Stories

The heart of homesickness

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Artwork using collage. The collaged elements are made up archive material which includes, vintage photographs, etchings, painted illustrations, lithographic prints and line drawings. This artwork depicts a man on the right hand side with his head resting on his hand. Forming a headdress on his head are pictures of a bed, two dogs, a house, flowers and an elderly man and woman. These elements are repeated on the left hand side much larger. In between the two sides is a rural and city skyline merged together. It the sky is an aeroplane and the planet Saturn and a large colourful bird in flight carrying a heart in its beak.
The complex longing for home. © Maria Rivans for Wellcome Collection.

Taking in epidemics of nostalgia in the 18th century, NASA scientists looking at homesick astronauts, and generations of homesickness in refugee camps, travel writer Gail Tolley considers why home – and leaving it – is a far more complex experience than is often understood. Inspired by her childhood experience of homesickness, she argues that the condition is being felt particularly acutely in the 21st century, and looks for ways of relieving some of its symptoms.

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Part1
The complex longing for home

It could be mild, an almost poetic longing. Or it could be visceral, deep, an overwhelming feeling that eats into your everyday life. Come with Gail Tolley as she introduces a deep dive into homesickness.

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Part2
The hidden history of homesickness

Gail Tolley delves into the history of homesickness and discovers that its rich past holds a clue to how we view the experience today.

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Part3
How homesickness inspires art

Gail Tolley looks at homesickness through the eyes of three contemporary artists and finds powerful new themes of identity and connection.

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Part4
When you can’t return home

Migrants and refugees cannot choose to return home, so homesickness becomes a profound and long-lasting feeling. This powerful force infuses migrant cultures, and is rarely given the serious attention it warrants.

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Part5
Homesick for planet Earth

Find out how homesick astronauts spend their free time, and how recreating home cooking from freeze-dried ingredients can cheer them all up.

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Part6
Finding a cure for homesickness

While technology can mitigate some aspects of homesickness, other components of home are harder to replicate. Find out how 21st-century studies are helping homesickness sufferers find silver linings in their new situation.

About the contributors

Photograph of Gail Tolley

Gail Tolley

Author

Gail Tolley is a travel and culture writer based in Edinburgh. She has twice been the editor of popular culture magazines: Time Out London (2017–19) and The List (2012–14). She has contributed to National Geographic Traveller, the Independent and BBC Radio 4. Alongside working as a freelance writer and broadcaster, she also works in TV development.

Photograph of Maria Rivans

Maria Rivans

Artist

Maria Rivans is a contemporary British artist known for her Surrealism-meets-Pop-Art aesthetic. With its unique approach to collaging, her artwork intertwines fragments of vintage ephemera, often with reference to film and TV, to spin bizarre and dreamlike tales. She exhibits work throughout the UK as well as internationally, including Hong Kong, New York and across Europe. Notable solo shows include the Saatchi Gallery, London and Galerie Bhak, Seoul.