Dennis Gray with Pete Boardman
‘The moving finger writes, and having writ moves on’
Omar Khayyam
The Boardman Tasker Literary Award, founded in 1983
Both Peter and Joe were close friends of mine, the first worked with me at the BMC from 1975 until 1978, and the latter I knew from his arriving at Manchester University to read Sociology. Two entirely different personalities; Peter a classicist, Joe somewhat a revolutionary. Both dedicated mountaineers. I enjoyed many a cross office discussion with Peter as to who were our favourite writers, and he would be fired by the established English set, I favoured the American beats as they were tearing the house down. But Joe had a different approach, he would arrive, plonk himself down in my office and he would love to discuss the meaning of everything. Something he had well practised as a student at Ushaw catholic seminary, training to be a priest from 13 years of age until 20, when he became a dustman before entering higher education.
Thus, they were both unusual but different characters, but their deaths high on the North East Ridge of Everest in 1982, left we who were their friends on how to memorise them. They had both achieved so much in their short lives, outstanding climbs; in Peter’s case the South West Face of Everest 1975, and Joe such as the North Face of the Eiger in winter, would anything we proposed be appropriate? Both had written outstanding books, in Peter’s case ‘The Shining Mountain’ and Joe ‘The Savage Arena’.
After much thought we came to the view that a literary award, aimed at mountain skewed volumes would be the best way to hold their memories and keep alive this interest to the fore. And so, in 1983 the Boardman Tasker Prize for Mountain Literature was launched at the Alpine Club in London. Like any new venture this took time to establish itself, but over the years due to the dedication of so many volunteers, and the Boardman & Tasker families this award this has become recognised as the prime such in its field. And so many people now wish to attend the award ceremony that it was agreed to move north in order to hold this in conjunction with the Kendal Film Festival each November. More and more entries are arriving from abroad, and thus the international reputation of the award has also been well recognised, and thus it is not unusual for the BT, as everyone knows it as, to feature amongst its short list many writers from the English-speaking world.
Long may this continue, although it means so much extra work for hardworking secretary!
Dennis Gray
Former Trustee.