Amy Liptrot never imagined she would be back in the remote Orkney islands off the coast of Scotland where she grew up, at the age of 30. Pressing pause on her life, she had returned to her father’s farm, immersing herself in the wild coastline and unpredictable weather along with memories of the chaotic existence she had left behind in London. Throughout her 20s, she lost jobs, flatshares and a boyfriend she loved because of her drinking. Eventually she got help through a recovery programme and, in her newfound sobriety, sought to rebuild herself by connecting with the physical world.
The Outrun – a film adaptation of which is in cinemas, starring Saoirse Ronan – blends memoir and nature writing as it offers a poignant and often brutal account of addiction. The “outrun” of the title is the name of a strip of land between the farm and the cliffs, too rough and weatherbeaten to cultivate, but is also an apt description of Liptrot’s efforts to escape herself.
