KENDAL MOUNTAIN BOOK FESTIVAL
WELCOME TO KENDAL MOUNTAIN BOOK FESTIVAL 2025
The third weekend of November in Kendal is unlike anywhere else. It’s when the town bursts into life — a vibrant mix of energy and insight, raucous celebration and quiet reflection. High tales of adventure meets thoughtful conversation. Spontaneity and creativity take over the streets, venues, and hillsides. A home for stories shaped by wild places.
Organised by a passionate team who believe in the power of words and inclusive celebration, the Festival welcomes everyone to join this vibrant community of books, creativity, and connection.
This year’s theme is hope. With over 30 book events – talks, performances, and conversations – we invite you on an uplifting journey full of adventure and wonder for the world.
Join us on a journey that spans the extremes of the Earth — from the unforgiving chill of the Arctic’s Northwest Passage to the untamed, mountainous beauty of Greece’s Prespa region, from the glow of Norway’s midnight sun to the legendary slopes of Everest, and from Europe’s wildest frontiers to the striking, windswept shores of Morecambe Bay.
We look forward to seeing you there!
We’d like to say a big thanks to our presenting partner Inghams Walking; to our support partners Danner and Mountain Equipment; and our supporters Blundstone, Gestalten, Lancaster University and River Action UK.
FOLLOW US!
This year’s Book Festival icon features the cover artwork by Stanley Donwood, for the book Is A River Alive? by Robert Macfarlane. @kendalmountainbookfest
Thanks to our patron, Robert Macfarlane for his support of Kendal Mountain Book Festival:
A WORD FROM OUR PATRON ROBERT MACFARLANE
Just over a year ago, the de-damming of the mighty Klamath River in Oregon/California was completed. Three huge dams were dismantled, and for the first time in a century the river ran free. Within days, migratory salmon were recorded moving upstream to spawn in the headwaters of the Klamath. By spring this year, the banks of what had formerly been reservoirs were blazing orange with poppy blossom. And this summer, young people from the various Klamath River Basin tribal nations made the first source-to-sea kayak descent of the river in 100 years.
The revival of the Klamath is one of the most hopeful stories I know from the past few hopestripped years. It’s also a reminder that hope is a discipline. By this I mean that real hope, radical hope, requires both the imagining of a better possible world and the work required to realise that world. When the campaign to de-dam the Klamath began twenty years ago, it was laughably implausible. But people organised, built alliances, chipped away –– and told new-old stories about what could be.
“Hope” is this year’s Festival theme, and we need all the hope we can get right now. Hope is the break in the weather. Hope is a glimpse of other ways of being and seeing. Hope is a rescuer’s torchlight in darkness. Hope is working together. “Hope”, as the poet Emily Dickinson put it, “is the thing with feathers / that perches in the soul.”
PRESENTING PARTNER SUPPORT PARTNERS
SUPPORTERS
SARAH HALL
Helm p8
Music On Nature p13
MINA LESLIEWUJASTYK
Eat To Climb p7
CAROL KLEIN Rooted In Nature p16
JENN ASHWORTH The Parallel Path p15
JENNY HALL Celebrating Junko Tabei p6
JACK MCNEILL Music On Nature p13
LOUIS D. HALL In Green p6
ADAM WEYMOUTH Lone Wolf p14
MARK AGNEW There Will Be Headwinds p7
GRANT FARQUHAR Extreme Rock p7
EMILY ZOBEL MARSHALL Other Wild p13
RENEE MCGREGOR Fuel For Thought p9
ANJANA KHATWA The Whispers Of Rock p10
SOPHIE PAVELLE
To Have Or To Hold p15
MONISHA RAJESH Moonlight Express p14
MARIANNE SCHOFIELD Music On Nature p13
HAMISH FROST The Great Mixed Climbs Of Scotland p15
GORDON BUCHANAN In The Hide p11
JULIAN HOFFMAN Lifelines p11
SIR CHRIS BONINGTON Everest The Hard Way p11
HILARY BRADT Taking The Risk p8
ED JACKSON From The Mountain’s Edge p13
EMMA SIMPSON Breaking Waves p14
JO BRADSHAW Celebrating Junko Tabei p6
SOPHY ROBERTS
A Training School For Elephants p12
HAYDEN THORPE Music On Nature p13
TONY JUNIPER Just Earth p8
TORI JAMES Celebrating Junko Tabei p6
FABIAN PRYNN Music On Nature p13
TRISTAN GOOLEY The Hidden Seasons p10
GUY ROBERTSON
The Great Mixed Climbs Of Scotland p15
JOYCELYN LONGDON
Natural Connection p12 Music On Nature p13
JOANNA CROSTON
Celebrating Junko Tabei p6
ROBERT MACFARLANE Is A River Alive? p9 Music On Nature p13
HELEN MORT Boardman Tasker Award for Mountain Literature p9
MARY SHIELS Ink Deep p12
BBC RADIO 4 LOOSE ENDS
5.30 – 6.30pm Thursday 20 Nov
Kendal Town Hall
Tickets FREE
(must be booked in advance)
Step into the unpredictable world of Loose Ends – a vibrant, fast-paced blend of conversation, music and comedy that celebrates the art of spontaneity.
A Festival favourite and broadcast staple, Loose Ends promises a unique, energy-packed experience that’s as engaging to watch live as it is to hear on air.
