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Narrative Travel Writing Contest
Click here to see the 2010 Travel Writing Contest theme, with a deadline of January 2, 2010! 
"Ancient Wonders and Desert Hallucinations."
Photo ©Victor Borg.
Past Winners
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Click here to see the 2010 Travel Writing Contest theme, with a deadline of January 2, 2010!
"Ancient Wonders and Desert Hallucinations."
Photo ©Victor Borg.
Past Winners
| Congratulations to the 2009 Narrative Travel Writing Contest Winners! | |
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2009 Theme: Professionals, freelancers and other talented travel writers were invited to write a travel narrative relating to the specific theme for this year's contest: "Travel in a Dangerous World: Myths and Realities." Many of our readers are independent travelers who are looking for travel ideas which take them to areas unspoiled by mass tourism, where they may meet and respectfully interact with local people who have not yet become cynical about the foreigners who come into their homes or lands. We are looking for stories written by authors who have taken a risk—or been told that they were taking a risk—when traveling overseas. How did you manage to stay safe even while engaging in a form of adventure travel which often involves finding oneself in remote areas of the world or in off-the-beaten-track areas of known cities and regions? One implicit question the articles should address is whether the world (at least that part of the world in which you have traveled) is truly more dangerous than it has ever been, or did you discover that governments and/or mass commercial media have exaggerated the threats for their own motives? Editor's Note: We were very pleased to receive well over 200 submissions during the past year, many of which were of an unusually high quality. Judging the submissions proved very difficult, as there were so many excellent travel narratives sent to us, each with their own unique qualities and perspectives. The contest submissions reflected incredible courage, compassion, and a common urge to venture into the unknown to experience something new no matter the warnings from the government, the media, friends, and even family regarding the real or possible dangers. The authors have demonstrated that in many cases the "dangers" were found to be gross exaggerations—if not outright mythical or politically motivated falsehoods. We decided that it would only make sense to publish the many worthy winners and runner-ups (in alphabetical order by title.) The travel writing articles were truly a very diverse and eclectic embarrassment of riches covering all aspects of the theme and were sent to us from all corners of the globe. The travel writing contest pieces covered off-the-beaten-path regions within Bosnia, China, Ethiopia, Guatemala, India, Iran, Kashmir, Libya, Lithuania, Nepal, Nigeria, Pakistan, and Yemen. Thank you to all who sent in contest submissions. |
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| 1st Place | Ancient Wonders and Desert Hallucinations by Victor Borg |
| 2nd Place | Beirut in the Baltics: Into the Wild Wild East of "Europe Minor" by John M. Edwards |
| 3rd Place (tie) | Aluminum Recollections by Elizabeth Bernays |
| 3rd Place (tie) | Armies and Allah in the Vale of Kashmir by Mark Hawthorne |
| 3rd Place (tie) | Brave Eyes, Laughing Hearts: My First Encounter with Yemen by Sarah Shourd |
| 3rd Place (tie) | Danger About Us by Zachary Haynes |
| Runner-Up | Dangerous Love in India by Lucinda Tikwart |
| Runner-Up | Guatemala City: The Aftermath of Civil War by Veronica Hackethal |
| Runner-Up | Long Live Pakistan By Sonya Spry |
| Runner-Up | Mouth to Mouth by Kristianne Huntsberger |
| Runner-Up | Pokhara Valley, Nepal by Donna J. Moore |
| Runner-Up | Road….what road? A shortcut from Ganzi to Litang, China by Jules Bass |
| Runner-Up | Saffron and Nukes by Nancy Penrose |
| Runner-Up | The Brandy Making Bee Keeper of Bosnia by John Webster |
| Congratulations to the 2008 Narrative Travel Writing Contest Winners! | |
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2008 Theme: Professionals, freelancers and other talented travel writers were invited to write a travel narrative relating to the intrinsic educational aspects of meaningful travel. We are looking for evocative and engaging writing in which sensitive immersion in the country, the people, the food, the land, the art, the rituals, and the culture in general play the leading role in the writer's self-discovery and enlightenment. We were were looking for a well-crafted and inspirational story which should appeal to those who have traveled independently overseas with open minds, sensitive souls, and empathetic imaginations. The aesthetic and intellectual pleasures of discovery are of more interest to us in this year's travel writing contest than the sense of personal or cultural guilt over the many horrific situations to be found worldwide and covered in-depth in other areas of TransitionsAbroad.com. |
