Coronation Everest

Winner of the 2018 Edward Stanford Travel Writing Award''s Outstanding Contribution to Travel Writing Coronation Everest by Jan Morris is the passionate account of The Times’ young reporter attached to the successful 1953 expedition to Mount Everest, and her efforts to deliver the news to England the day before the Coronation of Queen Elisabeth II. Having gained the exclusive rights to the cover story, Morris writes of the challenges and concerns about keeping the scoop from rival newspapers and how, with the help from a crew of Sherpas delivered the news home. The achievements of the ascent become an exciting backdrop for her personal observations about details and people behind the celebrated heroes, and the world of journalism of a time when Fleet Street was the newspapers district. The book was originally written in 1958, and the style might be outdated in places, however, this edition benefits from a preface by the writer reflecting on her own writing and young self. Coronation Everest is an intriguing insight into the expedition but also into the historical climate and the world of journalism of the time.