Pan Macmillan signs Lewis' 'incredible' follow-up to Finding Hildasay

Pan Macmillan has signed the "inspirational" Hildasay to Home, the follow-up to Finding Hildasay, from homeless veteran Christian Lewis, who has finished walking the UK’s coastline after six years.

Commissioning editor Lydia Ramah has acquired world all-language rights directly from the author. The memoir will be published in hardback, e-book and audio in March 2024.

Lewis began walking the UK’s coastline in 2020 when lockdown forced him to stop for three months alone on the island of Hildasay. In November 2020 he met Kate and the two began walking the coastline down from Scotland together and had their first child. With their child and dog Jet, the family crossed the finish line in July 2023 on Rhossili beach with a crowd of supporters. They raised £500,000 for SSAFA, a veterans charity. 

In Hildasay to Home Lewis chronicles his "incredible story", the home he found along the way and the lessons he learnt.

Lewis said: "As much as anything, this book is a love letter to Kate, my beautiful son Magnus and my beloved dog Jet. It’s been the most unbelievable few years, from mine and Kate’s first date in a bothy, spending lockdown in the woods near Aberdeen and the moment our lives changed forever when we found out that Kate was pregnant and a new adventurer was about to join our little family. There have been some really tough challenges but the four of us have stuck together every step of the way. I hope that I’ve done them proud in this book and I hope that everyone who reads it is inspired to follow their dreams as well." 

Ramah commented: "Chris and Kate are an inspiration. From their first chance meeting on the Whaligoe Steps in northern Scotland, the pair’s adventurous spirit has made people fall in love with them across the country. Their love story is the stuff of fiction but more than that it’s Chris and Kate’s courage to live life to the fullest that is so powerful. I couldn’t be happier for Chris that his first book, Finding Hildasay, was an instant Sunday Times bestseller and I know readers will be so excited to find out about his adventures in starting a family and crossing the finish line after an unbelievable six years."