The 2021 Boardman Tasker Mountain Literature Award Shortlist
Emilio Comici: Angel of the Dolomites by Gripped editorial director David Smart is one of the six books that made the list
The Boardman Tasker Award for Mountain Literature continues to attract a substantial level of entries. For 2021, there were 41 from Great Britain, Canada, Ireland, France, Norway and the USA.
The Award will be made at the Boardman Tasker Shortlisted Authors and Awards event at the Kendal Mountain Festival virtually on Nov. 20. The judges for 2021 are David Canning (Chair) Natalie Berry and Marni Jackson. They have selected the following 6 books for this year’s shortlist:
Emilio Comici, Angel of the Dolomites by David Smart:Â A very impressive biography, well written and researched, of one of Italy’s foremost climbers, who put up some of the first big wall climbs and developed new climbing style and techniques.
The Moth and the Mountain, a true story of love, war and Everest by Ed Caesar: Caesar’s account of Maurice Wilson’s attempt to fly to and climb Mount Everest is an often tragic and pathetic story but never judgmental. Wilson could be the woefully unprepared climber we’d all like to despise but Caesar helps us to develop a warm attachment to him; Wilson frankly deserved better in death and this book is a fitting tribute to his amazing journey.
Himalaya, A Human History by Ed Douglas: An extensively researched book exploring the human histories of the Himalaya and how the mountains and their geological and imagined boundaries have shaped people and place. Douglas breaks down the romanticised Western stereotypes of Sherpas and other native peoples in the region and the exchanges, exploits and exploitations that have occurred on the ‘roof of the world.’
Signs of Life, To the Ends of the World with a doctor by Stephan Fabes: Engaging, heartwarming, and often very funny, Fabes’ accounts of his journeys around the world on a bicycle, and the people he meets along the way, are culturally sympathetic, mature, and poignant.
Never Leave the Dog Behind by Helen Mort:Â Explores the deep bond that exists between people, their dogs, and the mountains with delightful prose and poetry. The dogs that feature are often the main characters in Mort’s storytelling, but she also manages to expertly weave in personal elements too.
To Live, Fighting for Life on the Killer Mountain by Elisabeth Revol: The compelling account of Revol’s survival on Nanga Parbat in winter, of survivor’s guilt and the need to tell her story as an act of healing. The writing is visceral and honest, and Revol speaks a universal truth about mountaineering that needs to be heard.
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