Love Travel Memoir Or Walking Books? Pilgrimage Is Out Now On Kickstarter

After several years of writing, walking hundreds of kilometers, and much soul-searching, Pilgrimage: Lessons Learned from Solo Walking Three Ancient Ways is out now on Kickstarter!

Watch the video below or here on YouTube.

The video covers:

• Who I am and why Pilgrimage is important to me — and helpful for you
• The different editions of the book, including hardback, paperback, large print, ebook, audiobook, workbook
• What Pilgrimage covers and what's inside the book
• Pictures from my pilgrimages

Pilgrimage is only available on Kickstarter 23 Jan – 5 Feb, 2023, and I will publish on other platforms in a few months.

Transcript of the video

[00:00:00] Hello Creatives. I'm Joanna Penn and I write thrillers, dark fantasy and crime as JF Penn and nonfiction for writers as Joanna Penn — and now I also write travel memoir.

This is my latest book, Pilgrimage: Lessons Learned From Solo Walking Three Ancient Ways. Now, I know I don't often do videos anymore, but I really wanted to tell you about this.

[00:00:25]

Do you enjoy travel memoirs with both personal reflection and practical tips?

Are you interested in solo walking or walking long distance, or have you ever considered the Camino de Santiago or other multi-day walks?

If yes, Pilgrimage may be for you.

So Pilgrimage is a book of my heart. It's very personal.

[00:00:46] It means a lot to me, but I also wrote it to be useful for others. And so I'm doing this, my first ever Kickstarter for my first ever signed numbered beautiful hardback with color photos. It is a gorgeous book, and I hope you like it.

So the book is finished. This is a proof copy, and I'm doing this Kickstarter primarily for printing the limited edition, signed and numbered hardback.

[00:01:14] But there are also other editions however you prefer to read or listen.

The special hardcover dust jacket has a lovely matte finish and it feels really silky, and the inner cover has silver foil.

There are multiple color photo sections in the book, which I've never done before, along with quote pages, questions, and useful appendices with more practical tips.

[00:01:37] There are also other editions of the book available: ebook, audiobook narrated by me, as well as a paperback and large print edition. You can also get the unsigned hardback.

There's also a spiral-bound workbook with all the questions.

Plus, I have different add-ons if you like my fiction or non-fiction.

[00:01:56] Everything is complete and finished and I will not be publishing Pilgrimage on other platforms for a few months. This is both early access and also the signed numbered hardback will only be available in this Kickstarter.

What does Pilgrimage cover?

Over the last few years, I have solo walked the Pilgrim's Way from London to Canterbury in England, the St.

[00:02:19] Cuthbert's Way from Melrose in Scotland to Lindisfarne, Holy Island on the northeast coast of England, and from Porto in Portugal along the Camino Portuguese coastal route to Santiago de Compostela in Spain.

While I am not a Christian, I am open to the deeper questions of life, and walking these solo pilgrimages helped me through a dark time in midlife as well as a difficult time in the world.

[00:02:44] And these long-distance walks changed how I see the way ahead.

In Pilgrimage, I share my lessons learned and insights from walking these ancient ways as well as historical, religious, and cultural aspects and plenty of practical tips. There are also questions to consider around your own journey, whether you are walking or not.

[00:03:04] Part 1 goes into the practical and spiritual preparation before pilgrimage, including how to make decisions around the route and whether to walk solo, as well as what to take with you and how to face the fears that might hold you back.

Part 2 covers the journey itself with the practicalities of the pilgrim's day, as well as how walking in the path of history and facing the challenge of the way can give you a much needed

[00:03:29] perspective on life and perhaps even a glimpse of the divine.

Part 3 addresses the arrival at your destination and how to leave room for the gifts of pilgrimage to emerge after your return home, as well as how my three walks impacted my experience of midlife.

And at the end, you'll find Appendices with practical tips for each of the three routes, as well as a gear list and selected bibliography.

[00:03:56] So if you love personal travel memoirs or you want practical tips about solo walking or multi-day route — or if you just want to take an armchair journey through my personal midlife challenges and read excerpts from my journals over the last couple of years — then please check out my Kickstarter at www.jfpenn.com/pilgrimage

[00:04:21] That link will redirect to the other places you can buy the books later this year.

On the Kickstarter page, you can find lots more detail about the different pledge levels or you're welcome to leave a comment or a question below. Thanks so much for watching, and I hope to see you inside the campaign.