A Feeling for Rock

A Feeling for Rock is a collection of poetry, articles, technical suggestions and artworks, comprising new work alongside a selection of Sarah-Jane’s writings published over the past decade. Topics include sensuality, injury, community, ethics, landscape and language. The book features interviews with a handful of committed devotees – including Johnny Dawes, Mina Leslie-Wujastyk and Jesse Dufton – next to beginners experiencing their first day on plastic.

Opening with ‹emotion› chapter headings and ending with a light-hearted glossary, A Feeling for Rock is both accessible and profound; perfect for dipping into or an immersive read. It is a passionate, embodied celebration of rock climbing as a hobby and a way of life.

Through a mix of poetry, cartoons, essays, interviews, weavings, photographs and technical tips, A Feeling for Rock explores being bamboozled by a route, connecting with the landscape or flicking through a guidebook. In addition, the book ventures into ethical regions of bias and privilege and questions our relations with each other and the rock. Each chapter is headed by a different feeling – Love, Curiosity, Astonishment, Pain, Lust, Fear, Wonder and so on – conveying the emotional vividness of a climbing life.

“Rock climbing has shaped my body, my bookshelves, my home, my holidays, the clothes I wear, the vehicle I drive, how I spend my money and what happens when I die. I am a product of the rock. The dynamic is visceral, spiritual, intellectual and emotional – no area untouched by this curious hobby.”

“This fresh, eclectic mix of utility and art illustrates why we climb – alongside the how, where and what.”

Lynn Robinson, BMC President

“Sarah-Jane deftly explores the smorgasbord of emotions that rock, climbing and rock climbing culture have roused in her…As ever, SJ rocks the boat and tackles gender issues head-on; subverting the dominant discourse of men and mountains and instead putting sex, sensuality and emotion on the menu, through this highly immersive collection of prose, poetry and essays.“

Natalie Berry, UKClimbing Editor in Chief