‘I had to keep walking through the world.’ In Summer 2019, journalist Anita Sethi was subjected to a race hate crime while on a train. In the aftermath, her desire to be in nature led to a decision to walk the Pennine Way, an act she writes about in her debut book I Belong Here: A Journey Along the Backbone of Britain. While asserting her right to be in the world and take up space as a brown woman, she transforms a cruel, ugly act into one of healing, kindness and compassion, considering on the way the meanings of home and belonging. Anita is a writer and broadcaster from Manchester. Her work has been published in the anthologies Women on Nature, Seasons, Common People, Seaside Special: Postcards from The Edge, We Mark Your Memory and Solstice Shorts among others. Her career highlights include going birdwatching with Margaret Atwood in the UK’s oldest nature reserve.

Presented in partnership with Manchester Museum.