Gail Simmons – författare

'I loved this memoir' - Raynor Winn, author of The Salt Path'A whole new way of looking at a familiar landscape' - Neil Ansell, author of The Last Wilderness'Simmons observes the natural world with precision and affection' - Times Literary SupplementAn old map. A lost pilgrimage route. A journey in search of our walking heritage.On an antique map in Oxford's Bodleian Library, a faint red line threading through towns and villages between Southampton and Canterbury suggests a significant, though long-forgotten, road. Renamed the Old Way, medieval pilgrims are thought to have travelled this route to reach the celebrated shrine of Thomas Becket.Over four seasons, travel writer Gail Simmons walks the Old Way, winding 240 miles between the chalk hills and shifting seascapes of the south coast, to rediscover what a long journey on foot offers us today. What it means to embrace 'slow travel' in the age of the car? Why does being a woman walking alone still feel like a radical act? Can we now reclaim pilgrimage as a secular act?Blending history, anthropology, etymology and geology, Gail's walk reveals the rich natural and cultural heritage found on our own doorstep.

The book provides case studies for reflection in a broad array of situations that that provosts must deal with. The short scenarios and case studies are useful for thinking about problems or issues in advance and considering options that might be available. When analyzing circumstances, readers may find it useful to identify setting aspects that apply to their institutions.While there are differences in involvement, actions and outcomes, each case provides multiple connectors and situational insights for a provost. The book presents tips on deciding to become a provost, interviewing successfully, and managing the “honeymoon” period in a new position. It addresses challenges unique to the provost, such as balancing academic and institutional priorities or leading from a perspective of diversity. Questions on assessing the “fit” of your team and creating a shared vision of academic affairs are probed through example.Collaborations across other divisions of the university and the provost’s role in shared governance guide the reader to examine how to lead change. Leading change is having a vision for the academy and provosts are agents of power outside of their own institutions who shape the dialog of future higher education.