Lampeter’s Josie Smith has launched Diary of a Shielding Yogini at the Mulberry Bush Café in her home town.

The event was well-attended and publisher Karen Gemma Brewer interviewed Josie, who also read sections from the book and answered questions from the audience.

Diary of a Shielding Yogini is a record of an historic time, full of intimate details illustrating the effect of the pandemic on three generations of Josie Smith’s family.

“It is an uplifting account, which shows the sustaining power of a positive attitude and faith in the essential goodness of humanity,” Josie explained.

“The glory of nature and the changing seasons are evoked as the reader is taken on walks through the Welsh countryside, wild swimming in the river Teifi and the Irish Sea.

“Woven throughout is a stillness and inner strength derived from a lifetime of spiritual practices and the support and guidance of an enlightened spiritual teacher.”

Josie has lived and worked in Lampeter since 1973, and Cowry Publishing is based at Gwisgo Bookworm in Aberaeron.

In the foreword, publisher Karen writes: “Everyone has been touched in some way by the pandemic; we all have a tale to tell, many tales will be told and amongst the pandemonium some will stand out. This one shines. Whatever you may believe, or not believe, there is a depth to Josie’s story that reaches beyond its subject to touch the nerve endings of humanity.”

Playwright and poet Dic Edwards adds: “The writing is controlled and purposeful. And trustworthy. It is a love story: Love in a time of Covid to borrow and paraphrase from Marquez. A love that grows to counter the fear building before the advancing plague. It’s a work you can hold onto as if it were something you yourself had written.

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Diary of a Shielding Yogini is available at Gwisgo Bookworm, Aberaeron, The Mulberry Bush, Lampeter, and online at gwisgobookworm.co.uk