Refugee Tales 2026

Since 2015, Refugee Tales walkers have been embarking on small and large scale walks in solidarity with refugees, asylum seekers, migrants, and people who have been held in immigration detention.

Working in collaboration with migrants and those who have experienced the UK asylum system - and taking Chaucer’s poem of journeying as a model - established writers and people with lived experience of detention share their experiences with local communities at evening events. Our evening events also include live performances from renowned musicians and dancers.

The Refugee Tales are published in five volumes by Comma Press. Some have been written collaboratively with authors such as Ali Smith, Nobel Prize winner Abdulrazak Gurnah, Kamila Shamsie, Patrick Gale, and Bernardine Evaristo. Others are first-hand accounts told directly by the people who experienced them.

Refugee Tales gathers and communicates experiences of migration and the reality of immigration detention in the UK. Refugee Tales, aims to create spaces in which the language of welcome is the prevailing discourse.

Refugee Tales 2026

From Wednesday 8th - Sunday 12th July, Refugee Tales is walking from Angmering to Portsmouth.

Every day, we will walk between 8 and 11 miles, and our route takes us from Angmering, on to Arundel, Bognor Regis, Chichester, Emsworth and finishes in Portsmouth. Our evening events will take place in each of these locations listed above.

• Full Walker 5-Day ticket: which covers 5 guided walks, overnight accommodation, breakfasts, lunches, evening meals, and entry to all evening events.

• Day Walk tickets - which cover a guided walk, an evening meal and entry to the evening event. You are welcome to book multiple Day Walk tickets if you wish to organise your own accommodation.

• Walk Ambassador Tickets: we offer 10 Ambassador Tickets at half price for anyone who sets up a Just Giving page to fundraise for Gatwick Detainees Welfare Group (GDWG). To access these tickets, please contact [email protected]

If you are a student or are eligible for a concession, please email [email protected]

Our lunches and evening meals will be prepared by professional caterers.

Please note:

Walkers who wish to stay with us overnight must be 18+. To walk without a guardian, individuals must be 16+ with written consent from a guardian. If you are attending with children, please ensure that your children are supervised at all times. If children are found to not be supervised, walk leaders will take necessary measures to ask parents and their children not to continue the walk.

If you have any access requirements or would like to ask any questions about the route accessibility do not hesitate to email [email protected]

N.B. Day Walkers, please remember to bring a packed lunch.

The Walk ( 10 miles)

Registration: 9:30 am outside Angmering Railway Station.

The route:

The first day’s walk is an easy flat walk. We will be walking along the south coast for the first half with lovely views of the sea. This area has good sandy beaches and plenty of parks and cafes. We then turn inland and follow the winding River Arun to Arundel. Expect to see river birds along this stretch. As we approach Arundel, we will see the Castle and the Cathedral.

Option: If anyone wishes to shorten the walk, there is a train station at Ford (just close to our route). This will take about 2.5 miles off the total walk.

The Evening Event: 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm

Venue: Arundel TBC

Evening Event programme with readings and music: more information to follow

The Walk (9.5 miles)

Registration: 9 am Arundel Railway Station

The route:

The walk goes through some beautiful rural countryside and past ancient tiny churches before we walk through an area which is famous for its glasshouses, mainly growing tomatoes. We cross the railway line and continue south to Bognor and the seaside. This is a flat walk – nice and easy.

Option: There is an option to do a guided shorter walk from Arundel towards the South Downs taking in part of the Arundel estate and the little villages to the north. Approximate 7 miles. This walk is hilly.

The Evening Event: 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm

Venue: TBC

Evening Event with readings and music: more information to follow.

The Walk (9.5 miles)

Registration: arrive at 9am location to be confirmed

The route:

This walk starts on the coast and takes us through open countryside and small villages. This is a very quiet rural area. Towards the end of the walk, we pick up the Chichester Ship Canal, with its magnificent view of the cathedral, this takes us into the southern end of Chichester. It is an easy flat walk.

The Evening Event: 7:00 pm - 8.30 pm

Venue: Chichester Community Development Trust, The Chapel (Graylingwell Chapel, Blomfield Drive, Graylingwell Park, Chichester, PO19 6BZ)

Evening Event lineup: more information to follow.

The Walk (11 miles)

Registration: 9 am outside Chichester Railway Station

The route:

We leave Chichester going West close to Fishbourne Roman Villa before we reach the harbour. This is a lovely walk along Chichester Harbour. We will see plenty of boats. It is also famous for its wetlands and wading birds. Lunch will be in the village of Bosham, where you will find places to buy ice cream!

Option: You can finish at Bosham and walk up to Bosham Rail Station. Approximately 6 miles. It is a short train journey from Bosham to Emsworth.

The Evening Event: 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm

Venue: St James' Church, Emsworth (TBC)

Evening Event lineup: more information to follow.

The Walk (11 miles)

Registration: 9am outside St James' Church (20 Church Path, Emsworth, England)

The route:

The majority of the walk is along the harbour. We will stop for lunch in the picturesque village of Langstone, which has a popular sailing club. The last section is more urban but we still retain views of Langstone Harbour as we walk to our finish in central Portsmouth.

Option: You can shorten the walk by about 2.5 miles by taking the train at Hilsea to join the walkers at Portsmouth.

Venue: TBC

This will include a live music performance and other surprises!

Feedback from The Walk of 2025

"I will never forget these five days. They were the most beautiful days of my life after separating from my family".

"It has been an absolute pleasure having a chance to help you guys. I truly enjoyed every bit of it. Everything and everyone were so lovely I did not even understand how time flied. Thank you all deeply from the bottom of my heart."

“The community experience […] shows me that a different way is possible; one of total inclusivity and mutual respect. It enables me to bear witness to the wider worlds. That a more just and fairer way of being is possible and that small groups of ‘ordinary’ people can make a difference.”

"One of the greatest experiences at Refugee Tales is meeting with people; people just accept you for the way you are without asking questions."

“7 years [ago] I left my country, these 5 days it was like I was back home; I was very happy, I was happy because I didn’t have time to think about bad things. […] Thank you to Refugee Tales for these five days. They help me and one day I help also. You help me and I return that.”

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