Stone Country Editions

Here at Stone Country Press, our motto is to publish ‘landscapes and lifescapes’. What do we mean by that?


Simply put, we publish inspiring books on being in the great outdoors. We want our readers to feel engaged with our authors’ chosen landscapes and activities. We publish books on sport, landscape and philosophy, and we also produce guidebooks promoting a responsible and immersive approach to enjoying our landscapes.

In 2022 we will be releasing the first titles in our new series Stone Country Editions. These books will be published as art-style paperbacks in an attractive small A-format, going back to the design aesthetic of the pocketbook – something to stuff in your satchel or back pocket for those moments when you need some inspiration or perspective!


* New Edition * 
The Boulder: A Philosophy for Bouldering  

Author: Francis Sanzaro
Foreword by John Gill

This revised and updated edition of a classic climbing text – The Boulder: A Philosophy for Bouldering – is an enlightening book of inspirational thoughts on the art of bouldering. It revolutionizes the way we think about this unique sport, bringing it into conversation with disciplines as varied as architecture, dance, skateboarding, painting, parkour, martial arts, and gymnastics. Reading it will enrich your experience of climbing and encourage you to appreciate the natural physicality and artful play of bouldering, often described as the poetry of mountaineering.

Pub date December 2021
ISBN  9780992887650
UK         £10.99  US $14.99
Format 164pp, 178 x 111mm


Praise for the first edition:
‘A brilliant book that everyone interested in moving over stone should read . . . highly recommended!’ – Udo Neumann, author of The Art and Science of Bouldering 

‘The Boulder . . . presents some of the most thoughtful and interesting writing I’ve ever read about this sport.’ – Andrew Bisharat, Former Editor of Rock & Ice Magazine

‘ . . . this book will confirm what we know already: that there is a lot more to bouldering than meets the eye.’ – Dave Flanagan, author of Bouldering Essentials


* Forthcoming 2023 * 

The Zen of Climbing: A Philosophy for Climbers 

Francis Sanzaro

What do Zen masters, 16th-century Samurai, and Alex Honnold have in common? They are masters of awareness. 

Climbing is a sport of perception, and our successes and failures are matters of mind as much as body. Written by life-long climber and philosopher Francis Sanzaro, The Zen of Climbing explores the roots of climbing, delving into sports psychology, neuroscience, philosophy, and Taoism. 

Awareness, he argues, is the alchemy of climbing, allowing us to merge mental and physical attributes in one embodied whole. Written by the author of the classic The Boulder, this book puts the climber’s mind centre stage.


Pub date  2023
ISBN  9780992887667
UK         £10.99  US $14.99
Format 160pp, 178 x 111mm

* Forthcoming 2024 * 

Zen of the Wild: A Philosophy for Nature
Francis Sanzaro

What does it mean to inhabit landscape as a practice and not merely as recreation? 

Philosopher and athlete Francis Sanzaro argues that humanity and the wild are in a mutual state of crisis, that we have forgotten how to engage with the natural world. Unless we prioritise and cultivate our relation to the outside, the ultimate value of forests, mountains and oceans will remain a mystery. 

Taking us on a thinking journey through the wilderness, Sanzaro follows all leads in his quest, getting lost and found, and taking risks along the way. Zen of the Wild discovers that nature is the very architect of our bodies.



Pub date    2024
ISBN  9780992887674
UK         £10.99  US $14.99
Format 160pp, 178 x 111mm


Proposals for Stone Country Editions 

This new series of books brings together writing on physical culture, philosophy, and landscape. Our activities involve just as much thinking as they do practice, so what is it we ‘think’ when we walk, explore, or visit? This series is designed to generate deeper reflection on our outdoor landscapes and looks at how we embody our identities in the things we do and the places we visit.

The authors in this series all pitch thinking into practice, bring the outdoors ‘inside’, and look to how landscape and leisure all combine to share cultural spaces of personal identity. In short, the books are all about how we physically inhabit our environments.

Whether we live in the city or the wilderness, these books share a common theme of how we make the places where we live and play our homes.
The series editors welcome authors looking to construct their own ‘lifescapes’ through writing on an inner sense of being and life embodied in their favoured environments.

Physical activities would include:


· Walking & Mountaineering
· Bouldering & Climbing
· Paddling/Kayaking
· Cycling
· Urban Sports (skateboarding/parkour etc.)
· Wild Swimming


Philosophies of interest would include:


· Performance & Place
· Wilderness & Exploration
· Nature & Fieldwork
· Mountains & the Arts
· Tourism & Visiting
· History & Landscape


Contact us with a 250-word synopsis or idea, with your contact details. Send an email to the editor, John Watson stonecountrypress@outlook.com



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