Friday, 3 January 2020

After 25,000 sales NO MORE JOHNNIE WALKER GUIDEBOOKS


NO MORE JOHNNIE WALKER GUIDEBOOKS
25,000 SALES ALL FOR PILGRIM CHARITIES

 12 years ago, with a basic set of walking notes provided by the CSJ, I set out on the Camino Inglés. The route was badly waymarked and at points I couldn’t find the badly faded yellow arrows. “Why not write a new guidebook?” suggested Marion Marples the secretary of the UK pilgrim association. And so I did.  Then came writing a new guidebook to the Camino Portugués and then the Madrid Route… and the rest is history.

I decided from the beginning that this would be my way of putting something back into the Camino which has given me so much. Therefore over these years I’ve simply handed over my manuscripts for the CSJ and other associations to publish and sell. They’ve kept the entire proceeds with no deductions for expenses or royalties.  It has been my pleasure.

 
When I started out John Brierley was writing his popular guide to the Camino Francés but there were few other guidebook writers around. Some of my Guides were the first ever, such as the guides to the Madrid Route, the Via Serrana and, more lately, the Route from Lisbon via Fatima. However more and more commercial guides are being produced to the Camino routes and frankly some of them are better than mine as they use better technology with accompanying apps.


Also, as any writer will tell you, it is impossible to be on pilgrimage and write a guidebook at the same time. Whilst walking the routes most years to produce updates has kept me fit I badly miss just walking. To mark this change I am setting out next week to walk the Via de la Plata. This was my                                            very first Camino.

Therefore it is time to change and a few months ago I told the CSJ that I would not be producing any more guidebooks or updates. I’ll still continue to produce the other books published by the charitable publishers Redemptorist Publications. https://www.rpbooks.co.uk/
Thank you to all of the pilgrims who used my books and sent me information about the routes. Thanks to the CSJ and other associations who provided them for pilgrims generating vital funds. Over the years 25,000 people have bought my guidebooks and Spiritual Companions. Thank you on behalf of the pilgrim charities who have benefitted.