Sitting for long hours at the desk? Orthopaedic surgeon Dr Pushkar Chawla shares how to protect the back and spine Published on: Aug 24, 2026, 13:58:18 IST By Debapriya Bhattacharya Prefer HTon Google Share via Copy link Poor posture at work can lead to problems with the back and the spine
A patient once told me that her blood sugar reading in the morning was higher than the one she had taken after dinner the night before. She hadn’t eaten a single thing. “How is this even possible?" she asked. “I haven’t had breakfast yet." That question comes up in my clinic almost every
Step inside the regal Falaknuma Palace in Hyderabad, where a one-night stay will cost you ₹4 lakh: Watch Updated on: Aug 24, 2026, 14:06:37 IST By Krishna Pallavi Priya Prefer HTon Google Share via Copy link A look inside the Falaknuma Palace in Hyderabad
Every year at about this point in the rains, the same sequence plays out. Outpatient departments fill with feverish patients, a city announces a jump in confirmed cases, television rediscovers the phrase “swine flu," and within a fortnight the anxiety has moved on to something else
‘Walking is one of the most underrated things’: Geriatric doctor says you don't need to join a gym to start exercising Published on: Aug 24, 2026, 10:52:55 IST By Eshana Saha Prefer HTon Google Share via Copy link Read more to find out why walking is an underrated form of exercise! (Unsplash)
The Salt Path author wrote secret first book despite claiming she was debut writer
The Salt Path author Raynor Winn wrote a book published in 2012 – despite repeatedly claiming her controversial 2018 release documenting a life-changing walk was the first she had ever written.
In a new BBC Sounds podcast Secrets of the Salt Path, Winn's lawyers confirmed on her behalf that she previously wrote a book under the alias Izzy Wyn-Thomas.
It was published by a company which she and her husband owned and was sold as part of a prize draw to win their home in north Wales.
Winn went on to win a number of accolades for The Salt Path, including a £10,000 prize for a debut novelist or non-fiction writer.
An investigation by The Observer in 2025 also claimed the book featured misleading information about her life story.
Winn repeatedly claimed The Salt Path was the first book she had ever written.
In an interview for Waterstones in 2020, she said: "It's the first thing I've written since I was a teenager leaving school – the first thing."
In the same interview, her husband Moth was asked if he knew his wife could write before completing The Salt Path, which later was made into a film starring Gillian Anderson and Jason Isaacs.
He replied: "No, not at all. Not that she could write. Surprised me."
And in an interview with BBC Radio Cornwall in 2019 about how she became a published author, Raynor said: "I googled for an agent, as you do when you have no connections and no idea what you're doing."
However, the couple did have some experience in writing and publishing.
Raynor had previously written a book which was published by their company in 2012.
Raynor Winn said in a statement online: "In desperation, we briefly tried running a book-based house raffle like others had done, but quickly realised it was a mistake."
Gangani Publishing was set up in March 2012, registered to an industrial estate just outside of Bangor, Gwynedd.
Companies House lists Tim Walker as the director, and Sally Walker as a shareholder - the legal names of Raynor and Moth Winn, who at the time were living near Pwllheli in north Wales.
Gangani Publishing only seems to have published one book called How Not to Dal Dy Dir by an author called Izzy Wyn-Thomas.
Gangani is the name of a historic Celtic tribe in Wales, whilst Dal Dy Dir is a Welsh nationalist phrase, which means 'stand your ground'.
It is estimated there were only a few copies of the book How Not to Dal Dy Dir printed, with copies difficult to track to down.
According to the National Library of Wales, it was Izzy Wyn-Thomas's first and only book.
The online blurb says the book is a "darkly humorous novel that uses the deftest touch to draw a thread through the lives of Welsh farmers, city accountants, Indian hoteliers and Eisteddfod mums".
Matt Swarbrick, a farmer in Henbant, near Caernarfon, read the book after seeing it advertised by the publisher on an online forum for smallholders.
