THE autobiography of Sheffield rock climber Jerry Moffatt has hit the peak of mountain literature.
Revelations was selected from 101 entries from ten countries as the best book at this year's Banff Mountain Book Festival. It was written with Sheffield-based Niall Grimes, who collected the award and a $2,000 prize at an awards ceremony in Canada. T
he book was published by Vertebrate Publishing, also of Sheffield.
Jerry said: "When we started working on the book our aim was to create something special and something that inspired people who read it.
"There are a lot of mountaineering books published each year but there are very few books that explore the specialist world of rock climbing. I'm absolutely thrilled by the news that we've been honoured in this way."
One of the judges, Stephen Goodwin, said: "There's none of the familiar ice-gripped "heroics" we've become inured to in climbing books and instead of dark introspection, the diversions from the actual climbing are bikes, dossing, travel, having fun and becoming a businessman. (Jerry is a founder of The Foundry climbing wall in Sheffield).
"Moffatt and Grimes have done climbing history a service in setting down the story of UK climbing in the "dole era" of the 1980s – a story that was quickly becoming forgotten."
Revelations charts the story of Jerry's meteoric rise to rock climbing stardom in the 1980s and how he overcame injury to stay at the top for more than two decades.
It is also shortlisted for the 2009 Boardman Tasker Prize for Mountain Literature, which will be announced at the Kendal Mountain Festival on November 20.
BUY ONLINE:
The Sheffield Telegraph and Property Guide are now out every Thursday. To sign up on line click here.
MORE:
Local News
Local Sport
Arts Guide
Community News
Listings Guide
Restaurant Guide
Letters