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Hike to Harrogate: Author swaps crime books for hiking boots

Wednesday, 25 June 2025 07:31

Author Emma Christie (left) and her partner Maria Jose.

A Scottish author will hike 150km in 7 days en route to the Harrogate Crime Writing Festival to raise money for vital cancer research.

Emma Christie is aunt to two teenagers with inoperable brain tumours.

The Barcelona-based Scot, author of four psychological thrillers set in Edinburgh, will raise funds for The Brain Tumour Charity and Pancreatic Cancer Research.

She’ll hike alongside her partner Mari, whose 59-year-old brother Juan died of pancreatic cancer weeks after diagnosis.

Emma, 44, and Mari, 49, have created a challenge called ‘The Big Hike to Harrogate’.

They’ll walk the Dales Way in reverse, starting in Windermere in the Lake District, crossing the Yorkshire Dales and ending in the town of Harrogate, just in time for the start of its famous crime writing festival.

And Emma will host an ‘author dinner’ at the renowned festival two days after the charity hike ends.

The couple are keen hikers but neither has walked such a long distance in such a short time.

Emma said:

“It’s going to be a really big challenge to cover that kind of ground every day but we’re really excited to take it on.

“And if we suffer a wee bit, so be it. It’s nothing compared to the situations faced every day by people living with cancer.

She added:

“When my niece and nephew received their diagnosis- several years apart - it was obviously a huge blow to the entire family.

“And we went through that same shock and sense of helplessness when Mari’s brother was given a few weeks to live.

“By taking on this challenge we hope to help raise money for two hugely worthwhile charities so they can continue to research and to support families living with these diseases.

“It feels good to be able to do something.”

You can follow their progress during the hike on Facebook and Instagram via @theemmachristie.

Emma and Mari have set up separate Justgiving pages, one dedicated to each charity.

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