"I was really hungry for people who had done what we'd done and their stories, and this popped up as part of that," he recalled.
I remember being excited about the book because I had to buy it off their own website and it felt like we were on maybe a similar journey.
Swarbrick said he was keen to hear about similar stories to his own, after he bought an abandoned farm not far from Raynor and Moth in north Wales.
To me it felt like there was a journey of exploring relationships with neighbours and people around them. I think some of those were healthy relationships and maybe some were more complicated.
Online posts in the name of Izzy Wyn-Thomas, seen by the BBC, claimed the local bookshop owner, called Steve, refused to stock the book.
A bookshop in Pwllheli is run by Stephen Lloyd Wright. Could this be the Steve who refused to stock Izzy's book?
"I'd have to say, if I did refuse to stock it, I've got absolutely no recollection whatsoever of the conversation.
That would probably be the first book by a local author that I've ever refused to stock.
However, Steve said he was aware of the couple living nearby from working in the shop.
"Sally wasn't particularly familiar to me. Tim, on the other hand, was quite a regular customer. A very outgoing person, he seemed to be pretty open about his life," he said.
However, the bookseller was not aware that Tim was also in the industry.
"You would've thought, as director of the publishing house, he may well have said, you know, 'would you like to help me out?'
Since he was kind enough to be a customer of mine, I would've reciprocated but that never happened.
The BBC asked Raynor Winn if this is the same Steve refenced in the online posts, however they did not answer the question. He is the only bookseller with this name in Pwllheli.
The Walkers did approach another Pwllheli-based Welsh language bookshop with copies of How Not To Dal Dy Dir, and that bookshop stocked five copies of the novel.
The owner said: "I was interested in the title. But when I looked at the book, I realised it was not what I thought it was. It is quite odd to choose that phrase as the title.
They didn't give it much of a chance to sell.
Gangani Publishing tried to market the book online and, in mid 2012, they posted on an online forum called The Accidental Smallholder which is designed to provide support for smallholders and gardeners.
The post said that anyone who bought the book would be entered into a prize draw to win their friend's house, which they have to let go due to ill health.
Swarbrick, who bought the book after seeing it on this forum, said he vaguely remembered the prize draw, but could not recall the exact details or any communication with the publishers after buying the book.
The details in the online post were not true. The house being raffled off was in fact Raynor and Moth's own home, Pen Y Maes near Pwllheli.
The couple advertised the home as a prize "offered free of mortgage or any other legal or registered charge".
But according to Land Registry documents the house did have a debt registered against it, as well as a mortgage.
Raynor and Moth had taken a loan from a family member in 2008 after, it is claimed, Raynor embezzled about £64,000 from her former employer Martin Hemmings and needed to pay it back. The debt, which was passed on to another lender in 2010, had an interest rate of 18%.
An attempt to offer a property with debt as a mortgage-free prize could amount to fraud.
But there's no record of Gangani Publishing being investigated by the local authority, Cyngor Gwynedd.
And, given the time elapsed, the council confirmed they had no intention of looking into the matter.
In a written online statement in July 2025, Winn said she had worked for Hemmings "in the years before the economic crash of 2008".
For me it was a pressured time. It was also a time when mistakes were being made in the business. Any mistakes I made during the years in that office, I deeply regret, and I am truly sorry.
She also admitted she and Moth were behind the prize draw.
It was a mistake, as it clearly wasn't going to work. We cancelled it and refunded the few participants.
Raynor Winn has never previously admitted that she wrote the book, but it was confirmed by her solicitors that she did write How Not to Dal Dy Dir.
The BBC asked both Raynor and Moth a series of questions and requested an interview for Secrets of the Salt Path, which they declined.
In 2019, Winn won the Christopher Bland Prize for The Salt Path.
According to Royal Society of Literature's website, it's "an annual award of £10,000 for a debut novelist or non-fiction writer first published in any form aged 50 or over".
The BBC asked the Royal Society of Literature, if this new information affected the prize she was awarded.
