This is a gem of a book which reads rather like a letter from a friend, detailing a walking holiday in Suffolk, exploring the landscape through the eyes of writers past and present.

It's written by Jacky Colliss Harvey who grew up in Waldringfield, near Woodbridge, and who has written three other books about redheads, pets and Pepys' London.

Discovering for herself the beneficial nature of taking a walk when needing a break from her desk, Jacky wondered how writers through the generations had found inspiration through walking, and particularly in the Suffolk landscape. 

She decided to focus on five different areas of the county, taking in Bury St Edmunds, Lavenham, Dunwich, Aldeburgh and Woodbridge. 

The book combines memoir, biography and travelogue. It’s a personal journal and a meditation on the writer’s lot, and it’s a love letter to the county. The book is not just about the literary aspects of walking, there are also little observations, such as picking up hagstones from the beach and a recipe for sloe gin.

Enjoying the company of 'Twin' and 'Yankie' (her best friend and her American partner respectively), she also draws on the letters, diaries and works of the literary greats to guide us through the countryside past and present. 

It's a delightful read with plenty of surprises. I had no idea that the poet Stevie Smith had written a poem about the River Deben, for example!

I've interviewed Jacky about the book and my article will appear in the next issue of 'Suffolk' magazine.