The Totem Pole

20^th anniversary edition on Paul’s re-written award winning book The Totem Pole.

A frank and engrossing story tracking his world climbing trip in 1998, created by his winnings from the Boardman Tasker prize for mountaineering literature, to the fateful Friday 13^th when a block the size of a television collided with his head. The following, unself-pitying account of his brain injury, recovery and subsequent return to climbing and adventure earned Paul the Banff Mountain film and book festival Grand Prize in 1999 and a second Boardman Tasker win.

This Multi award winning book was written during the year which Paul Pritchard spent in Hospital. It was either that or go down to the day-room and watch re-runs of The Bold And The Beautiful. He painstakingly pressed one million keys with one finger.

We’ll leave Paul to describe the difference between the original Totem Pole and this anniversary edition:

“….I have used the original manuscript as my guide and restored my authentic voice……..this edition does reveal my sense of humour, which was black, obtuse and insensitive. This simply reflects my disinhibited state of mind at that time.”

What The Times Literary Review is calling a “truly remarkable book” and The Scotsman is comparing to Ken Kesey’s One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, The Midwest Book Review describes The Totem Pole as told with complete candor, considerable insight, and an ultimate triumphal joy.

Forward by Conrad Anker.