Author: Anita Sethi

I’m thrilled to have an original commission I wrote as part of my stint as Writer in Residence at Manchester Museum displayed in the foyer at the newly reopened museum. My poem is called ‘We all have wings within us’ and is inspired by this amazing incense burner filled with all manner of wonderful wings, and also speaks to the power of the imagination to transport us all to worlds beyond.

I’m delighted to have met Andy Burnham, Mayor of Manchester, at the launch of the newly reopening Manchester Museum – here we are next to my new poem, ‘We all have wings within us’, which is displayed in the foyer of the museum, an original commission as part of my role as writer-in-residence!

… And here below is a picture of the incense burner mentioned in the poem.

UPDATE, 4th August: I’m thrilled to have been shortlisted for the Wainwright Prize for UK Nature Writing!

I’m thrilled to announce that I Belong Here: a Journey Along the Backbone of Britain has been longlisted for the Wainwright Prize for UK Nature Writing.

Read more here:

https://www.thebookseller.com/news/sheldrake-sethi-and-attenborough-longlisted-5k-wainwright-prize-1266394

Stanfords Travel, Book of the Month

A recommended read in Wanderlust Magazine

News: Front Cover of The Bookseller in exclusive pre-publication interview.

News: Chosen as a Waterstones’ Best Book to Look Forward to in 2021

News: Selected for the Guardian’s Literary Highlights of 2021

News: Selected as Book of the Month in The Bookseller

 

‘For anyone who has ever felt out of place, I Belong Here is a moving and comforting read. For everyone else, it is an education. Punchier and more political than most nature writing, this book is a thing of beauty.’

              – Sunday Times

‘A memoir of rare power’
             –    Guardian
 

‘Nature’s beauty and wilderness provide a welcome escape from Sethi’s city life and kickstart a healing process as she becomes enveloped in the great outdoors, taking us on an emotional journey at the same time. It’s an amazing odyssey: inspiring, powerful, encouraging and incredibly brave.’

             – Independent 

“Passionate and reflective.” 

              – New Statesman

 ‘A powerful and moving memoir’ 

             – BBC Countryfile Mag

‘Restored and enlivened by the wonders of nature, Anita finds the courage to embrace her vulnerabilities and strengths and to claim her place in the world. Brave and life-affirming book.’

                 – S Magazine, Sunday Express

‘A profound read, weaving a sequence of immense concepts into a beautiful, unique and uplifting story about a walk. It’s also a superb study of the wildlife and wildness of the Pennines, and the words that northerners have found to name and describe them. Walkers may recognise many sights within Anita’s journey. But rarely has a writer brought so many strands of social and cultural history into the concept of walking.’

               – Country Walking, Britain’s bestselling walking magazine

‘A masterful example of nature writing’

              – The National 

‘A beautiful, important, and inspiring exploration of our natural world and the author’s sense of belonging within her own country. Thought-provoking and inclusive, this is a wonderful blend of nature and an examination of language, community and friendship. Words dance in her hands, she shows how much language matters, looking at the meanings of words, particularly with regards to nature and emotions. She is so beautifully eloquent. Anita’s words encouraged me to look again, to not just see the face of our natural surroundings but to look in more depth at our natural history and how it exists and connects us. A LoveReading Star Book, I Belong Here is a truly beautiful and important read that I can wholeheartedly recommend’                                                                                                     – Liz Robinson, LoveReading

‘I Belong Here is a glorious book, presenting curiosity and exploration as a magnificently defiant response to the brute pettiness of prejudice. It opens the reader’s eyes to triumphant effect.’

         – Tortoise

‘Exploring nature writing through such a political and powerful lens is groundbreaking and it was truly a joy to read, even if the content was emotionally challenging at times. Written in incredible prose… Sethi is a powerhouse writer and her work deserves a place on every bookshelf. We can’t wait to see what she creates next.’

         – Nrth Lass

‘I Belong Here is an extraordinary piece of place writing, not least because of Sethi’s talent for describing the Northern landscape that she encounters. Sethi’s nature writing is relatable and accessible…It’s a searingly personal book, but its themes are universal with Sethi considering topics such as loneliness, grief, what it’s like to walk alone as a woman, history, politics, freedom, protest and identity. I felt her power and emotion searing through the page. Not only is I Belong Here an original piece of nature writing, it’s also a moving read. It’s powerful, vulnerable and, above all, truthful. The perfect recipe for a memoir’                                   

 – Northern Soul

I’m thrilled to have been awarded an RSL Literature Matters award for I Belong Here!

More information on my project can be found here: https://i-belong-here.com/nature-writing-workshops/