Many of the world’s greatest travel writers gathered at Stanfords last night to celebrate the ninth Edward Stanford Travel Writing Awards (ESTWAs) presented by Viking, the world’s leading exploration company.
This year 18 books made the shortlists, divided into five awards categories with winners being both debut authors and multi-award-winning writers.
Each award winner was presented with a hand-made globe by Lander & May on the Isle of Wight featuring a design produced exclusively for the awards.
And the winners are…
The Edward Stanford Travel Book of the Year
WINNER: A Stranger in Your Own City: Travels in the Middle East’s Long War by Ghaith Abdul-Ahad.
Published on the twentieth anniversary of the invasion of Iraq, it places the experience of ordinary civilians at its heart. The judges said that this was “a must-read book that melds travel writing, journalism and memoir. Ghaith Abdul-Ahad blends the personal and the political, piercing a dark history with shafts of light and a balanced eye. This is an invaluable insider’s view of Iraq and it weaves, through compelling stories and unforgettable vignettes, the tapestry of a country and its people.”
The Viking Award for Fiction with a Sense of Place
WINNER: The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese
A shimmering evocation of a lost India and of the passage of time itself, The Covenant of Water is a hymn to progress in medicine and to human understanding, and a humbling testament to the hardships undergone by past generations for the sake of those alive today. The judges felt this was a rich epic tale where stories skillfully cross and connect. They felt so much warmth in the characters and agreed that it brilliantly portrayed a sense of place from multiple angles including food, politics, geography and people.
The Children’s Travel Book of the Year
WINNER: Flight by Mya-Rose Craig, illustrated by Lynn Scurfield.
The judges were taken to the skies as the book follows the migration of seven different species of birds. The judges felt that the beautiful illustrations and poetic prose brought the reader into the birds’ world, enlightening them with the beauty and peril the birds face along their journey. They felt that through these journeys, the reader obtains a new perspective on nature, the environment, and their world at large.
Bradt Travel Guides New Travel Writer of the Year
WINNER: Lost and Found by Sinean Callery
The translator and adventure tour guide from the Northwest of Ireland fought off tough competition in this popular unpublished award category with her short story set in Norway on this year’s theme ‘Taking the Risk.’
The Edward Stanford Award for Outstanding Contribution to Travel Writing.
Awarded to Nicholas Crane.
The acclaimed geographer, author of eleven books and co-author of another two, has presented over 80 television documentaries for the BBC. Colin Thubron presented Nicholas with his award.
Previous winners of this category include Bill Bryson, Michael Palin, Jan Morris, Colin Thubron, Paul Theroux, Dervla Murphy, Hilary Bradt and Tony Wheeler.
Viking, the presenting sponsor for 2024, is known for offering culturally enriching experiences both on shore and on board, providing destination-focused journeys on rivers, oceans and lakes across all seven continents. Travellers can also discover more about the local culture and literary history of the destinations they visit with Viking on shore excursions or on board via Viking’s resident historians and lecture programme as well as the carefully curated onboard libraries which can be found across Viking’s fleet.
To make a booking or for more information about Viking call 0800 458 69 00 or go to www.viking.com