The Salt Path book publishers speak out in new statement after the major scandal

The Salt Path scandal has rocked the nation after The Observer published an investigation into the legitimacy of the ‘true story’ memoir from Raynor Winn about her walk with husband moth – aka Sally and Tim Walker. In the wake of the bombshell allegations made, which accuse Raynor Winn of embezzlement of over £60,000 from her former employer and fabricating the severity of her husband’s illness, the pair have been dropped from the charity they were affiliated with and have been hit with the producers of the film adaptation speaking out. Sally and Tim Walker released a statement via their legal team denying all charges. Now, the book publishers of The Salt Path have spoken out in a new statement responding to the scandal.

Penguin says it did its ‘due diligence’

In a full statement provided to The Bookseller, The Salt Path publishers Penguin state: “Penguin (Michael Joseph [a division of Penguin Books]) published The Salt Path in 2018 and, like many readers, we were moved and inspired by Raynor’s story and its message of hope.

“Penguin undertook all the necessary pre-publication due diligence, including a contract with an author warranty about factual accuracy, and a legal read, as is standard with most works of non-fiction. Prior to The Observer inquiry, we had not received any concerns about the book’s content.”

The statement follows that of the film producers. Representatives for film producers Number 9 Films and Shadowplay Features gave a statement to Deadline on Monday.

“There were no known claims against the book at the time of optioning it or producing and distributing the film,” the statement reads. The producers insist the first they heard of the allegations against the book were from The Observer the week before the article was published, and that The Salt Path film is a “faithful adaptation of the book that we optioned” and that the team “undertook all necessary due diligence before acquiring the book”.

“The allegations made in The Observer relate to the book and are a matter for the author Raynor Winn. We have passed any correspondence relating to the article to Raynor and her agent,” the statement concluded.

Sally and Tim Walker – aka, Raynor Winn and Moth – previously said the following statement via legal representatives to The Observer: “The Salt Path lays bare the physical and spiritual journey Moth [Winn’s husband] and I shared, an experience that transformed us completely and altered the course of our lives. This is the true story of our journey.”

A further statement from the pair in The Telegraph said: “[The] Observer article is highly misleading. We are taking legal advice and won’t be making any further comment at this time.”

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