They told us that, in 2019 - the year The Salt Path won - they did allow entries from writers who had previously self-published. The following year, the rules were changed.
Winn's fourth book, published by Penguin, was due to be published in October 2025, but was delayed indefinitely because the author had suffered "considerable distress".
In December 2025, Penguin updated the release date to January 2028.
Penguin Michael Joseph, which published The Salt Path, did not respond to the BBC's questions, but previously said it "undertook all the necessary due diligence" before releasing The Salt Path, after a series of claims about the book's accuracy.
Source: BBC
Related Posts: Life Style
There are few things as satisfying as biting into a buttery, flaky almond croissant, especially when you get that rich almond flavour, creamy frangipane filling and slightly crisp, toasted edges in every bite. But when a croissant craving hits and you don’t have a bakery run planned—or all the
11 hours ago
Erling Haaland debuts new buzz haircut after chopping his iconic blonde locks: ‘+999 missed calls from shampoo company’ Updated on: Aug 24, 2026, 08:58:32 IST By Krishna Pallavi Priya Prefer HTon Google Share via Copy link Erling Haaland debuts a fresh, new buzz cut
11 hours ago
Parents should check medicine labels carefully before giving cough or cold remedies to young children. The Union Health Ministry has restricted all fixed-dose combination medicines containing chlorpheniramine maleate and phenylephrine hydrochloride from being used in children below four years of
11 hours ago
Tandoori chicken should be smoky and seared on the outside, yet juicy and tender on the inside. But it can often turn out dry, rubbery and lacking flavour, even when you’ve used all the right spices. The problem may not be the recipe itself, but a few small mistakes during preparation and cooking
1 days ago
Want to know how healthy your heart is? Cardiologist Dr Sanjay Bhojraj lists 9 blood tests for ‘cardiovascular risk’ Published on: Aug 23, 2026, 14:34:50 IST By Akanksha Agnihotri Prefer HTon Google Share via Copy link Dr. Bhojraj highlights nine blood tests to assess cardiovascular health
1 days ago
We tend to think of constipation as a plumbing problem: eat more fibre, drink more water, take isabgol and wait for things to move. For occasional constipation, that approach can be perfectly reasonable. But when constipation keeps returning despite these measures
1 days ago
Cervical cancer is one of the most common cancers affecting women, but its biggest known cause is persistent infection with high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV), which is closely linked to sexual transmission. While HPV itself is not caused by men
1 days ago
Chakra Horoscope Today, August 23, 2026: An obstacle does not necessarily mean you are on the wrong path Updated on: Aug 23, 2026, 14:49:03 IST By Kishori Sud Prefer HTon Google Share via Copy link Chakra Horoscope Today, August 23, 2026 (Pinterest) Daily Chakra Horoscope, August 23
1 days ago
Dahi vade may not be the first dish that comes to mind when planning a Sawan Somwar vrat menu, but Chef Sanjeev Kapoor’s fasting-friendly version gives the classic snack a clever twist. Instead of lentils, these vade are made with cooked barnyard millet, also known as sama or samak
1 days ago
59-year-old grandmother and Roadies 20 contestant Ashu Jain shares 5 hacks that helped her 'build gym habits that stick’ Published on: Aug 23, 2026, 10:12:34 IST By Sanya Panwar Prefer HTon Google Share via Copy link Ashu Jain is not just a grandmother — she's a 'hybrid athlete'
1 days ago
Could artificial intelligence compress decades of medical progress into just a few years? Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei believes advanced AI systems may soon transform how we fight cancer, Alzheimer’s and other major diseases. Amodei has predicted that AI-enabled biology could compress 50 to 100
1 days ago
Look out of an aircraft window as it descends into Chennai and the coastline is the first thing that catches your eye. A long blue-grey edge against the city, with the sea on one side and the sprawling city on the other. From up there, it looks permanent
1 days ago
