The Salt Path author pulls out of joint Shrewsbury gig amid book controversy - but majority keep tickets

Raynor Winn, the author of The Salt Path, was scheduled to appear at Shrewsbury's Theatre Severn tomorrow (Friday, July 11) as part of 'the Saltlines tour', where she was expected on stage alongside the Gigspanner Big Band in an event billed as 'an immersive prose and music collaboration'.

But the author, whose memoir has just been made into a film starring Gillian Anderson and Jason Isaacs, has cancelled her appearances in the tour.

It comes after The Observer newspaper questioned the authenticity of details behind the book - which Mrs Winn claimed was based on the real life experiences of her and her husband Moth.

The book tells how the couple walked the South West Coast Path after losing their home.

The memoir also recounts how Moth was diagnosed with a neurological condition.

Theatre Severn said that despite Mrs Winn's cancellation the vast majority of ticket holders have kept their tickets.

A spokeswoman for the Shrewsbury venue said: "Following the announcement Raynor Winn would no longer be performing with Gigspanner Big Band, Theatre Severn have issued a small number of refunds, but the vast majority of audience have chosen to retain their tickets."

The Gigspanner Big Band's website posted its own update on the situation, explaining that the majority of venues on the tour had opted to continue with the performances.

The update included "statements from Raynor Winn's legal team and The Gigspanner Big Band".

The statement from Mrs Winn’s legal team said: "Recent press coverage concerning Raynor Winn is highly misleading. As a result, Raynor is taking legal advice and will not be making any further comment at this time.

"She is deeply sorry to let down those who were planning to attend the Saltlines tour, but while this process is ongoing, she will be unable to take part. We appreciate your understanding and support during this time."

A statement from Gigspanner Big Band said: "It is very important to the Gigspanner Big Band that their performances go ahead as planned, and they instead intend to present their recently released, highly acclaimed album Turnstone.

"We are currently in discussions with all of the venues on the upcoming tour to move forward with this plan, and we will keep you updated. It is time consuming, and your patience while we go through this process is requested and valued.

"If you have booked a ticket at one of these venues, the theatre in question will contact you with further information as plans are confirmed.

"To date we are aware that Shrewsbury, Liverpool, Nottingham, Norwich and Chipping Campden are going ahead with suggested change of programming. Sale has chosen to cancel."

Mrs Winn has also published a statement on her own website.

She wrote: “The last few days have been some of the hardest of my life. Heart breaking accusations that Moth has made up his illness have been made, leaving us devastated.”

She said that the article in The Observer was “grotesquely unfair, highly misleading and seeks to systematically pick apart my life”.

She added: “The Salt Path is about what happened to Moth and me, after we lost our home and found ourselves homeless on the headlands of the south west.

“It’s not about every event or moment in our lives, but rather about a capsule of time when our lives moved from a place of complete despair to a place of hope.

“The journey held within those pages is one of salt and weather, of pain and possibility. And I can’t allow any more doubt to be cast on the validity of those memories, or the joy they have given so many.”