Latest news with #TheObserver
Arab Times
6 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Arab Times
'The Salt Path' is a book that captured the hearts of millions. Now it's mired in controversy
LONDON, July 12, (AP): "The Salt Path' is a memoir of resilience and courage that captured the hearts of millions and was subsequently adapted for the big screen, with actors Gillian Anderson and Jason Isaacs taking the lead roles. But now, the book and the film are mired in a controversy that could see them suffer that very modern phenomenon - being canceled. On Friday, publisher Penguin Michael Joseph agreed with author Raynor Winn to delay the publication of her next book, "On Winter Hill" from this October after "intrusive conjecture' about her husband's health. The delay is the latest blowback from a bombshell report in Sunday's The Observer newspaper in the United Kingdom that claimed there was more to the 2018 book than met the eye - that key elements of the story had been fabricated. Author Raynor Winn stands accused of betraying the trust of her readers and of reaping a windfall on the back of lies. Winn accepts "mistakes' were made, but that the overarching allegations were "highly misleading.' She has sought legal counsel. Winn's book tells how she and her husband of 32 years, Moth Winn - a well-to-do couple - made the impulsive decision to walk the rugged 630 miles (around 1,000 kilometers) of the South West Coast Path in the southwest of England after losing their house because of a bad business investment. Broke and homeless, the memoir relays how the couple achieved spiritual renewal during their trek, which lasted several months and which saw them carry essentials and a tent on their back. The book also recounts how Moth Winn was diagnosed with the extremely rare and incurable neurological condition, corticobasal degeneration, or CBD, and how his symptoms had abated following the walk. It sold 2 million copies, became a regular read at book clubs, spawned two sequels and the film adaptation, which was released this spring, to generally positive reviews. On its website, publisher Penguin described the book as "an unflinchingly honest, inspiring and life-affirming true story of coming to terms with grief and the healing power of the natural world. Ultimately, it is a portrayal of home, and how it can be lost, rebuilt, and rediscovered in the most unexpected ways.' That statement was released before the controversy that erupted last Sunday. In a wide-ranging investigation, The Observer said that it found a series of fabrications in Raynor Winn's tale. It said the couple's legal names are Sally and Timothy Walker, and that Winn misrepresented the events that led to the couple losing their home. The newspaper said that the couple lost their home following accusations that Winn had stolen tens of thousands of pounds from her employer. It also said that the couple had owned a house in France since 2007, meaning that they weren't homeless. And perhaps more damaging, the newspaper said that it had spoken to medical experts who were skeptical about Moth having CBD, given his lack of acute symptoms and his apparent ability to reverse them. The book's ability to engender empathy from its readers relied on their personal circumstances. Without those hooks, it's a very different tale. As a writer of what was represented as a true story, Winn had to attest to her publisher that the book was a fair and honest reflection of what transpired. Any memoir may have omissions or hazy recollections. But making things up is a clear no-no. In the immediate aftermath, Winn made a brief comment on her website about the "highly misleading' accusations and insisted that the book "lays bare the physical and spiritual journey Moth and I shared, an experience that transformed us completely and altered the course of our lives. This is the true story of our journey.' She fleshed out her response on Wednesday, describing the previous few days have been "some of the hardest of my life,' while acknowledging "mistakes' in her business career. She also linked documents appearing to show Moth had been diagnosed with CBD, and described how the accusations that Moth made up his illness have left them "devastated.' After the allegations were published, Penguin said it undertook "the necessary pre-publication due diligence,' and that prior to The Observer story, it hadn't received any concerns about the book's content. It'll be interesting to see how the book's sales and the film's box office receipts are affected by the controversy. Those should start emerging in the coming days. In addition, there are questions now as to whether the film will find a U.S. distributor and whether Winn, in particular, will face compensation claims, potentially even from readers. Winn was meant to be in the western England town of Shrewsbury on Friday on the Saltlines tour, a "words and music collaboration' between her and folk band The Gigspanner Big Band. Her legal team said that Winn is "deeply sorry to let down those who were planning to attend the Saltlines tour, but while this process is ongoing, she will be unable to take part.'
