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Her words have encouraged me to assess my own relationship with the place that I call home and how, when I’m walking in nature, I feel peaceful, smaller and somehow closer to something far bigger than myself. Sethi also explores timely fears such as how we treat the natural world, which is especially poignant considering the post-pandemic reality that we’re currently navigating. There are some exasperations and things I wondered at: she refers to having travelled without items she was recommended to have because she 'couldn't afford' them and makes a similar reference to buying a second hand paper (unlaminated) OS map for similar reasons. Now it could be that for all sorts of reasons she was concealed her need from her friends, people who are thanked, or there were complications in organising it but I found myself irritated - were all these folk waffling on about literary matters and none of them thought to say "Here, you can borrow mine..."? She never really needs to be rescued on her walks and she's not exactly teetering up the fells in flip flops but I wasn't comfortable. I don't know if this points to shit friends or a more general problem of support networks which don't work, perhaps related to the issues she's examining in the book.
The rather small parts of this book about her walk are combined with thoughts about her experience on the train, general racism, colonialism, but also psychotherapy by water and other natural phenomena, preservation of nature etc. etc. All these themes get a bit too much in this description, and are further augmented by explanations of certain words, plants, body parts, history, which everyone could easily have looked up. That’s why it’s highly likely you’ll need the guidance of a trained therapist if you are to banish these feelings from your life. There’s no shame in that – therapy is one of the most effective tools for self-discovery and self-growth. Here’s that link again if you’d like to learn more about the service BetterHelp.com provide and the process of getting started. I Belong Here is about inspiring a new generation with the belief that, no matter who they are or where they come from, they can find their place in the Olympic community.
Brush up on your communication skills. Contemplate how to say things that need to be said and practice, practice, practice. Communication is a skill that needs to be honed with practice over time. 3. You’re not hearing what others are trying to say.
During certain passages, I was reminded of the American memoirist and novelist, Cheryl Strayed, and her bestselling book Wild which detailed her 1,100-mile hike in 1995 on the Pacific Crest Trail from the Mojave Desert to the Oregon–Washington state line. It told the story of the personal struggles that compelled her to take the hike. I realised that both writers are unflinchingly confessional and write about nature with an almost lyrical tone.I found my pre-booked seat and as the train pulled out I began to practise my reading in my head for the coming evening. It stopped in Newton-le-Willows before pulling into Manchester Victoria station. I felt the inevitable flood of memories at my home town station, gateway to illicit teenage trips, visiting the hills surrounding the city while skiving school. As part of her recovery programme, Anita decides to walk in the Pennines, mainly on her own. Starting in Gargrave, she walks to Malham and on to Settle and beyond. As she passes through small villages, she wonders what the locals think of this brown woman walking past their homes. She tells us that BAME people are not seen in rural locations as much as they should be, that they don’t have the same level or comfort of access that white people do. That is why she is particularly self conscious of her skin colour there. On a later trip, she walks along Hadrian’s Wall. Whilst walking, she muses on the power of nature, the dangers the environment is facing across the globe, about the sense of belonging to a place, about the roots of words, their original meanings, their meanings now and their personal meanings to her. Anita's journey through the natural landscapes of the North is one of reclamation, a way of saying that this is her land too and she belongs in the UK as a brown woman, as much as a white man does. Her journey transforms what began as an ugly experience of hate into one offering hope and finding beauty after brutality. Anita transforms her personal experience into one of universal resonance, offering a call to action, to keep walking onwards. You were born in Manchester but have spent much of your adult life living in London. How does it feel living in the south when you are from the north? I only gave this one three stars instead of four (three stars for 'I liked it' as opposed to four stars for 'I really liked it'), because I would have preferred a stronger structure. I found my mind wandering a little, as Sethi sometimes drifted between ideas, or seemed to repeat herself. There are so many great ideas in this book, but I would have preferred them to be expressed in a more structured format. But that is purely personal preference.
This is just an utterly empowering novel and I couldn’t recommend it enough, I can’t be more grateful that I managed to get my hands on an ARC. I would recommend this book to everyone, but I would also boost this to those of ethnic minorities or marginalised groups, it’s a great book if you feel alone. It touches on such important aspects including mental health following traumatic events (particularly hate crimes) and how nature can be such a healing and loving space in which to feel like you belong. Because you do, you do belong here, no matter your skin colour, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, you matter. There are several different components to the campaign. My Flag Belongs Here gives people the chance to create their own personalised flag, linked to our shared values of Friendship, Excellence, Respect, Inclusion and Integrity, that they can then share on social media. Using our online flag generator, they respond to a handful of short questions and then their answers are translated into a flag design that they can also customise themselves. News: 24th June 2021: I Belong Here has been longlisted for the Wainwright Prize for Nature Writing
Bold, lyrical and compelling, Sethi redefines the nature genre with this brave and defiant book. Part memoir, part philosophy, part analysis of current British culture and politics, I Belong Here is a reminder to us all to speak out when we witness racism of any kind. It is a rousing and beautiful ode to hope and wildness. I loved it.” I knew in every bone in my body, in every fibre of my being that I had to speak up. I knew I could not stay silent or still. I knew I had to keep walking through the world”
That’s not to say that you will always be able to feel at home among people who are very different from you, but that you don’t have to place so much importance on those differences. Look for the commonalities instead and that will bring you closer to a feeling of belongingness. What is the feeling of not belonging called? The next paragraph switches to Wikipedia mode with a rundown of the fact that there are 10,000 different species of grass. Grasses are an important member of the plant family apparently, "a source of fuel and food, nourishing animals, humans, and the earth itself." Proof that biodiversity is crucial to the planet, "sustaining humans in all our diversity". Furthermore, people have a bad habit of overlooking opportunities that might be right in front of them. Perhaps those people who are different than you are trying to welcome you as best as they can. Walking through such wild, ancient landscape brings me a strong awareness of how we are all temporary guests on this earth. We will take nothing of it with us. How changing it feels to have seen and heard and felt the wilderness, the greatness of these vast expanses and the peace they bring. Being close to living things – the trees breathing, the water lapping – brings a sense of being a part of something greater than the self.Sethi’s feel for the landscape she walks through is acute and her descriptions are vivid and poetic. But there is nothing pretentious about her nature writing; she confesses that she does not know the names of all of the trees and plants she observes, but that does not prevent her enjoyment of their beauty, nor her ability to share that joy with the reader. A magnificent and redemptive achievement. Manchester-born Sethi achieves a powerful blend of memoir, travelogue and natural history as she reflects on nature, place and belonging; and at its beating heart, her book is a stirring love letter to this troubled country of ours. I find it so moving that such a beautifully written, hate-defying book has been born from such a horrific experience. I Belong Here is a shining example of how books, at their best, can be an act of resistance and a communal force for good.” I had planned my journey to follow on foot the course of four rivers, the Aire, Ribble, Tees and Tyne, whose birthplace is high up in the north Pennines, as well as riding some of the local historical railways along the way. At first, I walked alone in the Hope valley, Kinder and Edale, but by the time I reach the Aire I was accompanied by a photographer friend, George. I have been questioned about my Britishness many times apart from by the racist on the train 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. 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.’
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