We’re writing a book….

We knew from the first day of our first walk that there was a book to be written about our experiences. We are delighted to let you know that the 1st draft of that book is now with the publishers.

Here is the statement that Robinson, our publishers, have just released:

Robinson has signed Three Dads Walking by Andy Airey, Mike Palmer and Tim Owen aka the 3 Dads Walking, described by the publisher as “the life-affirming story of three dads who each lost a daughter to suicide, following their journey across Britain and finding hope along the way”.

World rights were acquired by Emma Smith in an exclusive submission from Lisa Edwards at Redwood Tree Publishing. Three Dads Walking: 300 Miles of Hope will publish in hardback, e-book and audio in May 2024.

The synopsis reads: “In memory of their young daughters – Sophie, Beth and Emily – who took their own lives, three dads set out on a 300-mile journey across the country, from the windswept Lakeland fells and Peak District dales to the open plains of the Eastern fens. Putting one foot in front of the other in spite of their pain, they capture the hearts of the nation; laughing together, crying together, fighting to be heard.

“This book, built around personal diary entries, grew from a place of great grief and loss, but is also about the power of speaking out, of friendship and hope (and blisters). The three dads bear a heavy load, but they walk on for us all, finding light on the path after the darkest times.”

Mike Palmer, from Greater Manchester, Andy Airey from Cumbria and Tim Owen, from Norfolk, known as 3 Dads Walking, all lost their daughters to suicide. They walked 300 miles in 2021 and 600 miles in 2022 to raise awareness of suicide and raise funds (over £1m) for Papyrus.

They are campaigning to make suicide prevention a compulsory part of the school curriculum, securing over 160,000 signatures on a petition for the government to review and have won a Pride of Britain Special Recognition award in 2022, having garnered nationwide media coverage and the support of celebrities such as Daniel Craig, Nicole Kidman and Lou Macari.

Smith said: “I have been astounded and deeply moved by the strength, spirit and candour of Tim, Andy and Mike. Their warmth and friendship shine bright, and we feel so privileged to be publishing their book.

Airey, Palmer and Owen said in a joint statement: “We didn’t choose this route. The suicide of our daughters sent our lives on completely unexpected trajectories; however, as we have walked we have realised that talking about our girls and our experiences has helped many other families to avoid suffering the same fate as us. Talking about suicide prevention saves lives and in publishing our story we want to continue to spread our message of hope.”