Stuart Maconie returns as host, joined on stage by a lineup of special guests, including adventurer Ben Fogle, award-winning author Sarah Hall, Horrible Histories writer Terry Deary and local musician Holly Brooke.
“I love the eclectic mix — the varied guests, music, banter and comic interludes.”
Will Clough
LOUIS D. HALL IN GREEN
Presented by Blundstone
5.30 – 6.30pm Thursday 20 Nov
Brewery Arts Malt Room
Tickets £9.50 / u18s
£7.50
In his mid-twenties, restless in the routine of a city, Louis D. Hall found himself wondering how to create the life he wanted to lead. Inspired by Don Quixote, he decided to fulfil a childhood dream – to make an uncharted journey on horseback
After finding his horse Sasha in Italy’s Apennine Mountains, the pair set off and headed west for Cape Finisterre, ‘the end of the land’, unprepared for most of the dangers – snow, storms, wolves – that faced them. He was even less prepared for the lessons that both Sasha and the young woman who joins them part way taught him about life’s potential and its complexities.
“A striking debut that will transcend its time: an emotionally taut, beautifully written book for eternally restless romantics.”
Sophy Roberts
CELEBRATING JUNKO TABEI & 50 YEARS OF WOMEN ON EVEREST
Presented by Craghoppers
7.30 – 10pm Thursday 20 Nov
Brewery Arts Malt Room
Tickets £13.50 / u18s £10
A remarkable evening marks the 50th anniversary of the first female ascent of Mount Everest by Japanese mountaineer Junko Tabei.
The event includes the UK launch of Mountaineering Women, the new book from Joanna Croston celebrating the achievements of twenty pioneering women climbers from around the world. A panel discussion will reflect on Junko Tabei’s legacy and the many women whose stories have remained in the shadows for too long. Panelists include Everest summiteers Jo Bradshaw and Tori James and mountaineering historian Dr. Jen Hall. Read more about Junko Tabei on p17.
“Mountaineering Women provides long-awaited recognition for the many pioneering women who have made invaluable contributions to the history of climbing.”
Sir Chris Bonington
MARK AGNEW THERE WILL BE HEADWINDS
9.30 – 10.30am Friday 21 Nov
Brewery Arts Malt Room
Tickets £9.50 / u18s £7.50
Mark Agnew was part of the first team ever to kayak the Northwest Passage — spending 103 days in the Arctic.
Charting an inspirational journey from failure to world record breaker, Mark reflects on his struggles and reveals the lessons from sports psychology that allowed him to conquer his demons and achieve something truly remarkable.
An astonishing story of ice, suffering, and camaraderie. There Will Be Headwinds is a testament to the power of teamwork, determination, and ambition — and a celebration of the human spirit of adventure.
“Agnew captures the wonderful sense of being small and vulnerable, and yet doggedly paddling to the horizon.”
Mark Beaumont
MINA LESLIE-WUJASTYK EAT TO CLIMB
10.30 – 11.30am Friday 21 Nov
The Yurt – Presented by YETI
Tickets
£9.50 / u18s
£7.50
Eat to Climb by Mina LeslieWujastyk is a comprehensive guide to nutrition for climbers. Whether you’re a weekend warrior or a seasoned pro, this book will help you cut through the noise of nutrition fads and make informed, confident decisions about fuelling your body.
Throughout, you’ll find powerful insights from top climbers. From Shauna Coxsey’s honest account of her struggles with food as a young athlete, to Molly Thompson-Smith’s diligent approach to nutrition when injured, and Billy Ridal’s tactics for eating when he freed the Nose on El Cap, their stories bring the science to life.
“Mina’s book is one you’ll keep returning to — and it belongs on every climber’s shelf.”
Tom Vaessen-Walker
EXTREME ROCK
GREAT BRITISH ROCK
CLIMBS FROM E1 TO E7
Presented by DMM
11.30am – 1pm Friday 21 Nov
Kendal Town Hall
Tickets £13.50 / u18s £10
Published in 1987, Ken Wilson and Bernard Newman’s first edition of Extreme Rock achieved legendary status within the climbing community. The new edition compiled by Grant Farquhar blends new material with many of the original essays and photography, bridging the decades during which British and world climbing has undergone huge performance, technological, ethical and cultural change.
Helmed by Rob Greenwood from UKClimbing, the event will feature author Grant Farquhar with Pat Littlejohn, Robbie Phillips, Katy Whittaker, Rob Matheson, Esther Foster, James McHaffie, and Steve McClure.
“This year’s most eagerlyanticipated book? Every climber I know seems to be talking about it!”
Clive Allen
SARAH HALL HELM
11.30am – 12.30pm Friday 21 Nov
Brewery Arts Malt Room
Tickets £9.50 / u18s £7.50
Helm is a ferocious, mischievous and cold north-easterly wind that affects the southwestern slopes of Cross Fell in Cumbria, England. It’s the only named wind in the UK and is characterised by its sudden descent and powerful gusts. This is Helm’s life story, formed from the chronicles of those the wind enchanted: the Neolithic tribe who tried to placate it, the Dark Age wizard priest who wanted to banish it, the Victorian steam engineer who attempted to capture it — and the farmer’s daughter who fell in love. But now Dr Selima Sutar, surrounded by measuring instruments, alone in her observation hut, fears the end is nigh.
