Penguin Delays Raynor Winn’s New Book Amid Memoir Controversy
Raynor Winn’s latest title, On Winter Hill, will not be hitting shelves this October as planned. Publisher Michael Joseph has postponed the book’s release until sometime in 2025, following serious allegations that parts of her bestselling memoir The Salt Path may be inaccurate or misleading.
The delay comes just days after The Observer published an in-depth investigation questioning the authenticity of key elements in The Salt Path. The report accused Winn of omitting a criminal past—including a £64,000 embezzlement conviction—and misrepresenting her husband’s health condition, which is central to the emotional impact of her memoir.
In response, Michael Joseph issued a public statement: “Given recent events, in particular intrusive conjecture around Moth’s health condition which has caused considerable distress to Raynor Winn and her family, it is our priority to support the author at this time. With this in mind, Penguin Michael Joseph, together with the author, have made the decision to delay the publication of On Winter Hill from this October. We will announce a new publication date in due course.”
On Winter Hill was expected to follow a similar format to Winn’s previous work, chronicling her solo walk across England’s Coast to Coast route during winter and reflecting on her husband’s declining health. The narrative was set to continue themes of endurance, resilience, and love in the face of illness—hallmarks of her popular memoirs.
However, The Observer article cast significant doubt on the memoir’s foundational claims. Medical experts questioned the portrayal of her husband’s supposed neurological condition, corticobasal degeneration, noting that his recovery and long survival are atypical to the point of implausibility. The exposé also outlined earlier attempts by Winn and her husband to raise money via questionable schemes, further fueling public concern.
Winn has publicly denied the accusations. In a lengthy statement, she called the report “grotesquely unfair, highly misleading and [a piece that] seeks to systematically pick apart my life.”
Michael Joseph originally slated On Winter Hill for an October 23 release. No new date has been confirmed, but sources at the publisher suggest the book will not appear before mid-2025 at the earliest. For now, the publisher has emphasized its focus on the wellbeing of the author and her family.
As readers and industry professionals continue to react, the fate of Winn’s future publications—and the trust placed in her previous works—remains uncertain.