TRAVEL WRITING COMPETITION FOR NEW WRITERS - NB. Closed to entries 31 Jan 2012

A Revealing Journey

The British Guild of Travel Writers' Travel Writing Competition for new writers in association with Traveller magazine

WANT TO BE A TRAVEL WRITER?

Can you write a winning travel article that brings a journey to life?

The British Guild of Travel Writers has teamed up with Traveller for the third year running to encourage new travel writing talent with a competition aimed at new writers.

The Guild, founded in 1960, is the premier professional association for bona-fide journalists, editors, photographers, and radio and film broadcasters working in the travel field.

"We want to foster new talent," says BGTW member and competition judge Sarah Lee. "Whether you're an aspiring professional travel writer or an enthusiastic traveller who enjoys writing, this is your opportunity to showcase your talent by bringing a revealing journey to life through your words.

"Last year's competition attracted hundreds of entries and the judges were highly impressed with the overall standard of writing and the breadth of destinations covered. We're really looking forward to reading this year's contributions."

THE COMPETITION

The competition is open to all writers aged over 18 who have not been published in the travel field. Entrants should submit an 800-word article with the theme A Revealing Journey.

It could be about the journey itself, or being in a destination, that awakened your senses and emotions. Alternatively it could be about your travels as a reflection of a personal journey you have made. Either way, make travel in a destination, or the journey to get there, central to your story.

Traveller is recognised as the UK's most literary travel magazine and editor Amy Sohanpaul has this advice for entrants: "A Revealing Journey must be from the heart, written as an evocative first-person narrative (with a plot and an ending), not a factual destination guide.

"Write from your personal point of view, conveying your direct experience. Tell us what it feels like to be there, how it sounds and smells. Introduce local people, through quotes, conversations and interactions. We look for: vividness, personal reflection, action, humour, respect for local cultures, adventure and authenticity."

THE PRIZES

First prize offers an intensive exploration of your writing potential in an exciting destination. Courtesy of Travellers' Tales, the training agency for travel writing and travel photography, the winner will enjoy a travel writing holiday in one of the course's inspiring locations such as the colourful souks of Marrakech, the Berber villages of the Atlas Mountains, the vibrant streets of Istanbul and the flamboyant Moorish cities of Andalucia.

You will discover the location while practising your writing skills with a small group of fellow writers under expert professional tutors, including Jonathan Lorie, former editor of Traveller and founder of the Travellers' Tales Festival. See www.travellerstales.org

Second prize is a one-year membership of Wexas, the Traveller's Club, worth £85. Membership benefits include exclusive travel offers, access to VIP airport lounges, independent advice from travel experts and a subscription to Traveller. The winner will also be given a £50 travel voucher to put towards a booking with wexas.

Third prize your choice of 10 travel guides from leading guidebook publisher Frommer's. See www.frommers.com

PRIZE GIVING

The winners will be announced on March 6, 2012 at a prize ceremony during the launch of the British Guild of Travel Writers' Yearbook 2012, attended by hundreds of the UK's top travel writers, photographers and travel industry representatives. The winning entry will be published in the Spring 2012 issue of Traveller and on the Guild website, www.bgtw.org

THE JUDGES

The competition will be judged by:

• Amy Sohanpaul editor of Traveller and The Travellers' Handbook
• Jonathan Lorie director of Travellers' Tales and the Travellers' Tales Festival, and editor of The Traveller's Handbook
• Nigel Tisdall travel editor of Marie Claire and winner of the British Guild of Travel Writers' Travel Writer of the Year 2011
• Sarah Lee editor of www.livesharetravel.com and member of the British Guild of Travel Writers.

Terms and conditions:

1. The competition is open to all writers over 18, both UK and non-UK residents, other than current employees, or regular contributors, or their immediate families, of the BGTW, Traveller, Frommer's Travel Guides, Travellers' Tales and Stanfords. No purchase is necessary. By entering the competition, participants agree that their name and place of residence may be released if they win a prize; that should they win the competition, their name and likeness may be used by the sponsors for pre-arranged promotional purposes.
2. Writers must be unpublished in the field of travel writing. This means never having been paid for any piece of travel writing that has appeared in print or on the internet.
3. One entry per person. Entries cannot be returned.
4. The article must be 800 words and submitted with single-line spacing in 12-point font, on one side only, on A4 paper.
5. Entries may be posted or emailed. To preserve anonymity when judging, you must not write your name on the article itself. Follow the instructions below:
   • Emailed entries should be sent to This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it with the subject line 'Guild Travel Writing Competition' and your two-word tagline. Each article entry must be sent as a Word document attachment with a two-word tagline but without your name and address. A separate Word document must be attached giving the two-word tagline and your contact details, including your email address and telephone number.
   • Postal entries may be sent to BGTW Secretariat, 335 Lordship Road, London N16 5HG . Do not put your name and address on the article but give it a two-word tagline: on a separate piece of paper, write this two-word tagline and your contact details, including your email address and telephone number.
6. Your details may be shared with the competition partners unless otherwise requested by you on the sheet of paper or email containing your contact details.
7. All entries must be received by the closing date of 31 January 2012.
8. Your entry must not have been entered in any other competition or have previously been published either in whole or in part.
9. The article must be the original work of the entrant who must be the sole copyright holder.
10. The writers of the winning entries agree, by entering the competition, that Traveller and BGTW shall have the exclusive right to first publication in print and online format.
11. There is no cash alternative and prizes will not be transferable.
12. For the first prize, flights are at the winner's expense. The travel voucher offered as part of the second prize can be redeemed when booking a trip with Wexas for two or more people travelling together that includes international flights and at least seven nights' accommodation.
13. Once the winners are announced in March 2012, entrants other than the winners may use their pieces in whatever way they choose.
14. The judges' opinion is final. No correspondence will be entered into.