Dorothy Pilley was a trailblazing mountaineer who broke new ground for women in a sport dominated by men. Her 1935 memoir, Climbing Days, is a classic account of Alpine adventure, endurance and daring. 

In 2024, Pilley’s great-grand-nephew, writer and broadcaster Dan Richards, oversaw the republication of Climbing Days with Canongate Books, where it now stands proudly beside Nan Shepherd and Rebecca Solnit. 

Richards is the author of five adventurous non-fiction books including the Sunday Times bestselling Holloway  (with Robert Macfarlane & Stanley Donwood) and, a biography of Pilley for Faber in 2016 and, most recently, Overnight: Journeys, Conversations and Stories After Dark.  

His BBC Radio 4 series, Only After Dark, was broadcast to acclaim in 2022. 

Richards has written for newspapers and magazines including The New York Times, Guardian, Observer, Economist, Esquire, and Harper’s Bazaar. 

Joining Richards on stage and guiding him through conversations of his great-grand-aunt, is Geographer Royal Jo Sharp, who has led a distinguished career as a geographer and professor, authoring and editing over 120 works.

Make the most of your visit…