{"title":"Kapka Kassabova","description":"\u003cp\u003eKapka Kassabova’s writing weaves \u003cstrong\u003etravel and adventure\u003c\/strong\u003e with intimate reflections on place and identity. Her books invite readers to journey through borderlands and landscapes, blending personal narrative with rich cultural and natural history.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWith a keen eye for \u003cem\u003escience, nature\u003c\/em\u003e, and the arts, Kassabova captures the unseen connections between land and language, memory and belonging. Her work is an evocative exploration of geography and the human spirit.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"anima","title":"Anima","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eAnima\u003c\/i\u003e, by the award-winning writer Kapka Kassabova, is a spellbinding journey into the heart of Europe's last moving pastoralists. Set against the breathtaking backdrop of the Pirin Mountains, this poignant narrative explores the lives of shepherds who still follow the ancient rhythms of transhumance—moving with their grazing animals in search of seasonal pastures.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eFor thousands of years, humans and grazing animals have embarked on this seasonal migration, forming an interdependent bond integral to their survival. In the Pirin highlands, the paths they traverse are etched by the footprints of dogs, shepherds, horses, and sheep. It is a life of intense beauty and immense hardship, where human existence is as precarious and resilient as that of the animals they tend to and who, in turn, care for them.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIn \u003ci\u003eAnima\u003c\/i\u003e, Kassabova immerses herself in one of these tight-knit communities over the course of a summer. She vividly captures the epic spectacle of transhumance—the orchestrated migration of large herds guided by skilled shepherds and loyal dogs. Throughout her stay, Kassabova becomes profoundly attuned to the sacrifices and the deep-seated histories that have shaped this rugged Balkan region. The bonds she forms and the stories she uncovers pull her deeper into the intricate web of human and animal relationships at the community’s core.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThrough Kassabova's evocative prose, \u003ci\u003eAnima\u003c\/i\u003e emerges as an extraordinary portrait of pastoral life, shedding light on the profound interdependence between humans and animals. With intimate and empathetic storytelling, Kassabova uncovers the spirit of this remarkable place, inviting readers to reflect on how we might begin to heal our fractured relationship with the natural world.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eAnima\u003c\/i\u003e is more than a mere depiction of a way of life; it is a heartfelt plea for a different way of living—one that honours the symbiotic connections between all living beings. Kassabova's narrative is both a testament to the resilience of the pastoralists and a meditation on the enduring ties that bind us to the earth and its creatures.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThis book is a must-read for anyone seeking to understand the delicate balance of a life lived in harmony with nature and the profound lessons that can be learned from those who remain steadfast in their adherence to these ancient practices.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Penguin Random House NZ","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45693063332076,"sku":"9781787333277","price":50.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/9781787333277.jpg?v=1725586011"},{"product_id":"border-by-kapka-kassabova-9781783783205","title":"Border","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhen Kapka Kassabova was a child, the border zone between Bulgaria, Turkey and Greece was rumoured to be an easier crossing point into the West than the Berlin Wall, so it swarmed with soldiers, spies and fugitives. On holidays close to the border on the Black Sea coast, she remembers playing on the beach, only miles from where an electrified fence bristled, its barbs pointing inwards toward the enemy: the holiday-makers, the potential escapees.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eToday, this densely forested landscape is no longer heavily militarised, but it is scarred by its past. In \u003cem\u003eBorder\u003c\/em\u003e, Kapka Kassabova sets out on a journey to meet the people of this triple border - Bulgarians, Turks, Greeks, and the latest wave of refugees fleeing conflict further afield. She discovers a region that has been shaped by the successive forces of history: by its own past migration crises, by communism, by two World Wars, by the Ottoman Empire, and - older still - by the ancient legacy of myths and legends.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eAs Kapka Kassabova explores this enigmatic region in the company of border guards and treasure hunters, entrepreneurs and botanists, psychic healers and ritual fire-walkers, refugees and smugglers, she traces the physical and psychological borders that criss-cross its villages and mountains, and goes in search of the stories that will unlock its secrets.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eBorder\u003c\/em\u003e is a sharply observed portrait of a little-known corner of Europe, and a fascinating meditation on the borderlines that exist between countries, between cultures, between people, and within each of us.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Allen \u0026 Unwin","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46520444780780,"sku":"9781783783205","price":27.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/2446883482823.jpg?v=1748990662"},{"product_id":"anima-by-kapka-kassabova-9781529933413","title":"Anima","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe spellbinding new book by the prizewinning writer Kapka Kassabova tells the story of her time with the last moving pastoralists in Europe—a gripping portrayal of human-animal interdependence, and a plea for a different way of living.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\"A book that mesmerises with its sense of adventure and epic sweep, this is creative non-fiction at its best\" – GUARDIAN\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eOver the course of one summer, Kapka Kassabova lives with perhaps the last true pastoralists in Europe. She joins the epic seasonal movement of vast herds of sheep, along with shepherds and dogs, to find pasture in the mountains. As she becomes attuned to the sacrifices inherent in this isolated existence, Kassabova finds herself drawn deeper into the tangled relationships at the heart of this small community.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eAnima\u003c\/em\u003e is a spellbinding portrayal of the human-animal interdependence in pastoral life, and a plea for a different way of living—one where we might all begin to heal our broken relationship with the natural world.