The Boardman Tasker Prize for Mountain Literature is an annual prize of £3,000 awarded by the Boardman Tasker Charitable Trust to an author or authors for "an original work which has made an outstanding contribution to mountain literature". The prize was established in 1983 in memory of British climbers

Peter Boardman Peter Boardman (25 December 1950 – 17 May 1982) was an English mountaineer and author. He is best known for a series of bold and lightweight expeditions to the Himalayas, often in partnership with Joe Tasker, and for his contribution to mount ...

and

Joe Tasker Joe Tasker (12 May 1948 – 17 May 1982) was a British climber, active during the late 1970s and early 1980s. He died while climbing Mount Everest. Early life Born into a traditional Roman Catholic family in 1948, Tasker was the second of t ...

, both of whom wrote books about their mountaineering expeditions, after their deaths on the northeast ridge of

Mount Everest Mount Everest (; Tibetan: ''Chomolungma'' ; ) is Earth's highest mountain above sea level, located in the Mahalangur Himal sub-range of the Himalayas. The China–Nepal border runs across its summit point. Its elevation (snow heig ...

in 1982. It can be awarded for a piece of fiction or non-fiction, poetry or drama, although the work must have been written in (or translated into) English. The prize is announced at the annual Kendal Mountain Festival.

Winners

*2022 Brian Hall, ''High Risk: Climbing to Extinction'' and

Helen Mort Helen Mort (born 28 September 1985, Sheffield) is a British poet and novelist. She is a five-time winner of the Foyle Young Poets award, received an Eric Gregory Award from The Society of Authors in 2007, and won the Manchester Poetry Priz ...

, ''A Line Above the Sky: A Story of Mountains and Motherhood'' *2021 David Smart, ''Emilio Comici: Angel of the Dolomites'' *2020

Jessica J. Lee Jessica J. Lee is a British and Canadian author, environmental historian. Biography Lee was born in Canada, to a Welsh father and a Taiwanese mother. She was brought up in Canada, lived in London and Berlin. She received her BA from Universi ...

, ''Two Trees Make a Forest: On Memory, Migration and Taiwan'' *2019

Kate Harris Kate Harris (born in 1982) is a Canadian author. Early life Harris was born in Ontario and grew up dreaming of exploring Mars. She viewed the Earth as having been thoroughly explored and charted before her lifetime, so she set her eyes on ano ...

, ''Lands of Lost Borders: A Journey on the Silk Road'' *2018

David Roberts David or Dave Roberts may refer to: Arts and literature * David Roberts (painter) (1796–1864), Scottish painter * David Roberts (art collector), Scottish contemporary art collector * David Roberts (novelist), English editor and mystery writer ...

, ''Limits of the Known'' *2017 Bernadette McDonald, ''Art of Freedom: The Life and Climbs of Voytek Kurtyka'' *2016 Simon McCartney, ''The Bond: Two Epic Climbs in Alaska and a Lifetime's Connection Between Climbers'' *2015

Barry Blanchard Barry Blanchard (born March 29, 1959) is one of North America's top alpinists, noted for pushing the standards of highly technical, high-risk alpine climbing in the Canadian Rockies and the Himalayas. Climbing accomplishments Blanchard was born ...

, ''The Calling: A Life Rocked by Mountains'' *2014 Jules Lines, ''Tears of the Dawn'' *2013 Harriet Tuckey, ''Everest – The First Ascent: The Untold Story of Griffith Pugh, the Man Who Made It Possible'' *2012

Andy Kirkpatrick Andrew Kirkpatrick is a British mountaineer, author, motivational speaker and monologist. He is best known as a big wall climber, having scaled Yosemite's El Capitan over 30 times, including five solo ascents, and two one-day ascents, as well ...

, ''Cold Wars: Climbing the Fine Line between Risk and Reality'' *2011 Bernadette McDonald, ''Freedom Climbers'' *2010

Ron Fawcett Ron Fawcett (born 6 May 1955) is a British rock climber and rock climbing author who is credited with pushing the technical standards of British rock climbing in traditional, sport, bouldering and free soloing disciplines, in the decade from the ...

with

Ed Douglas Ed, ed or ED may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Ed'' (film), a 1996 film starring Matt LeBlanc * Ed (''Fullmetal Alchemist'') or Edward Elric, a character in ''Fullmetal Alchemist'' media * ''Ed'' (TV series), a TV series that ran fro ...

, ''Ron Fawcett, Rock Athlete'' *2009 Steve House, ''Beyond the Mountain'' *2008

, ''Psychovertical'' *2007 Robert Macfarlane, ''The Wild Places'' *2006

Charles Lind Charles is a masculine given name predominantly found in English and French speaking countries. It is from the French form ''Charles'' of the Proto-Germanic name (in runic alphabet) or ''*karilaz'' (in Latin alphabet), whose meaning was " ...

, ''An Afterclap of Fate: Mallory on Everest'' *2005

Andy Cave Andy Cave (born 1966) is a British mountaineer, mountain guide, and motivational speaker. He was nominated for the Piolet d'Or for his first ascent of the North Face of Changabang in 1997, and won the Boardman Tasker Prize for Mountain Literatu ...

, ''Learning to Breathe'' *2005

Jim Perrin Jim Perrin (born 30 March 1947), is an English rock climber and travel writer. Biography Jim Perrin was born Ernest James Perrin in Manchester, England, to a family of Huguenot descent. His father played rugby league for Salford in the late 1930 ...

