Birlinn scoops memoir by Guinness world-record breaking adventurer Hughes

Birlinn has scooped Guinness world-record breaking sports adventurer Mollie Hughes’ memoir, Breathe: Seven Life Lessons from the Edge of the World.

Senior editor Andrew Simmons acquired world all-language rights in a deal brokered by Kirsty McLachlan at Morgan Green Creatives. The book, described by the publisher as "part memoir, part manifesto" will be published in the summer of 2024.

Hughes has explored some of the wildest environments on earth. In 2017, she became the youngest woman in the world to climb both sides of Mount Everest, and in 2020 became the youngest woman to ski solo to the South Pole.

With reference to her all-extreme experiences and backed with psychological research, the publisher said: "Breathe encompasses tales of bravery, risk and pressure on an epic scale and expertly turns them into valuable lessons that can be applied to our everyday challenges."

McLachlan commented: "Birlinn is the perfect home for Mollie’s writing."
Simmons added: "Mollie distils her own experiences of survival in some of the wildest environments on earth in a way that inspires us to confront the everyday challenges we all face."

Hughes stated: "For me, writing Breathe has been a very cathartic process. Revisiting some of the most terrifying and traumatic moments in my life, but also some of the most awe-inspiring and life-affirming moments."