This article is from our 2025 Summer District Discovery, see the full publication
For anyone who enjoys reading books by Colorado authors or is interested in or pursuing a career in writing, attending the annual Mountain of Authors at Pikes Peak Library District (PPLD) is a must. A forest of tables pops up in the Venue at Library 21c where local authors from around the Pikes Peak region and surrounding areas chat with readers and sell their books. This year’s program will be on Sat., May 17 from noon - 4:30 p.m.
The program also features a keynote address from a local author and a discussion about the publishing industry. This year’s keynote speaker is Pete McBride, an award-winning author, photographer, and filmmaker who has done projects for National Geographic, The Smithsonian Magazine, USAID, The Nature Conservancy, and others. He has also authored popular books, including The Colorado River: Chasing Water.
“I like making people aware of the world around them, both the beauty and the challenges,” McBride says. His projects have taken him to over 75 countries and through many dangerous environments.
McBride started his career as a writer and photographer for a small newspaper. Shortly after, he accepted his first big magazine story with National Geographic covering a crew of antique aviation enthusiasts trying to recreate the first flight through Africa in a replica 1920 biplane. Years of hard work paid off and the crew surpringly made the trip in 58 days. It wasn’t without incident – they were intercepted by fighter jets, detained, and crashed twice along the way. The 1920 flight beat them by 15 days. McBride captured it all with his story and photos.
Since then, McBride has covered a wide range of stories, from silence in the world around us to community conservation in Kenya, and from the Grand Canyon to the remote cultures and wildlife of our world, and beyond.
“I’ve learned how amazing our planet is but also how fragile it is,” McBride reflects. “I’ve also learned that people are people — despite our differences in religions, languages, and beliefs — we all want and need the same things — health, safety, community, and purpose. I’ve found over and over that the language of laughter and respect can go a long way — even if I don’t speak the same language.”
After a decade of traveling to remote regions of our planet studying our world through a camera lens, McBride turned his viewfinder toward home to study the Colorado watershed.
“I wanted to do a story closer to my heart and my home,” McBride says. “I came back to the Rocky Mountains and started noticing water challenges all around the state.” He has spent nearly two decades documenting local watersheds and rivers.
“I hope my photography and writing makes people more aware of how vital and fragile fresh water is.”
Mountain of Authors is a fun event for writers and readers alike and a perfect way to discover new Colorado authors to add to your toread pile. Also, this year’s discussion panel will feature Michael Covington, a publishing agent with years of experience in the industry, who will give tips about what publishers want and what writers need.
Learn more and preview the showcase of authors at ppld.org/moa.
