Enchantment in Fog with Laura Pashby

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Creating a cloud in book form

This week, I spoke with the queen of fog, Laura Pashby, a photographer and author with a deep fascination for this ethereal phenomenon. We dive into the inspiration behind Laura's latest book Chasing Fog, discussing her lifelong relationship with fog, its role in her photography and writing, and how it became a central theme in her life and work.

We also look at the broader implications of fog in literature, its emotional and philosophical significance, and the challenges of writing and capturing such an elusive subject. Additionally, our conversation touches on including the personal and memoir elements within the book, Laura's journey to publication, and the reception of her work. As the final interview of the Secret Library, this was a poignant moment, and I was moved by feeling of the show drifting into fog as well.

Chapters:

00:21 Meet Laura Pashby: A Lifelong Bookworm02:07 The Fascination with Fog05:16 From Photography to Writing About Fog08:15 The Journey to Publishing Chasing Fog12:44 Writing Memoir Elements in a Nonfiction Book20:33 Fog in Literature and Personal Reflection23:35 Revisiting Childhood Fears23:50 Folklore and Fog on Dartmoor26:07 Climate Change and Fog29:42 The Process of Writing the Book from a Proposal32:34 The Emotional Rollercoaster of Book Reviews35:20 Finding Enchantment in Fog

About Laura:

Laura Pashby tells stories using words and photographs. She is the author of the narrative non-fiction book Chasing Fog, which is published by Simon & Schuster and was described by Literary Review as ‘a frequently beguiling and thought-provoking book’.

She shares stories with her engaged Instagram following, on her bestselling Substack, and in beautiful magazines.

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