Walking Home by Simon Armitage Review

Reviewed by Sally Smith

I love a tale of human endeavour that relies on the good will and generosity of strangers and Walking Home did indeed warm the cockles! Armitage’s journey is simple – a walk along The Pennine Way from north to south. But this isn’t just an ordinary walk. Armitage sets off without a penny in his pocket with the hope that he will be able to fund his journey purely through asking for donations for his poetry readings. Of course, being an established and respected poet helps the situation slightly – but it’s still no mean feat!

I thought that Armitage’s writing style was lovely – not only was I instantly drawn in to the story, but I could almost smell the damp boots, the sodden fields and the stale beer in the pubs. In between chapters, I felt the sudden urge to go for a nice long walk, followed by a pint of Hobgoblin. The writing is wordy, without being overwhelming and the descriptive prose makes up for the lack of poetry actually included in his tale. I was secretly hoping for a nice Kinder Scout inspired ballad, or an ode to Edale.

Armitage wasn’t alone on his 256-mile journey south. Accompanying him were a merry band of travellers, wonderfully described. The book gave you a true sense of purpose and camaraderie, without being sentimental. The vignettes of some of the characters he meets along the way are excellent too – genuinely funny without stereotyping. There were many passages that I laughed out loud reading.

I have read many travel books over the years and would put Walking Home in the pile with my favourites. An £8.99 (Paperback) £16.99 (Hardback) cover price is money well spent to be transported from the humdrum living room into a little adventure with an imaginative and thoroughly likeable poet.

Rating: 5/5

RRP: £16.99 (Harback) / £9.99 (Paperback)

Available to buy from Faber & Faber here.