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Penguin Random House NZ","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46545189961964,"sku":"9781529933413","price":30.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/9781529933413.jpg?v=1750039995"},{"product_id":"to-the-lake-by-kapka-kassabova-9781783783984","title":"To the Lake","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA BBC Radio 4 Book of the Week\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eLake Ohrid and Lake Prespa. Two vast lakes joined by underground rivers. Two lakes that have played a central role in Kapka Kassabova's maternal family.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eAs she journeys to her grandmother's place of origin, Kassabova encounters a civilizational crossroads. The Lakes are set within the mountainous borderlands of North Macedonia, Albania and Greece, and crowned by the old Roman road, the via Egnatia. Once a trading and spiritual nexus of the southern Balkans, it remains one of Eurasia's oldest surviving religious melting pots. With their remote rock churches, changeable currents, and large population of migratory birds, the Lakes live in their own time.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eBy exploring the stories of dwellers past and present, Kassabova uncovers the human history shaped by the Lakes. Soon, her journey unfolds to a deeper enquiry into how geography and politics imprint themselves upon families and nations, and confronts her with questions about human suffering and the capacity for change.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Allen \u0026 Unwin","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46556518678764,"sku":"9781783783984","price":23.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/9781783783984.jpg?v=1750214889"},{"product_id":"elixir-by-kapka-kassabova-9781529920475","title":"Elixir","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSet in the valley of the Mesta, one of the oldest inhabited river valleys in Europe and a nexus for wild plant gatherers, \u003cem\u003eElixir\u003c\/em\u003e is an unforgettable exploration of the deep connections between people, plants, and place.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e'Uplifting and beautifully written'\u003c\/em\u003e - SPECTATOR\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cem\u003e'Dark and mysterious and beautiful'\u003c\/em\u003e - FINANCIAL TIMES\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cem\u003e'Exceptional'\u003c\/em\u003e - BBC WILDLIFE\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eOver several seasons, Kassabova spends time with the people of this magical region. She meets women and men who work in a long lineage of foragers, healers, and mystics. She learns about wild plants and the ancient practice of herbalism, experiencing a symbiotic system where nature and culture have blended for thousands of years.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThrough her captivating encounters, we come to feel the devastating weight of the ecological and cultural disinheritance that the people of this valley have suffered. Yet, in her search for elixir, she also finds reasons for hope. The people of the valley are keepers of a rare knowledge, not only of mountain plants and their properties but also of how to transform collective suffering into healing.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eImmersive and enthralling, at its heart, \u003cem\u003eElixir\u003c\/em\u003e is a search for a cure to what ails us in the Anthropocene. It is an urgent call to rethink how we live - in relation to one another, to the Earth, and to the cosmos.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Penguin Random House NZ","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47072215367916,"sku":"9781529920475","price":30.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/19626473482732.jpg?v=1765086222"},{"product_id":"borrowed-land-by-kapka-kassabova-9781787335349","title":"Borrowed Land","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eMagisterial and unforgettable\u003c\/em\u003e - an intimate story of a Scottish Highland glen, from the prizewinning author of \u003cem\u003eBorder\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThis is the intimate story of a Scottish glen and its inhabitants, of whom I am one.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eFrom the powerful rivers that bring life and prosperity; to the Pictish cairns, undisturbed for centuries; to the meadows of bluebells, where deer emerge, God-like, in a flash, Kapka Kassabova reveals a world that has been abused, but remains achingly beautiful and alive.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIn the Highlands, centuries-old connections between the land, nature and people have been, and continue to be, shaken by the forces of colonialism, industry, depopulation, and private property speculation. \u003cem\u003eBorrowed Land\u003c\/em\u003e tells the stories of those who are working against this disconnect- the last true Highlanders fighting to preserve their home.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eAn extraordinary portrait of the Scottish Highlands, this is an epic and urgent story of destruction and renewal, told through encounters with some of the last true Highlanders.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Penguin Random House NZ","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47288383340780,"sku":"9781787335349","price":55.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/8530b73214683b363ae6c163248115b7.jpg?v=1770633098"},{"product_id":"geography-for-the-lost-by-kapka-kassabova-9781852247652","title":"Geography for the Lost","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eKapka Kassabova is a young Bulgarian émigré poet who writes in English but with a European imagination. Her well-travelled poems speak from different parts of the world and different moments of history, yet they always explore the many ways to be lost and disoriented: in a place, in the past, in fear, in love, in the very quickness of life.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe voices in \u003cem\u003eGeography for the Lost\u003c\/em\u003e are diverse, from a Roman housewife to a Chinese bar-owner in Berlin or an Argentine DJ. These are the voices of the heart-sick, the culturally jet-lagged, people from photographs, the \"tenants\" of lives, cities, and destinies. This collection resonates with what we all are, have been, or will be.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Unknown","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47460864229612,"sku":"9781852247652","price":47.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/9781852247652-geography-for-the-lost.jpg?v=1774954381"}],"url":"https:\/\/bookhero.pro\/collections\/kapka-kassabova.oembed","provider":"Book Hero","version":"1.0","type":"link"}