“Sarah Hall’s writing has conquered the body and the soul and now it conquers the wind itself.”
Daisy Johnson
HILARY BRADT TAKING THE RISK
1.30 – 2.30pm Friday 21 Nov
Brewery Arts Malt Room
Tickets £9.50 / u18s £7.50
A travel industry trailblazer who co-founded Bradt Guides — the world’s largest independently owned guidebook publisher. Hilary looks back on 50 years of escapades, surprises, mishaps, disasters and success. From her first solo trip aged three (on a British beach), she revisits six decades of hitchhiking, feeding the travel habit by working abroad and starting a successful travel publishing company where knowing nothing proved a surprising asset.
An engaging, insightful, amusing and sometimes alarming memoir about serendipitous adventures in travel and publishing.
“Hilary Bradt is my inspiration and benchmark for how to make travel really count”
Kate Humble
TONY JUNIPER JUST EARTH
2 – 3pm Friday 21 Nov
Kendal Town Hall
Tickets £10.50 / u18s £8
Tony Juniper is a prominent environmental figure, active in the defence of Nature for nearly 40 years, as a former director of Friends of the Earth and now chair of Natural England.
In his compelling new book, Tony makes a powerful case: we cannot tackle the climate and nature crises without confronting the growing gap between rich and poor.
Green technologies alone won’t save us — not unless we also dismantle the deep-rooted inequalities that continue to block progress. Drawing on four decades of research, campaigning and advocacy, as well as insights from leading global experts, he offers a bold and urgent vision for change.
“The book that the environmental debate has been missing for decades. it is truthful and robust whilst also being entertaining and hopeful.”
Craig Bennett
RENEE MCGREGOR FUEL FOR THOUGHT
3.30 – 4.30pm Friday 21 Nov Brewery Arts Malt Room
Tickets £9.50 / u18s £7.50
Join leading sports dietitian Renee McGregor for an insightful discussion into how we nourish our bodies, providing them with the nutrients and fuel we need in order to live, exercise and socialise. Food should be really simple. Yet, in recent years, food and nutrition have become more complicated, confusing, and polarising than ever before.
Cutting through the jargon and misinformation, Renee draws on over twenty years’ experience of working with sportspeople from a range of disciplines and backgrounds to provide straightforward, accessible advice about how you can fuel your adventures.
“Renee hits this sweet balance between health and performance nutrition, placing humans at the forefront.”
Germaine Grangier
ROBERT MACFARLANE IS A RIVER ALIVE?
3.45 – 4.45pm Friday 21 Nov
Brewery Arts Theatre
Tickets £16.50 / u18s £12
At the heart of Is A River Alive? is a single, transformative idea: that rivers are not mere matter for human use but living beings – who should be recognised as such in both imagination and law. He takes the reader on a mind-expanding global journey in to the history, futures, people and places of this ancient, urgent concept.
Passionate, original, and revelatory, Is a River Alive? is Robert’s most personal and most political book to date. Weaving cultural and natural history, reportage, travel, and nature writing together, it takes the reader on a mind-expanding global journey.
“Rarely does a book hold such power, passion, and poetry in its exploration of nature.”
Elif Shafak
BOARDMAN TASKER AWARD FOR MOUNTAIN LITERATURE 2025
7 – 9pm Friday 21 Nov
Brewery Arts Malt Room
Tickets £13.50
Established in 1983 to commemorate the lives of Peter Boardman and Joe Tasker, the Award celebrates their legacy by recognising outstanding literature concerned with the mountain environment: books which will in turn challenge and inspire their readers, perhaps to climb or explore the world of mountains, perhaps to write, or perhaps to look at the world in a different way.
The evening will feature readings from the shortlisted authors, and they will be in conversation with Helen Mort, author and co-winner of the 2021 Boardman Tasker Award.
Find out more about the Award and the shortlisted authors on p18.
“It was a privilege to be part of such an uplifting celebration of mountain literature and tribute to the legacies of Peter and Joe.” Clive Oppenheimer
THE RIGHT TO ROAM SOCIAL
8.30 – 9.45pm Friday 21 Nov
The Yurt – Presented by YETI
Tickets £10.50 / u18s £8.50
Friends, roamers, partyfolk...
Join the Right to Roam campaign team and very special guests around the fire for an evening of performance and conviviality.
Come ready to sing, listen, laugh, connect and collaborate, to remember why we love this land and to reimagine our shared place in it. There will be anarchy, there may well be utter chaos.
With Amy-Jane Beer, Daniel Grimston, Jon Moses, Nadia Shaikh, Guy Shrubsole, Lewis Winks and guests.
“Right To Roam seeks to undo the damage of exclusionary ownership through the transformative power of belonging.”
Guy Shrubsole
TRISTAN GOOLEY THE HIDDEN SEASONS
9 – 10am Saturday 22 Nov
Brewery Arts Malt Room
Tickets £13.50 / u18s £10
In The Hidden Seasons, Tristan Gooley shows us how to read the clues that the sun, moon, stars, plants, fungi, animals, water and weather give us – but that we continually miss, because we don’t know how and where to look.
Spring is the time of wildflower signs, unique cloud shapes and curious animal behaviour. Summer is a time of coastal clues, astronomical extremes and secret grass patterns. Autumn is a time for reading leaves, deciphering scents and investigating fungi. And in winter, we learn to read snow, deepen our star knowledge and find clues in overlooked places, including indoors.
