{"id":49823,"date":"2025-07-08T22:32:13","date_gmt":"2025-07-08T22:32:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/49823\/"},"modified":"2025-07-08T22:32:13","modified_gmt":"2025-07-08T22:32:13","slug":"salt-path-publisher-defends-due-diligence-as-story-is-disputed","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/49823\/","title":{"rendered":"Salt Path publisher defends \u2018due diligence\u2019 as story is disputed"},"content":{"rendered":"

The publisher of the bestselling memoir The Salt Path has said it undertook \u201call the necessary pre-publication due diligence\u201d with the author after key aspects of her story were disputed.<\/p>\n

Penguin, which published Raynor Winn\u2019s prize-winning memoir in 2018, said it signed a warranty contract with the author at the time concerning \u201cfactual accuracy\u201d.<\/p>\n

It added that it had received no concerns about the book\u2019s content before being contacted by the Observer.<\/p>\n

On Sunday, the newspaper published an investigation questioning several elements<\/a> of the \u201ctrue\u201d story, in which Winn and her husband Moth embark on a 630-mile walk along the South West Coast Path after being left homeless. It was recently adapted into a film starring Gillian Anderson and Jason Isaacs.<\/p>\n

\"Film<\/p>\n

Gillian Anderson and Jason Isaacs played the couple in the film adaptation<\/p>\n

The book sold more than two million copies and led to two sequels. A fourth book, On Winter Hill, due to be published in October. <\/p>\n

The investigation disputed the book\u2019s claim that their farmhouse was lost after a business deal went wrong and it was repossessed to cover a debt. Instead it is claimed that the loss of the property was linked to a loan taken out after Mrs Winn allegedly stole about \u00a364,000 from her estate agent employer in Pwllheli, north Wales.<\/p>\n

Several neurologists also questioned if Mr Winn was really afflicted with corticobasal degeneration (CBD), given the way his experience of the condition is presented. A charity supporting people with CBD has since terminated its relationship with the family.<\/p>\n

The healthcare charity PSPA said that it was \u201cshocked and disappointed\u201d and had taken the action because \u201ctoo many questions remain unanswered\u201d about Mrs and Mr Winn. The couple enjoyed close ties with the charity after the phenomenal success of the book, which charts Mr Winn\u2019s diagnosis with a debilitating neurological condition.<\/p>\n

\u2022 What the Salt Path author Raynor Winn told me about honesty<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n

The PSPA, the only UK charity that supports people with CBD and progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), said that fellow sufferers had been left \u201cangry, let down and eager for clarity\u201d after the revelations. <\/p>\n

In a statement, the charity said: \u201cWe were shocked and disappointed to learn of the allegations made about Raynor<\/a> and Moth Winn by the Observer this weekend. We know the article has taken everyone by surprise and has made people affected by corticobasal degeneration and progressive supranuclear palsy feel angry, let down and eager for clarity.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mr Winn completed the London Marathon in support of PSPA in 2023, and a fundraising walk to the capital to coincide with the race last year in support of the charity. <\/p>\n

The charity said that it had accepted the family\u2019s offer of support in good faith. It added: \u201cWhilst we are thankful for the awareness opportunities their story has provided, too many questions currently remain unanswered. Therefore, we have made the decision to terminate our relationship with the family.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Raynor<\/p>\n

The Winns, left, with their on-screen counterparts<\/p>\n

CAMERA PRESS<\/p>\n

It has removed posts from its website featuring the couple, including a video featuring Mr Winn as an ambassador. <\/p>\n

After questions were raised about what Penguin knew, the publisher told the Bookseller: \u201cPenguin (Michael Joseph) published The Salt Path in 2018 and, like many readers, we were moved and inspired by Raynor\u2019s story and its message of hope.<\/p>\n

\u201cPenguin undertook all the necessary pre-publication due diligence, including a contract with an author warranty about factual accuracy, and a legal read, as is standard with most works of non-fiction. Prior to the Observer inquiry, we had not received any concerns about the book\u2019s content.\u201d<\/p>\n

When the book was published, Penguin described it as \u201can unflinchingly honest, inspiring and life-affirming true story of coming to terms with grief and the healing power of the natural world\u201d.<\/p>\n

\"Raynor<\/p>\n

The Winns at a screening for the film adaptation<\/p>\n

HUGH R HASTINGS\/GETTY IMAGES<\/p>\n

The Winns have not responded to requests for comment on the claims made. In a statement, they described the Observer article as \u201chighly misleading\u201d. Their representatives did not elaborate when asked to explain what elements of the reporting were misleading. <\/p>\n

The statement added: \u201cWe are taking legal advice and won\u2019t be making any further comment at this time. The Salt Path lays bare the physical and spiritual journey Moth and I shared, an experience that transformed us completely and altered the course of our lives. This is the true story of our journey.\u201d<\/p>\n

The producers behind the film adaptation said that they did not know about the claims. Number 9 Films and Shadowplay Features said: \u201cThere were no known claims against the book at the time of optioning it or producing and distributing the film.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The publisher of the bestselling memoir The Salt Path has said it undertook \u201call the necessary pre-publication due…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":49824,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[1022,171,67,132,68],"class_list":{"0":"post-49823","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-books","8":"tag-books","9":"tag-entertainment","10":"tag-united-states","11":"tag-unitedstates","12":"tag-us"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/114819992505613776","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49823","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=49823"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49823\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/49824"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=49823"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=49823"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=49823"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}