Had Roger Alton, in 2005, agreed to our family’s request — as behoved any intellectually honest editor (given the circumstances we explained to him) to respond to the article by Jim Perrin which he had published in his paper The Observer — instead of favouring his friend and climbing partner by denying that request, in all probability we would never have created jacssisters, the site which has enabled readers to access some of the more unpalatable truths about Jim Perrin and emboldened others to come forward with details of their own disturbing, and in some cases traumatic, experiences with him.

There can be no doubt that Roger Alton should have allowed our voice to be heard in 2005. Perhaps our response would have restrained that author’s hyperbole when he was writing West, and the knowledge that we had publicly expressed our rightful concern might at least have curbed his Worst Excesses.

But no: Jim Perrin has ‘Friends in High Places’, and he went on to write, with apparent impunity, the book which was such a travesty: we noted that some of those involved with its progress, and they will know who they are — thought it lacking in the quality sufficiently acceptable to allow it to be (even) long-listed for the ‘Wales Book of the Year’. We are really very grateful (it would have added insult to injury had he been rewarded for such a vile book) but as he has always been something of a ‘golden boy’ in the Welsh literary hierarchy and had very close ‘friendships’ with many of the women in that circle, this must have come as a considerable shock to Jim Perrin: clearly he had felt his ‘trajectory’ was assured — he wrote in one of his letters to our sister: ‘My work is highly thought of and receives much critical acclaim: my star is rising’… Continue reading →