Cicerone Press is an English publisher, founded in 1969,[1] specialising in guidebooks for walkers, climbers, trekkers and cyclists.

The company's first publication was a climbing guide to the English Lake District, and over the past 50 years they have published a range of guidebooks covering walking, trekking and cycling around the world.[1]

History

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The company was founded in 1969 when the late Walt Unsworth (1928-2017) and Brian Evans, in frustration at the lack of suitable climbing guides to areas of the English Lake District, came together to produce a climbing guide.[1]

The very first guide, The Northern Lake District was published in March 1969. It consisted of just 40 pages and included hand-drawn illustrations by Evans who, two years later, wrote and illustrated a companion guide to climbs in The Southern Lake District, Cicerone's second title. Winter Climbs in Ben Nevis and Glencoe followed later the same year.[2]

Since 1999, Cicerone has been developing under the ownership of Jonathan and Lesley Williams.[3] The company is based in Kendal, Cumbria.[4]

The Cicerone podcast 'Footnotes' was first released in 2020 and new episodes are available twice a month.[5] The company also hosts a monthly Cicerone Live event with authors and guest speakers, events are streamed live on the Cicerone website, YouTube, and Facebook.[6]

In 2008, readers of Walk Magazine, published by the Ramblers Association, voted Cicerone guides into first place in the "Best Walking Book" category of their annual "Top Gear Awards".[7]

In 2019, the Cicerone Press celebrated its 50th anniversary with the publication of Cicerone: Celebrating Fifty Years of Adventure, edited by Kev Reynolds.[8]

References

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  1. ^ a b c "About Cicerone". Cicerone Press. Retrieved 1 December 2021.
  2. ^ "Cicerone Press at 50: From then to now". Cicerone Press. Retrieved 1 December 2021.
  3. ^ "About Cicerone". Cicerone Press. Retrieved 1 December 2021.
  4. ^ "Contact Us". Cicerone Press. Retrieved 1 December 2021.
  5. ^ "Podcast". Cicerone Press. Retrieved 1 December 2021.
  6. ^ "Live Streaming Events". Cicerone Press. Retrieved 1 December 2021.
  7. ^ McNeish, Cameron (Spring 2008). "Your Gear of the Year" (PDF). Walk Magazine. Ramblers Association. Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 May 2008. Retrieved 8 August 2008.
  8. ^ "Guide book publishers Cicerone celebrate 50 years of hiking, biking, skiing and climbing". www.scotsman.com. Retrieved 1 December 2021.

Further reading

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  • Reynolds, Kev, ed. (2018). Fifty Years of Adventure. Cicerone Press. ISBN 9781786310309.
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