The Stopping Places

Tender and intensely lyrical … the prose is pure delight. The author breathes life into everything he sees … To read The Stopping Places is to better understand the curious history of the Roma and how they have survived into 21st-century Britain – Jackie Annesley * The Sunday Times *A beautiful writer who seems born to tell this fascinating story. It’s brilliantly researched, avoiding stereotype and explaining misconceptions, while showing what is vital and special about modern traveller culture – Amy LiptrotA fine prose style, vividly conjuring the smell of a hop pillow, the whinnying of a horse fair and the ‘wet-look hairstyles’ of the men, as well as the dead cold of a wagon in winter… An element of memoir clings to this excellent account of folk most of us don’t understand… The end of the book hints at redemption, as Le Bas comes to terms with the conflicts of his dual world. But he is too good a writer to make a meal of it – Sara Wheeler * The Spectator *An insight into the hidden world and culture of travelling people, written with delicacy and affection – Ken LoachBeautifully written and deeply affecting… While this is a beautiful, important book about Gypsy culture, it’s also a moving exploration of what it means to belong – Clover Stroud * Daily Telegraph *An illuminating journey into a British culture and landscape about which most of us know nothing. This is a beautiful, important and revelatory book from a graceful new voice – Patrick BarkhamLe Bas is a thoughtful writer, observant of nature and with a lovely turn of phrase… by turn lyrical, edgy and wistful… the book is rich with lore and history – Kathleen Jamie * New Statesman *I loved Damian Le Bas’s beautiful, questioning memoir, at once an introduction into a hidden world and a profound meditation on belonging and difference – Olivia LaingHe conjures up soaring, poetic descriptions of his surroundings… But The Stopping Places is more than a travelogue. It is also a colourful dive into gypsy culture, history and language… The Stopping Places is an enjoyable and enlightening account of an overlooked part of British society * The Economist *A delicate description of a life split between two identities… Le Bas has a cinematic writing style that shifts between images, memory and history. He deftly traces the origins of his people, the language and persecutions as well as modern British hypocrisies… This is a thoroughly enjoyable read that manages a near-perfect balance of the personal and political – Morgan Meaker * Prospect *

Damian Le Bas is a writer, filmmaker and visual artist. His first book The Stopping Places won the Somerset Maugham Award, a Royal Society of Literature Jerwood Award, and was shortlisted for the Stanford Dolman Travel Book of the Year. Damian is widely published as a journalist and poet and has taught for the Arvon foundation. A recipient of a Society of Authors Travelling Scholarship, he is a member of the European Film Academy, holds a First Class degree in Theology from the University of Oxford, and was awarded an honorary Master of Education by the University of Chichester. Besides getting in the sea he loves music, walking and spending time in the woods and hills with his family and friends. The Drowned Places is his second book.

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