Will Cockrell is an award-winning writer and journalist, whose first book Everest, Inc, will be published by Simon & Schuster imprint Gallery Books in Spring 2024.
Everest, Inc is the culmination of a career spent reporting on the tallest mountain in the world and those who climb it. Cockrell is the first, however, to finally recount the untold story of the guiding industry on Everest and report on the unexpectedly uplifting state of affairs on the mountain today.
Previously, Cockrell spent 20 years working as a senior editor, writer, and consultant for national magazines including Men’s Journal, Outside, Men’s Fitness, and GQ, where he regularly contributed feature-length narrative non-fiction, profiles, and investigative journalism. Cockrell has also worked as an editorial consultant and creative for leading outdoor brands including Patagonia, Red Bull and, Eddie Bauer.
Born in Marin County, California, and bred on outdoor adventure from a young age, Cockrell once aspired to make a living as a part-time outdoor guide and educator (at the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS), The Yosemite Institute, and various independent guiding companies) and occasional contributor to outdoor magazines. Soon, it was clear to him that this was not in fact a career but just a really long road trip. Writing and editing won out and led to a post-graduate degree in journalism, long-term stints at major magazines in London (eight years) and New York (seven years), and as a freelance journalist, writer, and editor ever since.
Cockrell eventually landed in Topanga Canyon in west Los Angeles, where he lives with his wife and two daughters. He spends as much time as possible in the ocean or the Eastern Sierra and, slowly but surely, he’s turning his wife and kids into fellow surfers and skiers. Get in touch: ewcockrell@gmail.com.