“Gooley drops learning as lightly as a blossom falls in spring.”
John Lewis-Stempel
ANJANA KHATWA WHISPERS OF ROCK
11am – 12pm Saturday 22 Nov
Brewery Arts Malt Room
Tickets £9.50 / u18s £7.50
Earth scientist and storyteller of the land Anjana Khatwa has spent her life tracing the deep memory of rocks. In language as rich as the earth itself, she unveils how rock has been shaped by the slow hand of time — and how, in turn, it has shaped us.
With a bold weaving of science and ancient lore, Anjana invites us on a journey through the ages: from the thunder of Andean volcanoes to the wild beauty of Dorset’s shores. Along the way, she honours the voices of Indigenous traditions that have long awakened the spirit of the land. And in the spaces between science and story, she reflects on how the earth’s deep wisdom guided her through life’s fiercest storms.
“Anjana Khatwa writes science in poetry. She bridges worlds with her words. I’ll never touch rocks in the same way again.”
Dan Snow
GORDON BUCHANAN IN THE HIDE
1 – 2pm Saturday 22 Nov
Brewery Arts Malt Room
Tickets £13.50 / u18s £10
Gordon Buchanan is probably the best-known natural history cameraman the BBC has ever produced. From wild snow wolf packs in Ellesmere and polar bears in Svalbard, to leopards in Mumbai and equine therapy in Mongolia, he has filmed in the world’s most farreaching places for over 30 years. But dangerous animals were not the only thing he was hiding from.
In the Hide is Gordon’s candid and deeply personal story of a challenging childhood in Dumbarton and on Mull, and how nature became both his refuge and his release.
Honest, moving, and uplifting, it’s a powerful testament to resilience.
“He has not only lived his passion, but by studying nature through the lens has become an expert in the field.”
Steve Backshall
SIR CHRIS BONINGTON EVEREST THE HARD WAY
Presented by Berghaus
1 – 2.30pm Saturday 22 Nov
Kendal Leisure Centre
Tickets £20 / u18s £15
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the expedition that put the first British climbers on the summit of Everest.
Led and masterminded by Sir Chris Bonington, the team saw Doug Scott and Dougal Haston reach the top, though tragically Mick Burke was lost. The experience was immortalised in Bonington’s book Everest The Hard Way, and in this special event, chaired by Julie Summers, Sir Chris, Tut Braithwaite and other special guests will reflect on the challenges and legacy of that remarkable expedition.
Part of the proceeds from ticket sales will support Community Action Nepal.
“The ultimate climb on the world’s most iconic mountain. Chris and his team show us mere mortals just what is possible.”
Bear Grylls SATURDAY
JULIAN HOFFMAN LIFELINES
1.15 – 2.15pm Saturday 22 Nov
The Yurt – Presented by YETI
Tickets £9.50 / u18s £7.50
Lifelines is Julian Hoffman’s luminous account of an extraordinary journey — from the crowded streets and long commutes of city life to the quiet, untamed beauty of Prespa, Greece, a place where three countries meet around twin lakes framed by stone villages, snow-capped peaks and wild, unbounded nature. Through seasons marked by astonishing encounters — a bear in a meadow of spring blooms, fourteen tiny wrens huddled above a frozen doorway — Julian weaves together tales of conflict and coexistence, of refuge and resilience, of the lifelines that bind people, places and the natural world.
“An inspiring call to throw caution to the wind… Lifelines is not just beautiful, it is quite literally encouraging. It will make you brave.”
The Observer
INK DEEP IN LANDSCAPE
2 – 3pm Saturday 22 Nov
The Barrel House
Tickets £5
Step into a landscape of words — an hour shaped by poetry, place and presence featuring special guests. Landscape — where we live and where we don’t. The landscapes of the heart and the landscapes of the soul. Political landscapes. Geopolitical ones.
Landscape is ever-changing, deeply marked and meaning-laden. Poetry offers a way to understand how landscape shapes us — and how we, in turn, shape it.
Mary Shiels, from Kendal, started Ink Deep as a quarterly poetry event at The Venue, featuring guest poets to bring poetry into motion and into the heart of our community.
“I, Mary, like poetry. And I am from Kendal… So, I created Ink Deep… to make something
happen.”
Mary Sheils
JOYCELYN LONGDON NATURAL CONNECTION
3 – 4pm Saturday 22 Nov
Brewery Arts Malt Room
Tickets £9.50 / u18s £7.50
Join environmental justice researcher and educator Joycelyn Longdon for an insightful discussion on how indigenous wisdom and marginalised communities are reshaping the future of environmental action.
Grounded in her research on justiceled conservation technologies with forest communities in Ghana, Joycelyn’s work weaves together environmental justice, AI, and bioacoustics to reimagine our relationship with the natural world. Through stories of resilience and activism — from the Chipko women of India to the Ogoni 9 of Nigeria — Longdon highlights the vital role of community and imagination in building a more just, sustainable future.
“A truly original journey to the root of our collective problems that offers new hope for how to solve them.”
Afua Hirsch
SOPHY ROBERTS A TRAINING SCHOOL FOR ELEPHANTS
4.30 – 5.30pm Saturday 22 Nov
Brewery Arts Malt Room
Tickets £9.50 / u18s £7.50
An extraordinary voyage following the unlikely journey of four 19thcentury elephants at the heart of a forgotten colonial expedition.
