The Everest Files
Page 21
Because the mountain was calling …
Calling …
And I did not know if I had the power to resist.
END OF BOOK ONE
With thanks to …
Writing a book is rather similar to climbing Everest. A long hard slog filled with unexpected dramas, cruel twists of fate and the constant fear of failure. And you never see the summit right until the end!
But it’s worth it when you hold the finished book in your hand.
With this first book in the The Everest Files series I have been fortunate to have the support of some remarkable people so let’s start from the beginning. First off, my heart-felt thanks to Brian Blessed; without his passion and love of Everest my own summit experience would never have happened. Next came the germ of the ‘Everest Files’ story, and a fruitful ideas session with Fee Dickinson at a rather good pizza house in Tring.
Fast forward a few years; writing draft after draft with the help and inspiration of Chris Bradley, Sim Canetty-Clarke, Nicholas Crane and Steve Varden. My super literary agent, Alice Williams, then entered the frame with tenacious commitment and charm.
Among my Oxford friends Sarah Darby and Sorrel Pitts have never wavered in their belief that the book should be published. In their precious spare time they have given valuable advice and Sarah kindly created the chapter heading illustrations that have added considerable charm to the book. That legendary traveller and writer Hilary Bradt was also a source of encouragement and hope in the dark times when we really struggled to find a good home for this book.
Thanks also to the others that have helped the concept grow: Jon Stefani and Seni Glaister for cool mountain inspiration; Nigel Barlow and Angie Kaye for a good glass of wine; Dave Cousins and his wife Jane for a pair of Mexican underpants (don’t ask); Asif Moghal and Geraldine Colclough for aiming high; Gill Lewis for a whole load of laughs and Ruth Eastham for two cups of tea.
Above all I am blessed with the love and support of my family so a big kiss and hug to; Anna, Tom, Ali, Greg, Daniel, Ariadna and my mother Sheila. I absolutely could not have done this without you.
Finally, I reached the summit and found a mountain-crazy publishing team that really believe in the book, and the series it has now created. So my sincere thanks to Jon Barton, Nathan Ryder, and the award-winning team at Vertebrate Publishing.
Hold on tight, guys. It’s going to be a wild ride!
About the Author
Matt Dickinson is an award-winning writer and filmmaker with a passion for climbing and adventure. During his film-making career he has worked as a director/cameraman for National Geographic television, the Discovery Channel, the BBC and Channel 4. His film projects have taken him to Antarctica, Africa and the Himalaya, often in the company of the world’s leading climbers and expeditioners. His most notable film success was ‘Summit Fever’ in which he reached the summit of Everest via the treacherous North Face. His book The Death Zone tells the true story of that ascent and has become a best-seller in many different countries.
Matt is currently Patron of Reading at the Sidney Stringer Academy in Coventry and continues to climb and explore. In January 2013 he summitted Mount Aconcagua, which, at 6,965 metres, is the highest peak in the world outside the Himalaya. Currently, he is planning an ascent of Mount Denali in Alaska, one of the ‘Seven Summits’.
Recently Matt has started writing fiction for teenage readers. His debut thriller series Mortal Chaos was well-received by critics and readers alike. To celebrate the launch of The Everest Files Matt will be touring the UK, speaking at schools and colleges and inspiring a new generation of adventurers.
Fascinated by Everest?
Want to know more about the world’s highest peak?
The Everest Files website is packed full of fascinating facts and features.
•Find out about Everest, the Himalaya and the effect global warming is having on the area. Geographical facts with study guides for teachers.
•Watch the summit footage taken by The Everest Files author Matt Dickinson after his epic North Face ascent.
•Discover more about the Sherpa people and their way of life.
•See an interview with Jordan Romero, the 13-year-old boy who became the youngest person ever to summit Everest.
•Learn more about The Everest Files trilogy, including a video message from author Matt Dickinson.
If you would like an author visit from Matt Dickinson for your school or club, contact details can be found on the website.
www.everestfiles.com
The Everest Files
Matt Dickinson
First published in 2014 by Vertebrate Publishing
Vertebrate Publishing
Crescent House, 228 Psalter Lane, Sheffield, S11 8UT, UK
www.v-publishing.co.uk
Copyright © Matt Dickinson 2014
Matt Dickinson has asserted his rights under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 to be identified as author of this work.
Cover illustration copyright © Nathan Ryder 2014
Chapter heading illustrations copyright © Sarah Darby 2014
Dedication page Everest summit photograph copyright © Alan Hinkes
Author photograph © Matt Dickinson collection
This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, events and incidents are products of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
ISBN 978-1-906148-93-5 (eBook)
All rights reserved. No part of this work covered by the copyright hereon may be reproduced or used in any form or by any means – graphic, electronic, or mechanised, including photocopying, recording, taping or information storage and retrieval systems – without the written permission of the publisher.
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