LONDON (31 July) — In March, we challenged our readers to submit a great piece of travel writing, in a bid to discover the best of British talent. The challenge was to write a focused piece of just 400 words that captured both the essence of a destination and the spirit of National Geographic Traveller: immersive travel and authentic storytelling. The results were exceptional, and from Monday this week we revealed a different runner-up each day. Now we’re excited to announce that the winner of this year’s Travel Writing Competition is Flora Baker for her Hidden Thailand piece.

Pat Riddell, Editor, National Geographic Traveller (UK), said: “The standard of entries in this year’s competition was exceptional but, although it took a while to whittle them down to a shortlist, it was a unanimous decision. Flora offers us a snapshot of a fleeting moment, but it’s one that gives us a vivid sense of place, time and culture.

“Although a difficult subject to tackle — war, fatalities, a family under threat — it’s done subtly and carefully with a light touch that still manages to convey a tangible sense of atmosphere. The compact, dense sentences draw the reader on with a confident tone and, importantly, the circular narrative has a clever final line. A worthy winner.”

Flora’s prize is a nine-day Arctic expedition, courtesy of our sponsor Quark Expeditions. She’ll set out in an ice-strengthened ship with the best expedition team in the polar regions. Each day will bring a new highlight in a land where there are more polar bears than people. This is the Arctic of Viking legend — a world of icy fjords, fiery volcanoes and glittering, ice-bound seas. Flora’s account of the experience will be published on the National Geographic Traveller website. quarkexpeditions.com/gb

Congratulations are also in order to the four runners-up. They are: Caroline Picking, Kyle Cunningham, Ian Wood and Flossie Baker. The entries of the winner and two runners-up will be published in the October issue.

The winning entry and all four runners-up can be read on the National Geographic Traveller website now. natgeotraveller.co.uk/travel-writing-competition

 

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NOTES

National Geographic Traveller (UK) is published under license by APL Media, from the National Geographic Society in Washington, D.C. It became the 15th local-language edition when it was launched in December 2010. The magazine is also available in China, Spain, Russia, the Netherlands, Israel, Poland, Latin America, Armenia, Czech Republic, Croatia, Indonesia, Romania and South Africa. The 180-page travel and lifestyle magazine is packed full of you-are-there photography, authentic travel experiences and inspiring narratives, all focused on the brand’s theme “All Travel, All the Time.” natgeotraveller.co.uk

National Geographic Traveler is the world’s most widely read travel magazine, created in 1984. It championed sustainable travel before it was cool and, eight times annually, celebrates journeys that are about place, experience, culture, authenticity, living like the locals and great photography. It makes a distinction between tourism and travel and stresses inquisitive, not acquisitive, trips. It employs storytelling and outstanding photography to inspire readers to pick up and go, eschewing fashion and fluff in favour of articles that offer a strong sense of place, inspiring narratives that make readers take trips, and solid service information to help them plan those trips.

The National Geographic Society is one of the world’s largest nonprofit scientific and educational organisations. Founded in 1888 to “increase and diffuse geographic knowledge,” the Society’s mission is to inspire people to care about the planet. National Geographic reflects the world through its magazines, television programs, films, music and radio, books, DVDs, maps, exhibitions, live events, school publishing programs, interactive media and merchandise. National Geographic magazine, the Society’s official journal, published in English and 33 local-language editions, is read by more than 40 million people each month. The National Geographic Channel reaches 370 million households in 34 languages in 168 countries. National Geographic Digital Media receives more than 15 million visitors a month. National Geographic has funded more than 9,600 scientific research, conservation and exploration projects and supports an education program promoting geography literacy. For more information, visit nationalgeographic.com

 

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For Editorial Enquiries:
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