In 1879, King Leopold II of Belgium launched an ambitious plan to plunder Africa’s resources. He commissioned Irish adventurer Frederick Carter to ship four tamed Asian elephants from India to the East African coast, where they were marched inland towards Congo. The ultimate aim was to establish a training school for African elephants. Retracing their forgotten path, Roberts embarks on a sweeping journey through Belgium, Iraq, India, Tanzania and Congo.
“History and travelogue combine wonderfully in this tale of colonial plunder and hubris.”
The Guardian
EMILY ZOBEL MARSHALL OTHER WILD
4.45 – 5.45pm Saturday 22 Nov
The Yurt – Presented by YETI
Tickets £9.50 / u18s
£7.50
In this remarkable collection of poems, readers are invited into the lives of unruly women and untamed creatures who resist prescribed paths, moving instead through the liminal, boundary-crossing wilds of both land and heart.
With tenderness and lyric grace, Emily’s poems listen deeply to the natural world — through immersion, attention and wonder. They reveal fresh ways of reflecting, adapting and inhabiting, celebrating the intricate entanglement of our bodies and beings with shifting landscapes and inner terrains: the shadowed woods, glittering rivers, windswept moors and towering mountains.
“A
glorious, various collection: embedded and embodied in the living world, zinging throughout with love, joy, passion, loss and profusion.”
Robert Macfarlane
ED JACKSON FROM THE MOUNTAIN’S EDGE
Presented by Berghaus
6.15 – 7.15pm Saturday 22 Nov
Brewery Arts Malt Room
Tickets £13.50 / u18s
£10
After a life-changing injury left him paralysed, Ed Jackson defied the odds to walk again. Determined to push his limits, he set out to climb Nepal’s 7,126m Himlung Himal, only to find the adventure turning into a fight for survival.
Along with climbers Ben, Beetle, Arron and their guide Bigraj, battling altitude sickness and brutal conditions, Ed made the decision just short of the summit to turn back. Stranded overnight, the team endured until a dramatic rescue the next day. More than a mountaineering tale, this is a powerful reflection on resilience, teamwork, and the wisdom in knowing when to walk away.
“A life-affirming story … inspirational.”
Tim Peake
MUSIC ON NATURE THE ELEMENTS
8.30 – 10.30pm Saturday 22 Nov Brewery Arts Theatre
Tickets £25
A spellbinding evening of musical collaborations exploring the elements –Air, Water, Earth and Fire through music, prose and poetry. Our Nature Ensemble includes singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Hayden Thorpe, clarinettist and composer Jack McNeill, double bass player Marianne Schofield and percussionist Fabian Prynn.
In Air, Sarah Hall will perform an exhilarating piece on Helm – the only named wind in the UK.
In Water, Robert Macfarlane returns and shares ideas from his latest book Is A River Alive?
In Earth, we have an exciting performance from environmentalist and writer Joycelyn Longdon. And in Fire, a very special guest will be announced soon...
“A very special evening... I have never heard anything like it before.”
Matthew Scott
ADAM WEYMOUTH LONE WOLF
10 – 11am Sunday 23 Nov
The Venue at The Barrel House
Tickets £9.50 / u18s £7.50
An epic walk across the Alps in the footsteps of a wolf, throwing unique light on Europe’s mountainous hinterlands at a moment of political and environmental change.
In 2011, a young wolf named Slavc set out from Slovenia. Tracked by GPS, he travelled a thousand miles through the Alps, arriving four months later on the Lessinian plateau, north of Verona. There had been no wolves in northern Italy for a century, but here he crossed paths with a female wolf on a walkabout of her own. A decade later and there are more than a hundred wolves back in the area, the result of their remarkable meeting.
In Lone Wolf, Weymouth walks Slavc’s path, examining the changes facing these wild corners of Europe.
“A majestic and hopeful journey, movingly told by one of our master storytellers.”
Ben Rawlence
EMMA SIMPSON BREAKING WAVES
10 – 11am Sunday 23 Nov
Brewery Arts Malt Room
Tickets £9.50 / u18s £7.50
A warm and reflective memoir about healing wounds, reclaiming a voice, and discovering freedom through the open water. Emma discovered wild swimming after a period of immense pain. Lost in grief, disillusioned with life, and feeling increasingly untethered from the world, she instinctively felt the pull of the water. There she found an unexpected source of hope and strength, a profound sense of connection and a glorious sisterhood of women — each with their own remarkable stories to tell.
Interweaving tales of these women with reflections on her own experiences, Emma explores themes around birth, loss, chronic illness and body confidence.
“A beautifully written book which explores the visceral healing power of water. I loved it.”
Louise Minchin
MONISHA RAJESH MOONLIGHT EXPRESS
11.45am – 12.45pm Sunday 23 Nov
Brewery Arts Malt Room
Tickets £9.50 / u18s £7.50
All aboard for an unforgettable series of train rides – with one extraordinary storyteller. Awardwinning travel writer Monisha Rajesh takes us on a lyrical, laughter-filled journey through her latest book, Moonlight Express: Around the World By Night Train – a beautifully observed account of navigating the globe after dark.
Monisha explores the renaissance of sleeper trains: from Finland’s polar nights and Norway’s midnight sun, to Indian twilight and Peruvian dawns. With warmth, wit and curiosity, she brings to life the people she meets, the landscapes she crosses and the unique magic of moving slowly through the quiet hours.
