For the first time, the prestigious Edward Stanford Travel Writing Awards (ESTWA) ceremony will be open to the public in 2020. The awards exist to recognise the very best travel writing in the world and will be compered by former Countryfile and Wish You Were Here presenter, and author, Julia Bradbury.
Limited spaces are available for the iconic awards at the London Transport Museum on 26th February 2020. Guests will enjoy a cocktail reception, global food feast and the opportunity to rub shoulders with a rich variety of travel authors.
The nominations – 57 books divided into ten award categories - include both multi-award winning authors, celebrity authors and travel stalwarts such as Michael Palin and Levison Wood. The shortlist will take the reader on a fascinating, and sometimes challenging voyage into our planet’s past and future, across the seven continents and into hidden corners and unexplored cultures.
The formidable judging panel – many of whom will also attend the event - includes explorer Benedict Allen, authors Jonathan Lorie, Julia Wheeler and Nick Hunt, magazine editors Phoebe Smith (Wanderlust) and Amy Sohanpaul (Wexas’ Traveller magazine), the President of the Booksellers’ Association Nic Bottomley, bloggers Paul Cheney and Tim Hannigan as well as Tina Hartas, MD of Trip Fiction website, WHSmith and Waterstones’ buyers and the senior Stanfords team.
The final award of the night is the Edward Stanford Outstanding Contribution to Travel Writing. Previous winners of this award were Colin Thubron, Bill Bryson, Michael Palin and Jan Morris.
Each winner will be presented with a hand-made globe featuring a design produced exclusively for the ESTWAs. The winner of the Stanford Dolman Travel Book of the Year Award, in association with The Authors Club, will receive £2,500.
Tickets cost £90 and are available from www.edwardstanfordawards.com/tickets
