Maria Coffey, Paul Pritchard & Nandini Purandare
Writing a book is brave undertaking. The vulnerability involved for the writer means that this endeavour is not for everyone. This year there were so many worthy books. The judges had to deliberate long and hard and make some difficult choices. We had to read 30-odd books this year, and to speak frankly, there could have been 9 or 10 on the shortlist, such was the quality of the writing.
Some of the books that the judges really struggled to omit from the shortlist were:
Mountain Guru by Catherine Moorehead, a truly comprehensive account of the life of one of climbing’s greats, Doug Scott.
Beth Rodden’s A Light Through the Cracks was something else, I tell you.
Survival Is Not Assured by Geoff Powter, this important book has glittering prose about a genius of mountaineering.
Mick Conefrey’s book, George Mallory -The Man, the Myth and the 1924 Everest Tragedy is a timely and well written book.
And Weathering, Ruth Allen’s book surely will go on to win another great writing prize.
Eventually, after months of deliberation, the judges put together a shortlist which I think reflects the diversity of, and in, mountaineering literature today.
First, we have Alpine Rising by that forceful voice in mountain literature, Bernadette MacDonald. One of the first books to explore the pivotal roles played by Nepali and Pakistani climbers in shaping the future of high-altitude endeavours. Traditionally in the western mountaineering canon, these climbers were unnamed, or only had first names.So, they take their rightful place alongside western climbers.
Next, the groundbreaking Everest book that explores what it is like to stay behind, for a very able partner, in a different age to ours. Kate Nicholson’s Behind Everest tells the story of Ruth Turner, ahem, Mallory, (as in the wife of George) through many previously unseen letters. The judges applaud Nicholson for achieving the virtually impossible featof taking the drowned-out voice of this woman (amidst the bluster of male voices), and making it seem strangely modern.
Then we have Clive Oppenheimer’s, Mountains of Fire which brings science to life, telling stories that are personal, yet global in reach. From Vesuvius to Krakatoa, from Paektu in North Korea to Erebus in Antarctica he considers the relationship between volcanoes and humanity.
Following on from Mountains of Fire is Headstrap: Legends and Lore from the Climbing Sherpas of Darjeeling by Nandini Purandare and Deepa Balsavar.
It is a beautifully crafted tribute to the rich cultural heritage and climbing traditions of the Sherpa and Bhutia people of Darjeeling.
Headstrap is a genuinely untold story, and it took the authors more than a decade to conduct in-depth interviews with not only the Sherpas themselves but their family members, descendants – so it is a hard-won achievement.
With its vivid sense of place, community, and culture, Headstrap weaves a rich tapestry of this particular Sherpa society, giving the people of Darjeeling the recognition in mountaineering literature that they deserve.
Royal Robbins: The American Climber by David Smart is yet another meticulously well researched biography of an American legend. Charting Robbins’ journey from young enthusiast to legendary climber, and outdoor visionary.
Lastly, we have the cutting edge of alpinism well expressed by David Zimmerman in A Fine Line. Through some stunningly climactic tales, Zimmerman delves into the psychological and physical demands of the “sport” - though it soon becomes clear to the reader that mountaineering is much, much more than a simple sport to Zimmerman.
And the winner of this, the 41st Boardman Tasker Award, is Headstrap: Legends and Lore from the Climbing Sherpas of Darjeeling by Nandini Purandare and Deepa Balsavar.
