LONDON (23 August 2017) — The winner of the National Geographic Traveller (UK) Travel Writing Competition 2017 is Alex Thomson for his piece on Austin, Texas.

In March, the competition opened and challenged readers to submit a great piece of travel writing, in a bid to discover the best of British talent. The brief was to write a focused 500-word piece that captured both the essence of a destination and the spirit of National Geographic Traveller: immersive travel and authentic storytelling. The results were of high quality, and the magazine has revealed the top four entries each day from this past Tuesday.

Pat Riddell, Editor, National Geographic Traveller (UK), said: “It was a tough process narrowing down the shortlist of entries this year, but Alex’s piece stood out as a unanimous winner. An unexpected topic tackled with a balance of humour and affectionate observation, it’s a clever snapshot of the ‘other side’ of Austin and proof that sometimes the best travel writing is simply about storytelling.”

Alex’s prize is a 10-day Arctic Express: Greenland’s Northern Lights polar expedition with Quark Expeditions, worth £13,000. He’ll take in the world’s largest fjord system, Scoresby Sund, the fascinating Inuit settlements and people of Ittoqqortoormiit, and will have a chance to see some of the world’s most vivid displays of the Northern Lights. Alex will also have the opportunity to trek along the tundra, climb mountains, and watch grazing musk ox and other Arctic wildlife. quarkexpeditions.com

Congratulations are also in order for the three runners-up: Denica Shute for her piece that explores a Vietnamese nature reserve with a rowing seamstress; Lucy Charlton O’Connor for her entry on a chance encounter with a Canadian moose; and Stephanie Pope for her story about Guatemala’s Holy Week.

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

The entries of the winner and three runners-up will also be available to read in the October issue, on sale from 7 September.

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Prize sponsor

Quark Expeditions offers adventure cruises to the North Pole, Arctic and Antarctic on board ice-breakers and ice-strengthened vessels. quarkexpeditions.com

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NOTES

National Geographic Traveller (UK) is published under license by APL Media Limited, from National Geographic Partners LLC in Washington, D.C. The 180-page travel and lifestyle magazine was launched in December 2010, and is packed full of you-are-there photography, authentic travel experiences and inspiring narratives. natgeotraveller.co.uk

National Geographic Partners LLC (NGP) is a joint venture between National Geographic and 21st Century Fox, is committed to bringing the world premium science, adventure and exploration content across an unrivaled portfolio of media assets. NGP combines the global National Geographic television channels with National Geographic’s media and consumer-oriented assets, including National Geographic magazines; National Geographic studios; related digital and social media platforms; books; maps; children’s media; and ancillary activities that include travel, global experiences and events, archival sales, licensing and e-commerce businesses. NGP returns 27 percent of its proceeds to the nonprofit National Geographic Society to fund work in the areas of science, exploration, conservation and education. nationalgeographic.com

National Geographic Society is a leading nonprofit that invests in bold people and transformative ideas in the fields of exploration, scientific research, storytelling and education. They support educators to ensure that the next generation is armed with geographic knowledge and global understanding. National Geographic Society aspires to create a community of change, advancing key insights about the planet and probing some of the most pressing scientific questions of our time. Their goal is measurable impact: furthering exploration and educating people around the world to inspire solutions for the greater good. nationalgeographic.org

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