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The
Himalayan Club Kekoo Naoroji Book Award 2005-06
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The
first Himalayan Club Kekoo Naoroji Book Award 2005-06 was awarded to Dr.
Nick Middleton at a function organised in conjunction with Godrej on the
9th of May 2006 at The Ballroom, Royal Bombay Yacht Club. Dr. Nick Middleton
had graciously accepted the invitation to visit Mumbai to accept the award
of Rs.1,00,000/-. Mr. Stephen Venables presented the Key note address
"Small is Beautiful" on the occasion. |
The
jury consisting Mr. Bill Aitkin, Mr. Rukin Adwani and Mr. Suman Dubey
considered the merits of the books received and while most were adequate
in their feeling for the Himalaya and suitably informative, only one title
stood out for the originality of its quest, authenticity of its findings
and liveliness of its literary style. |
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jury was unanimous in awarding the Himalayan Club Kekoo Naoroji Award
2005-6 to Nick Middleton for his book Extremes Along The Silk Road (published
by John Murray, London 2005) |
Extremes
Along the Silk Road by Nick Middleton initially appeared to suffer the
infirmity of only covering ground tangential to the Himalaya. The parameters
of the Award require a book to cover some of the following -"mountaineering,
natural history, culture, the environment, exploration and other interesting
aspects relevant to the Himalaya." Since transhumance is a unique
and integral part of the Great Himalayan scene, The Silk Road`s findings
on the nomadic life in adjoining areas is clearly a qualification and
on closer referral to the criteria for the Award, the jury found that
The Silk Road in fact meets the essential requirements of recreating the
mood and mystique of high places which Kekoo Naoroji himself had invoked
while recording his own travels. For example Middleton personally performs
the exacting Kora pilgrimage to Mount Kailash and his description of this
climactic Himalayan experience brings the sacred geography alive, expresses
concern for wise environmental management and presents with affection
the inspirational quality of the livestyles of the nomads of High Asia
in an age when the virtues of individual responsibility and self-reliance
are under serious threat |
The
Award explicitly includes Tibet in its scope and Middleton`s itinerary
satisfies the demand for cultural and environmental investigation relevant
to the area. He travels adventurously albeit using the latest communication
technology. As a professor of geography at Oxford University he can avail
of the one thing most travellers pine for in isolated tracts, access to
well-informed local guides. In spite of these comforting facilities his
narrative remains fresh and he writes with verve and wit to convey that
rare sense of exaltation exposure to solitary places arouses. |
Business
Presentation by Stephen Venables |
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Stephen
Venables, mountaineer, award-winning author and broadcaster delivered
a business presentation "Saying Yes to opportunity" on the 10th
May 2006 at a lecture organised by Godrej and the Club jointly. Mr. Adi
Godrej, Patron of the Club welcomed the guests and introduced the presentation
to the audience consisting of leading businessmen and management professionals.
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