Finding the Wayfarer

Shortlisted for the East Anglian Book Awards 2025. "Emma Rose Barber leads us on an elegant, intimate and always illuminating walk through the history, theology and poetry of wayfaring." Rhidian Brook, author of The Aftermath & The Killing of Butterfly Joe. In the vein of Robert Macfarlane's The Old Ways, a literary, artistic and spiritual journey through past and present. Throughout history, the figure of the wayfarer, and the notion of wayfaring, has seized the imagination. Through a series of walks, the author follows in the path of the medieval wayfarer to see how this captivating figure developed from being seen as an indigent nuisance, much maligned, to romantic muse for artists and writers. The book brings the wayfarer to life. And all up-to-date to see how it is found in contemporary culture. Finding the Wayfarer is a captivating exploration of the age-old tradition of wayfaring - the simple, often solitary journey on foot. Through a blend of historical enquiry, evocative place writing and memoir, the book weaves together the stories of wayfarers across time. From the marginalized figures in medieval manuscripts, to the introspective writings of Charlotte Smith, Wordsworth and Hardy, the wayfarer has often been viewed with suspicion and fear. Yet, they have also inspired admiration, embodying melancholy and a deep connection to the natural world. Themes of illicit love and scorn through wayfaring are the themes of later writers and artists like Dickens, Samuel Beckett and Grayson Perry. The book is a rich tapestry of walking, resilience and survival, inviting readers to consider this enduring archetype.