Soha Ali Khan, along with her husband Kunal Khemu, is known for setting couple goals through their fitness content. The couple have consistently shared videos showing their workouts in the gym, how they parent their kids together, the healthy food they eat without compromising on taste
1 days ago
As Onam 2026 approaches, here is our curated guide from Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi, Chennai, Coimbatore, and Bengaluru covering everything from elaborate restaurant thalis to convenient takeaway sadya boxes. We consult chefs on how they are reimagining the traditional sadya; we ask celebrities how
1 days ago
Raksha Bandhan is all about celebrating the special bond between siblings. This year, show your siblings how much you mean to them and make the occasion sweeter by making everyone’s favourite kalakand at home. If you are looking for a festive dessert that is indulgent yet skips refined sugar
1 days ago
Thirty-nine-year-old Shivendra came in with what looked like an ordinary monsoon fever. Fifteen days later, he was still in hospital, only being discharged now after being diagnosed with H1N1-related pneumonia. His wife, Poonam, said the family did not take the fever seriously at first. “Actually
1 days ago
Postpartum pain is NOT just ‘normal’: Physiotherapist Muskan Rastogi reveals all about pelvic floor recovery Postpartum recovery involves more than just pain management; it includes pelvic floor rehabilitation to restore strength and reduce discomfort for new mothers. Published on: Aug 23, 2026
1 days ago
Dallas rapper BigXthaPlug has been arrested in the US state of Texas on charges of driving while intoxicated, possession of marijuana and illegal possession of a firearm. Allen County Police confirmed to BBC Newsbeat the 28-year-old, whose real name is Xavier Landum, was stopped on Friday
1 days ago
44-year-old fitness coach shares simple exercises that help her look ‘15 years younger’ Published on: Aug 22, 2026, 13:24:38 IST By Akanksha Agnihotri Prefer HTon Google Share via Copy link Fitness coach shares 4 simple exercises to improve posture and look more youthful. (Instagram/@sascha
2 days ago
The Madhya Pradesh Health Department has ordered a high-level medical and legal investigation after a 6 woman from Ujjain died following treatment at a private hospital in Indore. She had tested positive for H1N1 influenza, commonly called swine flu
2 days ago
No food after 6 pm to boxing: Inside Dua Lipa’s fitness routine and fasting rules for toned body on her 31st birthday Published on: Aug 22, 2026, 14:11:05 IST By Sanya Panwar Prefer HTon Google Share via Copy link Dua Lipa turned 31 on August 22, 2026
2 days ago
The DJ dropped the beat and 70 women started throwing punches. By the time the first kickboxing combination was called out, Moon Bar, a Visakhapatnam club had shed its weekend persona to turn into a makeshift fitness floor, with women punching, kicking
2 days ago
A couple of years ago, when Osman Abdul Razak was being fitted for a suit by Yuki Igarashi, founder of Japan-based menswear brand Lecteur, he recalls being struck by how neatly Yuki’s pins were arranged on his pin cushion. “As an onlooker there, I couldn’t help but analyse this precision
2 days ago
Baro Market is coming to Chennai with a pop-up bringing together fashion, craft, art, accessories and lifestyle products, with a focus on conscious living and handcrafted design. Curated by Srila Chatterjee, the showcase marks her third pop-up in the city
2 days ago
Step inside ₹200 crore royal residence in Hyderabad: Shaped like a scorpion and home to 'world's longest dining table' Published on: Aug 22, 2026, 10:22:41 IST By Sanya Panwar Prefer HTon Google Share via Copy link The palace in the shape of a scorpion: Here's a virtual tour of the magnificent
2 days ago
On Fourth Trust Link Street at Santhome in Mylapore, a piece of vacant land cheek by jowl with a Greater Chennai Corporation-run middle school was being armtwisted every day into functioning as a garbage dumping spot by residents and passersby
2 days ago
Have high cholesterol? Nutritionist lists 9 heart-friendly cooking oil options Published on: Aug 22, 2026, 11:00:04 IST By Aayushi Gupta Prefer HTon Google Share via Copy link Cooking oils that may help manage cholesterol and support heart health
2 days ago
