Before he has even had time to fully appreciate the thrill of seeing his first book in print, Andrew Stevenson is already experiencing some of the trappings of literary success: the Royal Geographical Society's Geographical Magazine and British Airways' `High Life' magazine have both commissioned articles on his journey through the Himalayas.

The book that has catapulted its novice author into the pages of these august publications is `Annapurna Circuit', which relates the story of his three-month trek through the Annapurna mountains that lie in the north central reaches of the fabled kingdom of Nepal.

"Yes, it's very exciting,''the new author admits, making no attempt to disguise his gratification as well as the surprise he feels on the book's favourable reception. "The Geographical Magazine piece will be in the magazine's July issue, in a completely new format -- I believe, to compete with National Geographic -- and as that will be their first, flagship edition, they're making a big splash. Travellers, and the sort of people who would be interested in visiting a place like Nepal, more than likely read both of those publications.'' Published in London after receiving "quite a few'' rejection slips, `Annapurna Circuit' seems set to become a travel classic. In the tradition of the best travel authors, Andrew Stevenson writes as beguilingly of the people he meets on his arduous journey as he does of the changing physical wonders around him.

Transporting the reader into his vertiginous world, he introduces the American hikers Shay and Easy (would they, wouldn't they get married?); the mysterious Trea, a companion of only a few hours who shares his climb to the ancient caves of Mustang that are "a thousand years and a thousand miles removed from reality''; the saintly, yet fun-loving Frenchman, Michel, who as a doctor working in Nepal for six years, routinely gives his $100,000 annual salary away to those in need, and his adoring "shadow'', Sangpo, whose Asian religion is older even than Buddhism. The author shares the last part of his journey with Dipak, the enchanting, pint-size 12-year-old operator of the Dipak Lodge who persuades `Hindu' (as he calls Andrew) to let him act as his "guide'' -- an arrangement that causes Dipak himself as much merriment as it does the various mule drivers and villagers met along the way. At the close of this entrancing journey, the reader is left, not only wondering, but caring what becomes of the people who became his wayfaring friends.

The beauty of this 350-kilometre area of Nepal provides, of course, a rich and colourful physical tapestry on which the author's spiritual journey is hung: moving anti-clockwise, the trekking circuit encompasses scenery of remarkable diversity, where banyans, rhododendrons and brilliant marigolds hold centre-stage with glittering, snow capped mountains, monsoon rains, and where shaggy and loveable grey yaks move through dusty, `lunar' landscapes. Starting in the hot and humid lowlands of Dumre, green rice paddies move relentlessly up craggy slopes to the foothills of the Himalayas; monsoon rains accompany the author as he walks through gorges and valleys covered in bamboo and pine; moving ever upward, the climate becomes much colder as he approaches the Tibetan plateau and then the high villages leading to the legendary pass of Thorong La (5,400 metres above sea level). Beset now, by altitude sickness, an element of suspense appears as the reader suffers alongside the author through his potentially lethal bouts of dehydrating nausea. Eventually recovered, he makes a daring side-trip into the `forbidden kingdom of Mustang' -- still, as the author was to discover, a dangerous place to explore without permission -- through wind-blown, desert landscapes, snow-filled gorges and past thundering waterfalls. Dominating everything, of course, are the majestic Annapurna mountains, transformed by morning and evening light into enormous walls of pale gold, pink, orange and flaming red, and reaching as high as 25,000 feet into deep blue skies, the smaller ones (at around 10,000 feet!) being referred to nonchalantly as `Just Hills'.

The other impressive aspect which places this book on the `must read' list, is the author's ear for dialogue which enables him to capture the often hilarious conversations that take place between people of wildly differing tongues and cultures, as well as a richly humorous insight into human foibles that so often allow him to present difficult or irritating situations in a distinctly comical light. There are some sad moments, too -- most notably, perhaps, the wrenching farewell when the author has to eventually leave his `guide' Dipak on the lonely fork in the path that leads to the little boy's home.

Revealing just enough of himself to arouse a faint sense of mystery, which finds the reader strangely agog to find out why he's actually making this sometimes murderously wearing mountainous trek, Andrew Stevenson quotes the admonition displayed now in all the lodges -- `Nepal is here to change you, not for you to change it' -- but he notes that, "In addition to hiking the Annapurna Circuit, I am tracing another circuit: going back to beginnings, to who I was, who I am, perhaps even who I will be''.

