Charleston author’s second book blends disciplines
Uphill Towards The Sun is on bookshelves now
Poet, artist, and philanthropist Linda Joy Walder returns with Uphill Towards The Sun, a deeply personal and visually rich collection that blends her poetry, paintings, and prose into a single immersive experience.
Following her debut, “Running Naked in the Snow,” recipient of an International Impact Book Award, Walder’s newest work moves beyond traditional form. This is not a book meant to be read straight through—it’s meant to be entered and gradually enjoyed.
Each page offers a moment: a reflection, a question, a quiet revelation. Together, they trace the human journey—encompassing loss and joy—and, through resilience, inspiring hope.
“To move uphill is to continue without certainty. To move toward the sun is to choose light—again and again—even while carrying what life has taught in shadow,” Walder said.”
“With Uphill Towards The Sun, I wanted to create something more than a collection—I wanted an experience. By weaving poetry, prose, and painting together, I hope readers find their own relatable meaning —something that awakens their own emotions.”
Uphill Towards The Sun (ISBN: 979-8-9952520-0-9, 162 pages, $24.99 U.S.), published in 2026 by Waddington Avenue Press, is available on Amazon and through select booksellers.
About Linda Joy Walder
Linda Joy Walder is a poet, painter, and philanthropist whose work explores spirituality, healing, and the quiet intersections between light and darkness. Her art—whether written or visual—seeks to connect, to comfort, and to illuminate the shared human experience.
Her creative life is inseparable from her commitment to service. As founder and CEO of The Daniel Jordan Fiddle Foundation, she has helped pioneer initiatives benefitting adults with autism, including endowment programs at leading universities—advancing awareness, resources, and long-term impact.
Walder’s work lives at the meeting point of expression and empathy—where creativity becomes not just art, but offering. Her work is drawn to the sacred within the ordinary—the dark wounds that open into light, and the quiet moments where healing begins.
“Creativity and compassion come from the same place. Both soften the world,” says Walder, “and essentially we must heal ourselves to heal our world through acceptance and love.”