“Monisha Rajesh has chosen one of the best ways of seeing the world. Prepare for a very fine ride”
Michael Palin
JENN ASHWORTH THE PARALLEL PATH
1.30 – 2.30pm Sunday 23 Nov
The Yurt – Presented by YETI
Tickets £9.50 / u18s £7.50
Burnt out after lockdown, Jenn Ashworth felt a compulsive urge to walk — and to escape.
With only basic orienteering skills and a set of maps, she set out on Wainwright’s Coast to Coast trail. Guided by his writings and letters from her friend Clive, who was on his own personal journey, Jenn’s walk became a deeper search for connection and healing.
But the journey wasn’t just physically demanding. As her balance faltered and a heatwave forced a pause, Jenn faced a life-changing diagnosis — one that would reshape her path and understanding of herself.
“Like going on a long walk with an old friend: I loved it”
Mark Haddon
SOPHIE PAVELLE TO HAVE OR TO HOLD
1.30 – 2.30pm Sunday 23 Nov
Brewery Arts Malt Room
Tickets £9.50 / u18s £7.50
Award-winning author Sophie Pavelle takes us deep into the world of symbiosis—nature’s intricate partnerships that sustain life.
From tidal pools to temperate rainforests, she explores eight remarkable alliances, as glamorous as they are grotesque, revealing how they regulate ecosystems and offer urgent lessons for a planet in crisis.
Travelling low-carbon across the British Isles, Sophie uncovers nature’s frauds, fortune-tellers, misfits and cheats, asking a provocative question: in our relationship with the wild, are we partners — or parasites?
“A beautiful and fascinating exploration of a crucial subject – symbiosis – that will help you to see the world in a new light... Lucid, uplifting and delightful.”
George Monbiot
GUY ROBERTSON & HAMISH FROST THE GREAT MIXED CLIMBS OF SCOTLAND
Presented by Rab
3 – 4.30pm Sunday 23 Nov
Kendal Town Hall
Tickets £13.50 / u18s £10
A new book celebrating Scotland’s unique winter climbing is being launched, a paean to the full-on experience of ascending rock, ice, snow and rime in the most magnificent situations and locations. Hosted by Deziree Wilson and Rob Lovell from Scottish Mountaineering Press, we bring together the book’s authors Guy Robertson and Hamish Frost with legend Dave ‘Cubby’ Cuthbertson to talk about the history, ethics and appeal of mixed climbing in Scotland, the characters associated with the discipline, and stories behind the book’s creation.
“Perfect for both experienced winter climbers and those new to Scottish mountaineering”
Rob Lovell
CAROL KLEIN ROOTED IN NATURE
3.15 – 4.15pm Sunday 23 Nov
Brewery Arts Malt Room
Tickets £9.50 / u18s £7.50
Carol Klein stands among Britain’s most beloved horticulturists, her life entwined with the art of gardening for decades. From childhood wanderings in Manchester’s green edges to her first tender experiments with plants at Glebe Cottage, from her days as an artist and teacher to an unforeseen journey into the hearts of television viewers, Carol traces in this long-awaited memoir the people, places, and plants that have shaped her world. With lyrical reflections on the deep connection between nature and the human spirit — and how it nurtures joy, creativity and wellbeing — she invites readers into her cherished world of flowers and foliage, offering wisdom on how to help them flourish.
A celebration of a life lived in harmony with the living earth, this book is a perfect companion for anyone who has ever sought solace, wonder, or inspiration among the green and growing things.
“This book bursts with not only her positivity for gardening but her positivity for life. A ray of sunshine in all of our gardens and a thoroughly inspiring read!”
Tom Allen
WALKING FOR WELLBEING: AROUND MORECAMBE BAY WITH WILLIAM WORDSWORTH
5 – 6pm Sunday 23 Nov
Brewery Arts Malt Room
Tickets £9.50 / u18s £7.50
“How bountiful is Nature! … Quit your couch,” urged William Wordsworth in The Excursion —and this summer, over 200 walkers took him at his word. Guided by an actor voicing Wordsworth’s verse, they explored the dramatic landscapes of Morecambe Bay, from Black Combe and Piel Island to Fleetwood and even a crossing of the Bay itself.
Join us for the premiere screening of a new film capturing these poetic journeys, followed by a discussion with some of the participants. Discover the physical and emotional benefits of walking in nature, and uncover Morecambe Bay’s surprising role in the early days of Lake District tourism — when Wordsworth himself was very much part of the story.
This project was funded by:
“A brilliant event and thrilled we were able to to be part of this.”
Trek Therapy CIC
CELEBRATING JUNKO TABEI THE FIRST WOMAN ON EVEREST
“I can’t understand why men make all this fuss about Everest – it’s only a mountain,” Junko Tabei once said.
Fifty years ago, on 16 May 1975, the Japanese woman became the first woman to reach the highest point on earth at 8,849 meters. She was accompanied by Ang Tshering Sherpa, both using bottled oxygen. It was around two decades before commercial mountaineering on Mount Everest as we know it today took off.
In 1992, she was the first woman to climb the Seven Summits, the highest peak on each continent.