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| 1st Place | Education from the Streets of Giza by Alexander Breimann |
| 2nd Place (tie) | The Aesthetics of the Empty Landscape by Alan Drop |
| 2nd Place (tie) | Pray that the Road is Long by Luke Rodehorst |
| 3rd Place (tie) | Coexistence by Claire Morris |
| 3rd Place (tie) | Take me to America by Elizabeth Sharpe |
| Runner-Up | An Authentic Hill Tribe Experience by Laurie Weed |
| Runner-Up | The Buddha, the Dharma & the Sangha by Dorothee Lang |
| Runner-Up | Coffee: A Universal Language by Jenny Williams |
| Runner-Up | Feasting in Fez by Beebe Bahrami |
| Runner-Up | Finding Roots in a Foreign Land by Hassan Awaisi |
| Runner-Up | From an Ethnic to an African Island by Sandra Jackson-Opoku |
| Runner-Up | The Happiest Country by Cynthia Wolterding |
| Runner-Up | Hut of the Wanderer by William Orem |
| Runner-Up | Life and Death in Tana Toraja by Chris Dunham |
| Runner-Up | Market Hopping Around Lagos by Lola Akinmade |
| 2007 Narrative Travel Writing Contest Winners | |
| 2007 Theme: Professionals, freelancers and aspiring travel writers were invited to write articles which describe a moment or moments which capture the sense of immersion in another culture. Whether as a traveler, a student, a volunteer, or as one living and working in another land, there are often moments when one loses a sense of one's own nationality and becomes aware of a common connection with the native people and their culture. Often the feeling of unity or empathy is brief and may just as suddenly transform into the realization of one's inescapable role as an outsider. We invite you to describe such moment(s) in a narrative where the people are the primary subject and the "I" disappears into the background. | |
| 1st Place | The Ultimate Journey: A Trip to the Heart of Tibet by Matthew Bowden |
| 2nd Place | A Question of Tradition by Kim Foote |
| 3rd Place | The Music and Rhythm of the Cuban Spirit by Darin Cook |
| 2006 Narrative Travel Writing Contest Winners | |
| 2006 Theme: Professionals, freelancers and aspiring travel writers were invited to write articles which describe a life-changing travel experience abroad. One of the results of cultural immersion travel abroad is the experience of epiphanies which change one's perceptions of the world, of others, and of oneself. We urge you to translate one of those moments or series of moments into a narrative which might offer others inspiration to take the plunge overseas. | |
| 1st Place | An Exorcism in Zambia by Guy William Volk |
| 2nd Place | Theater Street by Dominique Channell |
| 3rd Place (tie) | The Visit by Laura Gomel |
| 3rd Place (tie) | A Report from Northern Uganda by Kristin Anne Fleshner |
| Guidelines for the 2010 Narrative Travel Writing Contest |
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TransitionsAbroad.com invites you to enter its 2010 Narrative Travel Writing Contest with a $500 first-place prize and no fee for entry. The theme for the coming year's contest relates to the core mission of Transitions Abroad, which has always been centered on educational, responsible, and cultural immersion travel. We are looking for pieces which reflect a respect for what you have learned from native peoples, their cultures, and their unique relationship to the land—and how you have put your new awareness and empathy into action. The focus of the travel narrative should remain squarely on the people and land which has in some way transformed your vision of the world and has led you to new realizations or epiphanies which may have inspired you to become a volunteer, a teacher, a writer, an aid worker, a foreign service officer, an international nomad, or any other activity influenced by your experiences abroad. We are not looking for destination pieces which describe in flowery "amazing" terms your experience, nor are we looking for travelogues or blog-like posts which are too overly personal and self-involved to necessarily resonate with others or inspire others along their own paths of discovery. We are looking for inspirational pieces which will lead others to experience the sense of engagement as a global citizen. Accompanying photos which enhance the narrative are a plus. Please include an optional bio of 1-3 sentences with references to your websites, blogs, books and contact information. TransitionsAbroad.com will publish the top three winners' entries as well as those of the selected runner-ups. |
| Contest Prizes |
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In this year's Narrative Travel Writing Contest, the first-place winner’s entry will receive $500 (USD), the second-place winning entry $150, and the third-place winner $100. Any other articles selected as runner-ups will receive a $50 payment. |
| Who is Eligible |
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The Contest is open to professional, freelance and aspiring travel writers from any location around the globe. |
| How to Enter |
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| Contest Terms |
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