Otago Daily Times
14 hours ago
- Politics
- Otago Daily Times
Brics may be losing its bite
No-shows by key leaders at an annual summit underscored the difficulties of an international bloc that once sought to reshape world politics, James Kynge, of The Observer , writes. The annual summit of Brics, a growing world grouping seen as the Global South's answer to the G7, met in the Brazilian capital this week. But its two heaviest hitters stayed away. So what? Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin were absent at a time when the coalition faces the toughest test of its relevance since it was founded in 2009, even as it expands. The 11 members of Brics account for about 40% of global GDP, and their average growth rate remains significantly ahead of the rest of the world. But the Rio summit faced critical challenges including last year's addition of Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Indonesia, which has brought fresh divisions and entrenched old ones; wars in the Middle East and Ukraine; and Donald Trump's tariff threats. Xi's no-show. China is by far the largest Brics economy and styles itself as a leader of the developing world. So Xi not turning up for the first time in more than a decade, without a credible excuse, has to be seen as a downgrading of the importance Beijing accords the group. Lula's loss. Xi's absence was particularly felt by Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who has ambitions to bolster his country's leadership role within Brics and among developing countries seeking the democratisation of the international system. Putin's absence. Putin, Xi's closest ally in Brics, beamed in by video link to claim the liberal world order is "obsolete". He faced arrest if he travelled to Brazil in person since the country is part of the International Criminal Court, which has an outstanding warrant for Putin for the alleged abduction of thousands of Ukrainian children. Another Bric in the wall. The grouping called the bombing of Iran, one of its new faces, a "blatant breach of international law" but didn't mention the US or Israel by name — an indicator of the limited influence of Brics, which cannot back up statements with policies. Autocratic drift. The more than doubling of Brics membership last year, largely driven by China, drew concerns from members such as India and Brazil because it tilts the grouping much further towards autocracy. Among the new members, only Indonesia is a democracy, while Iran, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Ethiopia and the UAE are authoritarian states in varying degrees. Competing loyalties. The Saudis and Emiratis, meanwhile, are staunch military allies of the United States, while India is also stepping up its defence partnerships with the West. This has further fragmented a bloc that was already struggling for cohesion. At a meeting in April, its foreign ministers failed to agree on a final statement. And yet. The grouping remains useful politically, especially to Russia. Its statement — signed off by two key US allies in Saudi Arabia and the UAE — barely mentioned Russia's actions in Ukraine, beyond calling for a "sustainable peace settlement" and criticising Ukraine's strikes on Russian infrastructure. For developing nations, the bloc still represents the most credible alternative to the US-led West and is a useful forum for expressing dissatisfaction with the current world order. About 30 countries have applied to join or expressed interest in joining, including Malaysia, Bangladesh and Turkey, a Nato member. Talk of the town. While its statement covered everything from AI and food production to boosting the representation of the Global South in multilateral institutions, Trump's trade policies took up much of the summit's attention. The bloc lamented "unilateral tariff and non-tariff measures", but did not directly call out the Trump administration — another pulled punch. That's unlikely to stop Trump ... In fact, he immediately hit back with a threat to impose extra duties of 10% on countries that align themselves with "anti-American policies".
North Wales Chronicle
21 hours ago
- Entertainment
- North Wales Chronicle
Salt Path author's next book delayed after ‘intrusive conjecture'
Raynor Winn's story, now a film starring Gillian Anderson and Jason Isaacs, tells how she and her husband, Moth, walked the South West Coast Path after losing their home. The memoir also recounts how Moth was diagnosed with a neurological condition, but The Observer newspaper reported that Winn may have misrepresented the events that led to the couple losing their home and that experts had doubts over Moth having corticobasal degeneration (CBD). In a statement on Friday, Penguin Michael Joseph, which published The Salt Path in 2018, said Winn's next book, On Winter Hill, which was due to be published in October, will now be delayed. A spokeswoman for the publisher said: 'Given recent events, in particular intrusive conjecture around Moth's health condition, which has caused considerable distress to Raynor Winn and her family, it is our priority to support the author at this time. 'With this in mind, Penguin Michael Joseph, together with the author, have made the decision to delay the publication of On Winter Hill from this October. 'We will announce a new publication date in due course.' The Observer said the couple's legal names are Sally and Timothy Walker. On Wednesday, Winn defended her memoir against claims parts of it were fabricated, posting clinic letters on Instagram addressed to Timothy Walker, which she said showed that 'he is treated for CBD/S and has been for many years'. She wrote: 'The last few days have been some of the hardest of my life. Heart breaking accusations that Moth has made up his illness have been made, leaving us devastated.' In a statement on her website, she said that the article was 'grotesquely unfair, highly misleading and seeks to systematically pick apart my life'. She added: 'The Salt Path is about what happened to Moth and me, after we lost our home and found ourselves homeless on the headlands of the south west. 'It's not about every event or moment in our lives, but rather about a capsule of time when our lives moved from a place of complete despair to a place of hope. 'The journey held within those pages is one of salt and weather, of pain and possibility. And I can't allow any more doubt to be cast on the validity of those memories, or the joy they have given so many.' In The Salt Path, the couple lose their house due to a bad business investment, but The Observer reported that the couple lost their home after an accusation that Winn had stolen thousands of pounds from her employer. Publishing house Penguin previously said it 'undertook all the necessary pre-publication due diligence', including a contract with an author warranty about factual accuracy and a legal read. It added: 'Prior to the Observer enquiry, we had not received any concerns about the book's content.'
