Hermit - Jade Angeles Fitton, in conversation at Libreria

“Anyone who says you can’t run away from your problems clearly hasn’t run far enough.”

When Jade’s partner leaves the barn that they moved into just weeks before, he leaves a dent in the wall and her life unravels. Numbed from years of experiencing the destructive relationship, she faces an uncertain future and complete solitude. Slowly, with help of Devon’s salted cliffs and damp forested footpaths, Jade comes back to life and discovers the power of being alone.

Through conversations with other hermits across the world, Fitton sheds light on an extraordinary and misunderstood way of living which has survived into the 21st century – from monks, to hikkimori, and the often ignored female hermit.

Lyrically written, this is an inspirational story of recovery, of finding home and of celebration of solitude in the natural world.

About the speakers:

Jade Angeles Fitton is a writer, journalist, and award-winning producer. Her work has appeared in likes of the Guardian, Independent, Vogue, Times Literary Supplement, New Statesman, Literary Review and the BBC. Her poetry has been published in a number of magazines including The Moth.

Jemima Kelly is a columnist, feature writer, and occasional podcast host at the Financial Times. She writes a weekly column on a whole range of subjects, from culture wars to crypto, and writes long-form pieces that have recently included reportage from inside Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago, and an interview with the controversial gender critical feminist Kathleen Stock. Before joining the FT, Jemima was a correspondent at Reuters, and she has also written for The Economist.