Skating To Antarctica

Paperback / ISBN-13: 9781844081516

Price: £10.99

ON SALE: 20th January 2005

Genre: Biography & True Stories / Biography: General

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‘I was so absorbed by her writing it was unreal . . . I find myself hungry to find the next morsel of who Jenny was and what her life was like’ EMILIA CLARKE (on Why Didn’t You Just Do What You Were Told?)

This strange and brilliant book recounts Jenny Diski’s journey to Antarctica, intercut with another journey into her own heart and soul . . . a book of dazzling variety, which weaves disquisitions on indolence, truth, inconsistency, ambiguousness, the elephant seal, Shackleton, boredom and over and over again memory, into a sparse narrative, caustic observation and vivid description of the natural world. While Diski’s writing is laconic, her images are haunting.

Reviews

She
'This extraordinary account of a journey to the most barren outer reaches of the planet becomes a beautiful, complex symbol: it's a voyage of self-discovery to the white emptiness that is painted as truth, despair, calm and madness - all at once.’
Helen Dunmore, Express
'A non-fiction masterpiece.’
Observer
'Skating to Antarctica is a fascinating, moving account of two voyages … Diski's book shines out for its wit, lack of self-pity and strong interest in survival. I relished her sketches of ship routine, solemn penguins and bored soldiers … Diski has a grea