Junko Tabei was born on September 22, 1939, in Miharu, Japan. She discovered her love for hiking at age ten and later earned a degree in American and English Literature from Showa Women’s University in 1962. That same year, she founded the Joshi-Tohan Club, Japan’s first women’s mountaineering club. Their first major climb was Annapurna III in Nepal.
In 1971, the club applied for a permit to climb Mount Everest and waited four years. The Japanese Women’s Everest Expedition (JWEE), led by Eiko Hisano and made up of 15 women, faced financial challenges and made much of their own gear. Junko also raised funds through media sponsors.
On May 4, 1975, an avalanche hit their camp, injuring Junko. After two days of recovery, she continued the climb. Due to limited oxygen, only one climber could summit. Eiko chose Junko, who reached the top on May 16, 1975, with her sherpa Ang Tsering, becoming the first woman to summit Everest.
Junko later refused sponsorships, choosing to fund her expeditions through guiding, teaching, and speaking. She completed postgraduate studies in 2002, focusing on Everest’s environmental issues, and founded the Himalayan Adventure Fund in 2010. After Japan’s 2001 earthquake, she began leading annual hikes for children on Mount Fuji.
Between 1996 and 2008, she wrote seven books. Junko died in 2016 at 77. She climbed the highest peak in at least 70 countries and lived by the motto: “Do not give up. Keep on your quest.”
Junko Tabei was a pioneer whose tenacity helped a whole generation of women in mountaineering.
Junko leading her last Mount Fuji expedition in 2016
The Annapurna women’s team in 1970
Junko Tabei on Pico Bolivar, Venezuela, 2008
FEATURE BOARDMAN TASKER
BOARDMAN TASKER AWARD FOR MOUNTAIN LITERATURE
SHORTLISTED AUTHORS EVENT
7 – 9pm Friday 21 Nov | Brewery Arts Malt Room
Tickets £13.50
On 17th May 1982 Peter Boardman and Joe Tasker were last seen on Mount Everest attempting to traverse The Pinnacles on the unclimbed North East Ridge. Their deaths marked the end of their contribution to a remarkable era in British mountaineering.
The Boardman Tasker Award for Mountain Literature highlights afresh the memory of Pete and Joe, and it also seeks to do more than just that. The BT Award recognises and rewards outstanding literature concerned with the mountain environment: books which will in turn challenge and inspire their readers, perhaps to climb or explore the world of mountains, perhaps to write, or even to look at the world in a different way.
THE 2025 SHORTLIST
Tobin, The Stonemasters, and Me 1970-1980 by Rick Accomazzo
A powerful tribute to Sorenson, who died tragically at a young age, and a vivid portrait of a golden era of climbing.
The Beast In The Clouds by Nathalia Holt
In 1928
Theodore and Kermit Roosevelt, two sons of President Theodore Roosevelt, embark on an expedition to the Chinese Himalayas to find and capture a live specimen of the giant panda...
Perpetuating and refreshing the challenge and inspiration of mountains through literature is one way in which we seek to remember Pete and Joe. The winner is a book that Pete and Joe would be proud to be associated with.
In the forty-second year of the award, there were 28 entries from the UK, Canada, France, Finland, India, Ireland, New Zealand, USA and South Korea. The BT Award event will contain readings from the shortlisted authors, and they will be in conversation with Helen Mort, award winning poet, author and co-winner of the 2021 Boardman Tasker Award.
The Judges for 2025 were Rehan Siddiqui (Chair), Brian Hall and Nandini Purandare. They have selected the following seven books for the 2025 Shortlist:
There Will Be Headwinds by Mark Agnew
The author recounts his journey as part of the first team to kayak the Northwest Passage. A story about teamwork, perseverance, and personal growth in an epic adventure.
Breathe by Mollie Hughes
An inspiring account by Mollie Hughes of exploring some of the Earth’s wildest environments. Sharing her view on selfbelief and lessons learnt from epic challenges.
The Search by Paul Besley
Paul’s life was transformed following a mountain rescue team saving his life. Inspired by his rescue he joined a mountain rescue team and trains his Border Collie puppy, Scout, to become a search dog.
Moving The Needle by Dave Macleod
A memoir focussed
on the author’s journey from an average climber to an elite, world-renowned athlete, using trainable skills and behavioural traits to achieve his goals.
The Corridor by Iain Peters Iain recounts his life as a climber and teacher, revealing how his passion for wild places and adventure served as a means of survival and a form of recovery from childhood trauma.
River action:
ART AT KENDAL MOUNTAIN FESTIVAL
Art remains an integral part of Kendal Mountain Festival and we have worked closely with Brewery Arts to curate a diverse range of artwork from talented local and national artists. Dive in and enjoy each artist’s contribution to the ‘Outdoor’ genre and their personal celebration of landscape, nature and place.
BREWERY
ARTS
A
THOUSAND
WORDS
Supported by KE Adventures DOM BUSH, MATT SHARMAN & SIMON SYLVESTER
Sugar Store Gallery
Three adventurers set out to find a needle in the haystack of the Himalayas, guided by a 125-year old photograph... what could go wrong? From the dusty archives of the Alpine Club to northern Italy and the darkroom of iconic Italian photographer Vittorio Sella – from the bustling streets of Kathmandu to the flanks of Kangchenjunga – this exhibition draws on images old and new in a celebration of mountain photography.
