost
Kapka Kassabova is a young Bulgarian émigré poet who writes in English but with a European imagination. Her well-travelled poems speak from different parts of the world and different moments of history, yet they always explore the many ways to be lost and disoriented: in a place, in the past, in fear, in love, in the very quickness of life....Paperback$3499Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 4-6 weeks -
Border
When Kapka Kassabova was a child, the border zone between Bulgaria, Turkey and Greece was rumoured to be an easier crossing point into the West than the Berlin Wall, so it swarmed with soldiers, spies and fugitives. On holidays close to the border on the Black Sea coast, she remembers playing on the beach, only miles from where an electrified...PaperbackSold Out
More from Travel & Adventure
View all-
The Salt Path
The bestselling true story of the couple who lost everything and embarked on a journey not of escape but salvation, soon to be a major motion picture starring Golden Globe winning Gillian Anderson and Jason Isaacs. Just days after Raynor learns that Moth, her husband of 32 years, is terminally ill, the couple lose their home and their livelihood. With...Paperback$2700Elsewhere:$3000Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
Lonely Planet Japan
#1 Bestselling guidebook to Japan "Classic. Comprehensive. Crucial." - Library Journal Lonely Planet's local travel experts reveal all you need to know to plan the trip of a lifetime to Japan. Discover popular and off the beaten track experiences from visiting Yoshino for Japan's most famous cherry-blossom-viewing festival to sipping sake at a 300-year-old brewery in Niigata, and exploring the...Paperback$4100Elsewhere:$4499Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
Maintenance: Of Everything
The first in-depth exploration of maintenance and a powerful argument for its civilisational importance from the author of How Buildings Learn and creator of the Whole Earth Catalog. Maintenance is what keeps everything going. It's what keeps life going. Yet it's also easy to shirk or defer until the thing breaks, the system falters, and everything stops. The apparent paradox...Hardback$7999Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 4-6 weeks -
Abroad in Japan
The hilarious number one bestselling memoir from YouTube sensation Chris Broad, a Brit trying to assimilate into life in Japan as he unravels the wonders and eccentricities of one of the world's most mysterious cultures. When Englishman Chris Broad landed in a rural village in northern Japan, he wondered if he'd made a huge mistake. With no knowledge of the...Paperback$2500Elsewhere:$3000Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
The Cat's Tales
Once upon a time, the enchanting creature that is the cat infiltrated our lives – and our folklore. Cats have a long association with the supernatural – from being worshipped as gods in ancient Egypt to vilified as witches’ familiars in Europe – and they appear in countless fairy tales throughout history. Every part of the world has its own...Hardback$3099Elsewhere:$3799Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
The Penguin Lessons
Now a major film, this is the true story of an unlikely friendship between a flightless bird and a teacher out of his depth. When schoolteacher Tom Michell pulls a penguin from an oil slick off the coast of Uruguay, he has no idea what to do. Back at his apartment, Tom cleans him, but upon returning to the beach,...Paperback$2400Elsewhere:$3000Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
Rambling Man
THE NUMBER ONE BESTSELLING HILARIOUS NEW BOOK FROM THE NATION'S FAVOURITE COMEDIAN, BILLY CONNOLLY "Being a Rambling Man was what I always wanted to be, to live the way I damn well pleased. I've met the weirdest and most wonderful people who walk the Earth, seen the most bizarre and the most fantastic sights - and I've rarely come across...Paperback$2299Elsewhere:$2799Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
22% offLonely Planet Pocket Lisbon
Lonely Planet's Pocket Lisbon is your guide to the city's best experiences and local life - neighbourhood by neighbourhood. Experience the city's most scenic tram routes, find the best pastéis de nata and discover the winding backstreets of Alfama; all with your trusted travel companion. Uncover the best of Lisbon and make the most of your trip! Inside Lonely Planet's...Paperback$1800Elsewhere:$2499Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
Cozy Bookshops: Colouring Book
Cozy Bookshops—your ultimate escape into a world of bookish bliss and mindful relaxation in 46 adorable scenes, from the coziest book nooks. Wander labyrinthine bookshelves, sink into soft armchairs by roaring fireplaces, and lose yourself in snug, atmospheric corners. Escape, relax, and unwind with this colouring book for all skill levels and bring your own personality. The possibilities are endless!...Paperback$2000Elsewhere:$2299Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
22% off
Lonely Planet Pocket Porto
Lonely Planet's Pocket Porto is your guide to the city's best experiences and local life, neighbourhood by neighbourhood. Experience the historic Se cathedral, marvel at the stunning Palacio da Bolsa, and visit peacocks in Jardim do Palacio de Cristal, all with your trusted travel companion. Uncover the best of Porto and make the most of your trip! Inside Lonely Planet's...Paperback$1800Elsewhere:$2499Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
Auto Biography
From one of the world's most popular motor journalists, a highly entertaining, clued-up and panoramic guide to cars. A highly entertaining, clued-up and panoramic guide to cars by Mat Watson, the world's most followed car journalist on social media. Mat Watson knows everything there is to know about cars. In his 25-year career as a motor journalist, he has driven...Hardback$4600Elsewhere:$6000Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
Brilliant Maps
With a foreword by Tim Harford Which nations have North Korean embassies? Which region has the highest number of death metal bands per capita? How many countries have bigger economies than California? Who drives on the 'wrong' side of the road? And where can you find lions in the wild? Revelatory, thought-provoking and fun, Brilliant Maps is a unique atlas...Paperback$3799Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow
Why buy from us?
Book Hero is not a chain store or big box retailer. We're an independent 100% NZ-owned business on a mission to help more Kiwis rediscover a love of books and reading!
Service & Delivery
Our warehouse in Auckland holds over 100,000 books, toys, board games and puzzles in-stock so you're not waiting for your order to arrive from overseas.
Auckland Bookstore
We're primarily an online store, but for your convenience you can pick up your order for free from our bookstore, which is right next door to our warehouse in Hobsonville.
Our Gifting Service
Books make wonderful thoughtful gifts and we're here to help with gift-wrapping and cards. We can even send your gift directly to your loved one.
