One of the unfortunate consequences of doing a full-colour photo-book with essays is neglecting to give enough space for the written word. We published Stone Play - the Art of Bouldering in 2007 and it was well received as a book which gave bouldering a voice outside of the traditional climbing sphere, allowing it a little philosophy of its own. However, many articles had to be cut to allow a fuller complement of photography, one of the most expensive and unnecessary mistakes I've made in publishing!
Since then, much more has been written on the aesthetics of bouldering and there is a vibrant and growing literature to match its online presence in video and image. So, we've decided to revisit the book, but this time reducing the fascination with the image (heavily saturated in our online age) and allowing the written word to coax out the subtle and elusive experience of bouldering. On re-reading, the words are generally so much more adept at capturing the fluid inner-experience of the boulder problem. New articles have been gathered, original writings will appear at length, and the whole book is being given a fresh edit. Also, the format of the book is changing. We are producing a limited edition hardback at a reasonable price followed by an e-book, so keep an eye out in 2012 for the new edition!
This is all ahead of publishing an exciting new book on the philosophy of bouldering by US-based boulderer and thinker Francis Sanzaro - more on this remarkable writer soon . . .