Paul Pritchard – Meet the Author

Photos by Matthew Newton

Speaker: Paul Pritchard

A Festival Favourite: Paul returns in 2020 with more tales of adventure and conquests.

Although he won’t be doing a presentation, we have arranged a special Meet the Author session where you can get your copy of The Totem Pole or Deep Play signed by Paul.

Awarded the Australian Geographic Society’s Spirit of Adventure Award for 2018, Paul has spent a lifetime climbing peaks around the world and finding creative solutions to physical challenges.

A world renown climber in the 80s and 90s, Paul suffered horrific head injuries whilst climbing the Totem Pole in Tasmania in 1998. After a year in hospital learning to walk and talk again, the hemiplegia robbed his right side of movement and continues to play tricks with his speech and memory.

Paul continued to lead a challenging life, climbing Kilimanjaro, caving, sea kayaking, river rafting and, in 2009, lead rock climbing again. Paul rode a recumbent trike through Tibet to Mount Everest and, in 2016 he finally climbed the Totem Pole, 18 years after his accident.

His latest journey was the 2152 km World Expeditions Lowest to Highest Expedition – where an all-abilities team rode from Kati Thanda/Lake Eyre to Targangil/Mount Kosciuszko.

Paul has written three books, filmed many of his adventures and appeared on ABCs Australian Story.

Visit Paul’s website