, ''The Villain: The Life of Don Whillans'' *2004

Trevor Braham Trevor Hyam Braham (born Hyam Trevor Braham, 22 April 1922 – 2 March 2020) was a British Himalayan explorer and mountaineer, mostly active during the mid-20th century. Braham was born in Calcutta, British India. He spent much of his boyhood in ...

, ''When the Alps Cast Their Spell'' *2003

Simon Mawer Simon Mawer ( ; born 1948, England) is a British author who lives in Italy. Life and work Born in 1948 and was educated at Millfield School in Somerset and at Brasenose College, Oxford, Mawer took a degree in Zoology and has worked as a biology ...

, ''The Fall'' *2002

Robert Roper Robert Roper (1757–1838) was an English architect who practised from an office in Preston, Lancashire. His works include at least two new country houses, Claughton Hall, and Leagram Hall, both of which have since been demolished. He designed a ...

, ''Fatal Mountaineer'' *2001

Roger Hubank Roger is a given name, usually masculine, and a surname. The given name is derived from the Old French personal names ' and '. These names are of Germanic origin, derived from the elements ', ''χrōþi'' ("fame", "renown", "honour") and ', ' ...

, ''Hazard's Way'' *2000

Peter Gillman Peter Gillman (born 1942) is a British writer and journalist specializing (but not exclusively) in mountaineering topics. His book, ''Direttissima; the Eiger Assault'' (1967), also published under the title ''Direttissima'', co-authored with Douga ...

and

Leni Gillman Leni is a ''comune'' (municipality) and one of the main towns on Salina, one of the Aeolian Islands, in the Metropolitan City of Messina, Sicily, southern Italy. It is located about northeast of Palermo and about northwest of Messina. Leni ...

, ''The Wildest Dream: Mallory – His Life and Conflicting Passions'' *1999 Paul Pritchard, ''The Totem Pole: And a Whole New Adventure'' *1998

Peter Steele Petrus Thomas Ratajczyk (January 4, 1962 – April 14, 2010), known professionally as Peter Steele, was an American musician, singer, and songwriter. He was best known as the lead vocalist, bassist and composer of the gothic metal band Type O N ...

, ''Eric Shipton: Everest and Beyond'' *1997 Paul Pritchard, ''Deep Play: A Climber's Odyssey from Llanberis to the Big Walls'' *1996 Audrey Salkeld, ''A Portrait of Leni Riefenstahl'' *1995 Alan Hankinson, ''Geoffrey Winthrop Young: Poet, Mountaineer, Educator'' *1994

Dermot Somers Dermot Somers (born 1947, Tremane, County Roscommon, Ireland) is an Irish mountaineer, explorer, writer, and broadcaster. He was educated in the Irish-speaking Coláiste Mhuire, Dublin, and graduated from University College Dublin with a BA an ...

, ''At the Rising of the Moon'' *1993 Jeff Long, ''The Ascent'' *1992 Will McLewin, ''In Monte Viso's Horizon: Climbing All the Alpine 4000m Peaks'' *1991 Alison Fell, ''Mer de Glace'' *1991 Dave Brown and Ian Mitchell, ''A View from the Ridge'' *1990 Victor Saunders, ''Elusive Summits'' *1989

M. John Harrison Michael John Harrison (born 26 July 1945), known for publication purposes primarily as M. John Harrison, is an English author and literary critic.Kelley, George. "Harrison, M(ichael) John" in Jay P. Pederson (.ed) ''St. James guide to sci ...

, ''

Climbers Climber may refer to: *Climber, a participant in the activity of climbing *Climber, general name for a vine *Climber, or climbing specialist, a road bicycle racer who can ride especially well on highly inclined roads * Climber (BEAM), a robot that ...

'' *1988 Joe Simpson, '' Touching the Void'' *1987 Roger Mear and

Robert Swan Robert Charles Swan, OBE, FRGS (born 28 July 1956) is the first person to walk to both poles. He is currently an advocate for the protection of Antarctica and renewable energy. Swan is also the founder of 2041, a company which is dedicated ...

, ''In the Footsteps of Scott'' *1986 Stephen Venables, ''Painted Mountains: Two Expeditions to Kashmir'' *1985

, ''Menlove: The Life of John Menlove Edwards'' *1984 Linda Gill, ''Living High: A Family Trek in the Himalayas'' *1984

Doug Scott Douglas Keith Scott (29 May 19417 December 2020) was an English mountaineer, noted for being on the team that made the first ascent of the south-west face of Mount Everest on 24 September 1975. In receiving one of mountaineering's highest hon ...

and

Alex MacIntyre Alex MacIntyre (1954–1982) was a British mountaineer in the 1970s. He is known for developing new climbing techniques that enabled ascents not previously accomplished. Early life MacIntyre was born in Cottingham, East Riding of Yorkshire, to S ...

, ''The Shishapangma Expedition''

Young Writer's Award

In 2012, an award for writers aged between 16 and 25 was introduced for works up to 1,500 words in length that must be "original unpublished literary work, whether fiction, non-fiction, drama or poetry, the central theme of which is concerned with the mountain environment". The prize is £250 and publication in ''Summit'' magazine.

References

{{Reflist

External links

Boardman Tasker Prize for Mountain Literature''The Boardman Tasker Legacy''
by Stephen Venables Awards established in 1984 1984 establishments in the United Kingdom Mountaineering awards British non-fiction literary awards Outdoor literature awards

Winners

Young Writer's Award

See also

References

External links