Headstrap: Legends and Lore from the Climbing Sherpas of Darjeeling (virtual event)

Register to Attend

Join Nandini Purandare and Deepa Balsavar, authors of Headstrap: Legends and Lore from the Climbing Sherpas of Darjeeling, to learn the untold stories of the Sherpas behind the scenes of the famous expeditions of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Through extensive interviews, the authors weave a vivid tapestry of this fascinating Sherpa community, giving them the recognition in alpine literature that they deserve. 

This Zoom event is free and open to the public. Please register to receive the link to join. 

About the speakers 

NANDINI PURANDARE is editor of the internationally renowned Himalayan Journal. As a writer and editor for the Avehi-Abacus Project, she has developed educational materials for public schools across India. With a background in economics, Purandare has consulted for various organizations and research centers and is an enthusiastic trekker and avid reader of mountain literature. She, along with co-author Deepa Balsavar, founded the Sherpa Project to record oral histories through in-depth interviews of members of the climbing Sherpa community.

A well-known illustrator and storyteller, DEEPA BALSAVAR has created more than thirty children’s books. She has won numerous awards, including Tata Trusts’ Big Little Book Award for her contribution to children’s literature, worked as a consultant with UNICEF in South Asia, and served as a core team member of the Avehi-Abacus Project for two decades. Balsavar is an adjunct professor in communication design at the Industrial Design Centre, IIT Bombay.