By Rosanna Beatrice Stevens

neon-pilgrim

Lisa Dempster is a tough breed. Defeated, depressed, and desiring a mend, Dempster walked a 1200 kilometre pilgrimage around the Japanese island of Shikoku, braved a heavy Japanese summer, and penned her travels, all in one ‘fell’ (fifty-five day) swoop. Dempster’s latest book, Neon Pilgrim, is the product of her journey.

“I’ve wanted to walk the henro michi since I was 15, it’s always been a dream of mine. But when I made the decision to actually go, I knew right from the start that I would write a book about it.” Dempster explains, “Even now that I have finished both the hike and the book, I can’t really separate the walking and the writing in my mind. It’s like two parts of the same journey.”

Each stage of Dempster’s journey is impressively detailed. She recounts weeks of struggle, blisters, days of joy, run-ins with Japanese wildlife, and a different home every night – from hostels to park benches.“I’ve been keeping a diary since I was about 12, and although it’s just always been something that I enjoy doing, a habit really, in hindsight it has been amazing training for being a non-fiction writer. Because I’m a good journal writer, keeping track of conversations is very easy for me, and I kept copious notes while I was hiking on the henro michi.”

Neon Pilgrim recounts Japanese landscapes, and the rich and generous culture Lisa finds during her travels. The most exciting explorations she shares however are those of her struggles and growth, and her relationships with locals and other walkers along the infamous henro michi.

“It was definitely a life-altering experience, though not in the way I had expected,” Lisa says. “Naively, I went to Japan hoping that I would be ‘fixed’, that hiking the henro michi would make me physically and mentally strong, that it would cure all my problems basically. Ha! That didn’t happen. But it did get me out of the slump I was in. Prior to going on the hike I barely had the energy to walk my dog (and I have a very small dog), and when I came back I got off the dole, moved back into my share house, started going out again and wrote this book. It gave me the energy and motivation to start living again I guess. Not that the henro michi is a quick fix, but you know…I did think I would come back cured. Now I see that the only way I’ll get better is by figuring out how to successfully exist in this day-to-day world I inhabit.”

Lisa inspires her readers with her journey, so much so that I have planned to take the same pilgrimage next year. When I mention this, she advises, “Train like a mofo before you go. I don’t think the henro michi is something you can plan – any plans you do make will go awry once you hit the road. That’s the nature of a pilgrimage.”

Througout Neon Pilgrim, Dempster’s tone is open and strong in its easy conversation. There is a resounding clarity in her story that makes her adventure vivid. Reading Lisa’s adventure inspires hope and determination. I like books that encourage determination. I like Neon Pilgrim.

Neon Pilgrim (Aduki Press) is out now.

To find out more about Lisa Dempster visit her website.