Honouring High Places: The Mountain Life of Junko Tabei

Description

KEY SELLING POINTS: The hardcover edition of Honouring High Places won the Mountain Literature Award at the Banff International Mountain Book and Film Festival (2017) and was nominated for the Boardman Tasker Award for Mountain Literature (UK). On 19 November 2019, a mountain range on Pluto was named Tabei Montes in honour of Tabei's mountaineering accomplishments. The theme for naming mountains on Pluto is "Historic pioneers who crossed new horizons in the exploration of the Earth, sea and sky". On 22 September 2019, Google commemorated the 80th anniversary of her birth with a Doodle. The accompanying write-up gave her a motivational slogan, "Do not give up. Keep on your quest." https://www.google.com/doodles/junko-tabeis-80th-birthday. Junko Tabei continues to be an inspiring figure for women and girls from around the world thanks to her brilliant mountaineering accomplishments and dedication to the state of the environment. Junko Tabei was the first woman to reach the summit of Mount Everest and the first woman to ascend the Seven Summits, climbing the highest peak on every continent. Tabei wrote seven books, organized environmental projects to clean up rubbish left behind by climbers on Everest, and led annual climbs up Mount Fuji for youth affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake. Tabei was diagnosed with stomach cancer in 2012, but continued with many of her mountaineering activities. In July 2016, despite her advancing illness, she led an expedition of youth up Mount Fuji. She died in a hospital in Kawagoe in October 2016. Before Tabei's death, an astronomer had named asteroid 6897 Tabei after her. MARKETING + PROMOTION: International, national, regional and subject-specific print features, excerpts, review coverage, broadcast and television interviews Social media campaigns, blogger outreach, digital collateral for online use Publicity and promotion in conjunction with author's speaking engagements Outreach to subject-specific organizations, markets and festivals Excerpts available Electronic ARCs

Helen Y. Rolfe is a professional writer and editor, and the author of Women Explorers: One Hundred Years of Courage and Audacity. She lives in Canmore, Alberta.

Praise for Honouring High Places: The Mountain Life of Junko Tabei: "Translated into English and compiled from several of Tabei's memoirs, Honouring High Places combines gripping accounts of high-altitude danger with a fascinating glimpse into the writer's bold life."-Conde Nast Traveler "...[Honouring High Places] fleshes out a portrait of a woman who defied gender stereotypes and dedicated her life to the mountains..." -Outside Magazine "The book provides a comprehensive reference to Tabei's climbing career, as well as numerous reflections and insights, and entertaining stories with enjoyable glimpses of Tabei's world through her unique lens." -American Alpine Journal "Tabei, who died in 2016, encouraged other women to become mountaineers, and founded the first women's climbing club in Japan in 1969 during a time when most climbing clubs banned women." -Time Magazine "The publication of Honouring High Places in English is not only significant because of Tabei's successful ascents, but also because of the in-depth look it gives us into the struggles and possibilities of a climbing life: from confronting the avalanche-prone alpine realm to planning expeditions as a parent, to raising environmental awareness and trying to prevent further ecological catastrophes." -Alpinist Magazine "...Rolfe created an exquisitely crafted book that is a joy to read, not only because Tabei's story is so compelling, and her character so delightfully admirable, but also because Rolfe's writing and editing skills are so finely tuned." -Rocky Mountain Outlook "...Tabei's strength of character triumphs in the face of cultural biases, cancer, the 2011 Fukushima earthquake and a lifetime of climbs. The result is a fascinating, moving, inspiring and precious volume." -Aspects: The ACC Blog "The book's charm lies in Tabei's unassuming but obviously driven nature, and its insights into how Japanese society approaches mountaineering provides the reader with a personal view of the climbing world beyond the Anglosphere." -Canadian Alpine Journal "A significant book that deserves a place on your bookshelf." -Suburban Mountaineer "The story of a young woman who begins climbing in Japanese Mountain Club culture in the 1960's is a tale worth reading in itself. From this complex and often tragic social beginning Junko Tabei goes on to a rich life that manages to include family, teaching and climbing all over the world well into her late 70's while supporting causes related to the value of a life connected to nature and the mountains. It is a well named and well put together piece of history." -Larry Stanier, 2018 Banff Mountain Book Competition Jury Praise for Honouring High Places: The Mountain Life of Junko Tabei: "Translated into English and compiled from several of Tabei's memoirs, Honouring High Places combines gripping accounts of high-altitude danger with a fascinating glimpse into the writer's bold life." -Conde Nast Traveler "...[Honouring High Places] fleshes out a portrait of a woman who defied gender stereotypes and dedicated her life to the mountains..." -Outside Magazine "The book provides a comprehensive reference to Tabei's climbing career, as well as numerous reflections and insights, and entertaining stories with enjoyable glimpses of Tabei's world through her unique lens." -American Alpine Journal "Tabei, who died in 2016, encouraged other women to become mountaineers, and founded the first women's climbing club in Japan in 1969 during a time when most climbing clubs banned women." -Time Magazine "The publication of Honouring High Places in English is not only significant because of Tabei's successful ascents, but also because of the in-depth look it gives us into the struggles and possibilities of a climbing life: from confronting the avalanche-prone alpine realm to planning expeditions as a parent, to raising environmental awareness and trying to prevent further ecological catastrophes." -Alpinist Magazine "...Rolfe created an exquisitely crafted book that is a joy to read, not only because Tabei's story is so compelling, and her character so delightfully admirable, but also because Rolfe's writing and editing skills are so finely tuned." -Rocky Mountain Outlook "...Tabei's strength of character triumphs in the face of cultural biases, cancer, the 2011 Fukushima earthquake and a lifetime of climbs. The result is a fascinating, moving, inspiring and precious volume." -Aspects: The ACC Blog "The book's charm lies in Tabei's unassuming but obviously driven nature, and its insights into how Japanese society approaches mountaineering provides the reader with a personal view of the climbing world beyond the Anglosphere." -Canadian Alpine Journal "A significant book that deserves a place on your bookshelf." -Suburban Mountaineer "The story of a young woman who begins climbing in Japanese Mountain Club culture in the 1960's is a tale worth reading in itself. From this complex and often tragic social beginning Junko Tabei goes on to a rich life that manages to include family, teaching and climbing all over the world well into her late 70's while supporting causes related to the value of a life connected to nature and the mountains. It is a well named and well put together piece of history." -Larry Stanier, 2018 Banff Mountain Book Competition Jury