Tributes flow in on death of writer Jan Morris, 94:
TRIBUTES have flooded in for Jan Morris, the North Wales journalist, historian and travel writer, who has died aged 94.
Her son, Twm, announced her death on Friday, writing: “This morning at 11.40 at Ysbyty Bryn Beryl, on the Llŷn, the author and traveller Jan Morris began her greatest journey.
“She leaves behind on the shore her lifelong partner, Elizabeth.”
As a journalist Morris broke major news stories such as Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay’s ascent of Everest.
She became a bestselling author of more than 30 books, and was also a transgender pioneer, breaking barriers with her 1974 book Conundrum, which detailed her journey from man to woman.
Born James Morris in Somerset in 1926, to an English mother and Welsh father, she always considered herself Welsh.
In 1949 Morris married Elizabeth Tuckniss and they had five children together, including the poet and musician Twm Morys.
For the last half century she lived in the village of Llanystumdwy, Gwynedd.
Poignantly she passed away on this year’s Transgender Day of Remembrance.
Among those paying tribute was former Plaid Cymru leader Leanne Wood, who described herself as a “big fan”.
On Twitter she said: “She was a superb ambassador for this country and will be sorely missed.”
In 1943 Morris joined the army, serving as an intelligence officer in Palestine before returning to study English at Oxford University.
She also worked as a journalist and was sent by the Times to cover the 1953 expedition to make the first ascent of Everest.
Morris held on to her scoop by racing down the mountain and wiring a coded message: “Snow conditions bad stop advanced base abandoned yesterday stop awaiting improvement.”
The story appeared on the morning Elizabeth II was crowned.
Morris was the last surviving member of the 1953 British Everest expedition.
Reporting on the Suez Crisis for The Manchester Guardian in 1956, Morris produced the first “irrefutable proof” of collusion between France and Israel in the invasion of Egyptian territory.
Later she reported on the 1961 trial of Adolf Eichmann.
Morris began transitioning to life as a woman in 1964, travelling to Morocco to undergo sex reassignment surgery.
Doctors in Britain had refused to perform the procedure unless Morris and Tuckniss divorced, something Morris was not prepared to do at the time.
Later they did divorce, although they remained together. In 2008 they were legally reunited when they entered into a civil partnership.