Those beginnings give some clue to his undoubted literary talent: son of foreign correspondent and best-selling writer William Stevenson (`A Man Called Intrepid' and `90 Minutes at Entebbe') and brother of publisher and journalist Kevin Stevenson, he spent a nomadic childhood in exotic locations which, as an adult, has led to a versatile collection of jobs, including banker, economist, African safari operator, developer of overseas aid programmes and as owner of an ecotourist company in Norway.

"I have always wanted to write,'' he confides, "all my life I've known I wanted to do that, but there were so many things I had to do before I got down to it.'' Noting that his father had never encouraged his children to become writers, he comments, "We could certainly see how hard he had to work! When he became famous I had already left home so his fame never directly affected me and I certainly never felt I was living in his shadow.'' Determined that he would not trade on his father's fame, Mr. Stevenson says he "didn't have a clue'' of even how to present a manuscript to a publishing house. Eventually advised to do so through agents, he sent the finished work off to one who was reputedly interested in hiking. "When I got a call from this guy, Bruce Hunter, he said he wanted to see me `in two hours time'. So off I went to these very swish offices in Piccadilly.'' After being asked if this was his first book and then thoroughly reprimanded for, among other crimes, printing the manuscript on both sides of the paper, he was told, "I almost didn't read it, but I picked it up -- and couldn't put it down!'' When the book was placed with Constable and Company for publication, they were "astonished'' that its author turned down their offer of illustrating the volume with his outstanding collection of photographs. "I really believe that if you write well, you shouldn't need them and, in any case, you must allow your reader to form their own `vision' of what you write about. If you illustrate your work, that process is removed.'' He was, however, persuaded to include at least a few touches relating to his personal life. Initially reluctant, he agrees that, as a writer, it is essential to insert at least some nuggets of information. "For one thing, I want to try and maintain a sense of openness and honesty -- then, I believe, people will relate to that. We can't all be walking with elephants or floating down the Ganges River, but we can all relate, to some extent, to the difficulties that may be encountered in personal relationships.'' Emphasising that writing a book "is not an easy task'', he reveals that `Annapurna Circuit' took three years to complete. "Writing is a very lonely pursuit, but if you place yourself in an ivory tower, you lose the ability to relate to what is going on around you. Writers, on the whole, are also personable, social people, so sometimes, it's hard to strike a balance. But in the end, we can only write about the human condition if we stay part of the human race.'' Stevenson hits jackpot with book Having now also finished a travel book on New Zealand, Andrew Stevenson says he deliberately makes a point of writing about places that people want to visit. "They may, or may not be exotic. I've no real desire to write about `off the wall' places, I prefer to write about places that travellers are likely to visit. But I spend several months in a place, just walking, with a backpack and a laptop and dictaphone which I try to use very discreetly.'' Highly sensitive to others' cultures, the author expresses momentary annoyance with some trekkers he encountered in Nepal who showed little respect for the host country's customs. "It makes me so angry when women wear shorts, for instance. Shay, for instance, always wore long skirts out of respect for the people, but some people just don't care! On the whole, though, the people who go on trekking expeditions are interesting and caring people. The Nepalese people are materially very poor indeed, but spiritually, very rich. They would never, never dream of stealing and, by the way, this is a country which, unlike South America or Africa, would be safe for women to visit on their own.

For one thing, you are never really alone there. I met one woman who told me that a Nepalese couple who, although they couldn't speak English, were walking with her to make sure she was OK. I would say that women are quite safe to go alone and I would guarantee that they would always meet people to walk with.'' Since his return from Nepal, Mr. Stevenson has also made six visits to Namibia, in Africa, "also a very beautiful place. There are so many wonderful places to see but I would have to admit that Nepal is one place where I would like to take my children: to keep them in touch with the realities of life -- rather than just walking into a supermarket, letting them see how buffalo milk is turned into butter, and to live among people who are truly gentle and, having nothing, are so happy to give what little they do have, to a stranger.'' `Annapurna Circuit: Himalyan Journey' by Andrew Stevenson is published by Constable & Company Limited, London, and is on sale at major bookstores throughout the Island at $30. Mr. Stevenson will be holding a book-signing today at The Book Mart between 1 and 3 p.m.

All photos by Andrew Stevenson OFF INTO THE SUNSET -- Two young Nepalese drive their ox-cart, piled high with fodder, in the Terai, the flat region of Nepal.

FARMING, NEPALESE STYLE -- A woman cuts the rice paddy at Sarankot, in the terraced foothills of the Annapurnas.

A WORLD AWAY -- Photographed just yards off the beaten tourist track, this little Nepalese girl reveals a society that is still untouched by the modern world.

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