Daily Mail
21 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
The Salt Path author has next book delayed, publishers reveal, after 'intrusive conjecture' over husband's health
Scandal-hit author Raynor Winn's fourth book has been delayed following claims she misled readers about her husband's devastating health condition. The publisher of The Salt Path, Penguin, said today On Winter Hill would no longer be coming out in October following 'intrusive conjecture' about Moth's condition CBD. It said these claims, uncovered in an investigation by The Observer newspaper, had caused 'considerable distress' to Winn and her family. The author has faced days of backlash about her 2018 memoir - which his alleged to not be as 'unflinchingly honest' as initially billed. As well of being accused of fabricating her husband's terminal illness, she is also said to have omitted key elements of how the couple came to lose their home. In the book, Winn said she and her husband Moth lost a fortune - and their home in Wales - due to a bad investment in a friend's business. But an investigation carried out by The Observer uncovered allegations she had in fact embezzled £64,000 from a former employer and was allegedly arrested. A loan was then allegedly taken out to avoid prosecution and when this was not paid their home was sold, it has been claimed. Now in a statement today, Penguin Michael Joseph, said Winn's next book, On Winter Hill, which was due to be published in October, will now be delayed. A spokeswoman for the publisher said: 'Given recent events, in particular intrusive conjecture around Moth's health condition, which has caused considerable distress to Raynor Winn and her family, it is our priority to support the author at this time. 'With this in mind, Penguin Michael Joseph, together with the author, have made the decision to delay the publication of On Winter Hill from this October. 'We will announce a new publication date in due course.' The development comes after Winn defended her memoir against claims parts of it were fabricated on Wednesday. She also posted clinic letters on Instagram addressed to Timothy Walker, which she said showed that 'he is treated for CBD/S and has been for many years'. She wrote: 'The last few days have been some of the hardest of my life. Heart breaking accusations that Moth has made up his illness have been made, leaving us devastated.' In a statement on her website, she said that the article was 'grotesquely unfair, highly misleading and seeks to systematically pick apart my life'. She added: 'The Salt Path is about what happened to Moth and me, after we lost our home and found ourselves homeless on the headlands of the south west. 'It's not about every event or moment in our lives, but rather about a capsule of time when our lives moved from a place of complete despair to a place of hope. 'The journey held within those pages is one of salt and weather, of pain and possibility. 'And I can't allow any more doubt to be cast on the validity of those memories, or the joy they have given so many.' In The Salt Path, the couple lose their house due to a bad business investment, but The Observer reported that the couple lost their home after an accusation that Winn had stolen thousands of pounds from her employer. Publishing house Penguin previously said it 'undertook all the necessary pre-publication due diligence', including a contract with an author warranty about factual accuracy and a legal read. It added: 'Prior to the Observer enquiry, we had not received any concerns about the book's content.' Released in 2018, The Salt Path details the Winns' decision to embark on the South West Coast Path when they lose their home after investing a 'substantial sum' into a friend's business which ultimately failed. In the book, Winn writes: 'We lost. Lost the case. Lost the house.' The memoir then describes their subsequent 630-mile walk to salvation, wild camping en route and living on around £40 per week, and is described as a 'life-affirming true story of coming to terms with grief and the healing power of the natural world.' It prompted two sequels and the film adaptation, which was released in May, starring The X Files' Anderson and Isaacs, who recently starred in HBO's The White Lotus. The Winns posed for photographs alongside the actors on the red carpet in London at the film's premiere.
South Wales Guardian
21 hours ago
- Entertainment
- South Wales Guardian
Salt Path author's next book delayed after ‘intrusive conjecture'
Raynor Winn's story, now a film starring Gillian Anderson and Jason Isaacs, tells how she and her husband, Moth, walked the South West Coast Path after losing their home. The memoir also recounts how Moth was diagnosed with a neurological condition, but The Observer newspaper reported that Winn may have misrepresented the events that led to the couple losing their home and that experts had doubts over Moth having corticobasal degeneration (CBD). In a statement on Friday, Penguin Michael Joseph, which published The Salt Path in 2018, said Winn's next book, On Winter Hill, which was due to be published in October, will now be delayed. A spokeswoman for the publisher said: 'Given recent events, in particular intrusive conjecture around Moth's health condition, which has caused considerable distress to Raynor Winn and her family, it is our priority to support the author at this time. 'With this in mind, Penguin Michael Joseph, together with the author, have made the decision to delay the publication of On Winter Hill from this October. 'We will announce a new publication date in due course.' The Observer said the couple's legal names are Sally and Timothy Walker. On Wednesday, Winn defended her memoir against claims parts of it were fabricated, posting clinic letters on Instagram addressed to Timothy Walker, which she said showed that 'he is treated for CBD/S and has been for many years'. She wrote: 'The last few days have been some of the hardest of my life. Heart breaking accusations that Moth has made up his illness have been made, leaving us devastated.' In a statement on her website, she said that the article was 'grotesquely unfair, highly misleading and seeks to systematically pick apart my life'. She added: 'The Salt Path is about what happened to Moth and me, after we lost our home and found ourselves homeless on the headlands of the south west. 'It's not about every event or moment in our lives, but rather about a capsule of time when our lives moved from a place of complete despair to a place of hope. 'The journey held within those pages is one of salt and weather, of pain and possibility. And I can't allow any more doubt to be cast on the validity of those memories, or the joy they have given so many.' In The Salt Path, the couple lose their house due to a bad business investment, but The Observer reported that the couple lost their home after an accusation that Winn had stolen thousands of pounds from her employer. Publishing house Penguin previously said it 'undertook all the necessary pre-publication due diligence', including a contract with an author warranty about factual accuracy and a legal read. It added: 'Prior to the Observer enquiry, we had not received any concerns about the book's content.'