5 November to 30 November
Free Entry
NO HANDS REST
WE ARE SUBCULTURE
We Are Subculture is a photography project celebrating the diversity and uniqueness of people in the outdoor climbing community. It was set out to increase visibility of underrepresented groups and encourage climbers to express themselves artistically. These images alongside personal stories have been released in a book with all profits being donated to Mind charity.
No-Hands Rest, Riverside Place, Kendal LA9 7FH
18 November 2025 to 31 January 2026
Tuesday to Sunday
Free Entry
ENCOUNTERS POLLY TOWNSEND
The Foyer
Polly Townsend’s paintings are inspired by journeys through many of the most remote and hostile landscapes in the world, from Antarctica to Death Valley. Townsend is drawn to the paradoxes of these extreme environments. The landscapes she inhabits are vast, unyielding and seemingly hostile to life, yet volatile, vital and often the most life-sustaining ecosystems on earth.
In 2024, she was shortlisted for the Contemporary British Painting Prize, and awarded second prize in the international Derwent Drawing Competition.
5 November to 30 November
Free Entry
HEATON COOPER STUDIO
BEFORE AND AFTER EVEREST THE ART OF HOWARD SOMERVELL
Born in Kendal in 1890, Howard Somervell was one of the leading climbers on the 1922 and 1924 British expeditions to Everest. He was an acclaimed artist, especially of mountain scenes and other landscapes. Many of his paintings are based on sketches he made on his climbing expeditions to Everest, other Himalayan mountains, and the Alps.
Heaton Cooper Studio, Grasmere, LA22 9SX
15 October to 23 November
Open daily 9am – 5pm
Free Entry
CROSS LANE PROJECTS GALLERY
COLOUR, LIGHT, SOUND, SILENCE MARCUS VERGETTE & SIMON MARSH
Marcus and Simon met in 1980 at Central School of Art & Design in London and have been friends ever since. In the intervening years both artists have continued their practice; Vergette’s focus developed to explore sculpture and sound, Marsh became a printmaker and has recently been exploring stained glass and experimental forms.
Cross Lane Projects Gallery, Kendal, LA9 5LB
20 to 23 November Tuesday to Sunday 12pm – 5pm
Free Entry
WINDERMERE JETTY MUSEUM
JULIET KLOTTRUP: AN ARCHIVE
Explore Windermere life through the eyes of award-winning visual artist Juliet Klottrup. This exhibition of photography and paintings celebrates the people, stories and heritage of Windermere. For An Archive, Juliet has spent months embedded within the life of Windermere Jetty Museum, from its boat conservation workshop to encounters with visitors, local residents, and those who live and work on the lake.
Windermere Jetty Museum, Rayrigg Rd, Windermere, LA23 1BN
11 October to 31 May 10am – 5pm
This exhibition is included with museum admission. Lakeland Arts members and Annual Pass holders go free.
THE FACTORY
SPACE2CREATE
Space2Create is a charity supporting vulnerable adults through creative activity to improve mental and physical wellbeing. To coincide with Kendal Mountain Festival, we’re hosting an exhibition showcasing artwork inspired by the outdoors. Discover and purchase affordable handmade pieces created by our artists, supporting recovery through creativity.
Unit 31, The Factory, Aynam Road, LA9 7DE
21 to 23 November 10am – 4pm
Free Entry
KENDAL IS BACK ON THE ROAD IN 2026
From February to May the Kendal Team will be bringing a slice of the festival around the UK.
Join us for our live shows, with an Adventure Speaker, award winning films, inspiring communities and prizes to be won. From Falmouth to Banchory, and Canterbury to Aberystwyth – tickets are on sale now...
Scan the code to find out more Or visit kendalmountaintour.com
KENDAL ON DEMAND ANYTIME ANYWHERE
Kendal Mountain Player is our online streaming platform, showcasing over 350 adventure films: from short film collections to life affirming feature films, plus our award-winning Festival favourites. Join the online community today, at a price that works for you...
Scan the code to find out more Or visit kendalmountainplayer.com
FESTIVAL BOOKSHOP
Inside the Basecamp Village
Looking for your next read? We’ve got all your reading needs covered at our Festival bookshop. We will stock all the books from our current programme.
Come in for a browse, be inspired and take away a cracking read. It’s the perfect place for buying your Christmas presents.
The shop stocks titles by all our visiting authors, an array of related literature and many other items including flasks, carabiners, chalkbags and our Festival poster.
Opening Times
Friday & Saturday 9.30am to 7pm Sunday 9.30am to 5pm
BOOKING INFORMATION
You can book tickets online at www.tickets.kendalmountainfestival. com/schedule
REFUNDS & EXCHANGES
Tickets cannot be refunded unless an event is cancelled or substantially changed. Where demand is high for sold-out events, we may take tickets back for resale at our discretion.
If you’ve already booked tickets to an event but would like to swap it to a newly announced event please email us at info@mountainfest.co.uk to request the swap. Deadline for swapping ticket requests will close on the 1st November 2024. With so many events on sale, and so many selling out we are not able to manage individual event waiting lists.
PLEASE NOTE:
All details are correct at time of print. Please check the website for the most up to date information.
BOOK SIGNINGS
Book signings will take place immediately after events – either in the venue or near by. There will be books available at each event to be purchased in order to be signed.
Brewery Arts
Kendal Town Hall
The Venue at The Barrel House
The Yurtpresented by YETI Kendal Leisure
