Author: Jake Morris-CampbellISBN: 9781526175397Publisher: Manchester University PressYear first published: 01 Jun 2026Pages: 312 Format: Paperback / softbackA writer's quest to understand the deep past and uncertain future of his homeland.After inheriting the miner's safety lamp that belonged to his great-grandfather, Jake Morris-Campbell sets out on a pilgrimage across his homeland. Travelling from the Holy Island of Lindisfarne to Durham Cathedral, he asks what new ways might be made through the old north.This region, a hub of early Christian Britain and later strongly defined by industry and class, now faces an uncertain future. But it remains a unique and starkly beautiful part of the country, with a deep history that is intimately entwined with the idea of Englishness. Jake's journey along the 'Camino of the North' sees him explore the shifting nature of individual and regional identity across thirteen-hundred years of social change. At the same time, it challenges him to reconsider his own calling as a writer and how it relates to the lives of the people he meets along the way.Between the salt and the ash asks what stories the North East can tell about itself in the wake of Christianity and coal. Rejecting the damaging trope of 'left behind' communities, Jake uncovers neglected seams of culture and history, while offering a heartfelt celebration of the place he calls hyem.'Beautifully written' Brian Groom, author of Northerners: A History'It should be read by us all, wherever we live.' David Almond, author of Skellig'Beautifully crafted' Robert Colls, The New Statesman'A tender Northumbrian camino through England's own land of saints and scholars.' Dan Jackson, author of The Northumbrians
