New Travel Writer of the Year 2025: Longlisted Entries

The three shortlisted entries will be announced in January.

We’re thrilled to announce the longlist for the 2025 New Travel Writer of the Year competition. 

Head judge Hilary Bradt has read every single entry. She comments:

“As always I settled down to read through the many entries inspired by the theme A Hasty Exit in happy anticipation. And as always, I was not disappointed. What a lot of scary but ultimately great adventures so many of you have had! Sometimes a hasty exit saved you from attack, but others from embarrassment or something as mundane as catching a bus. There were so many gripping, well-written stories that I failed to cut the initial list down to the usual ten so here are fifteen worthy longlisted stories.”

The Longlist

Later or Sooner

Cold War Camera

A Dance with Duende

How to Treat a Woman

Trail of the Tempest

Treasure Travel

Waterfalls – the Best White Noise Machines?

Exit Sign Out of the Gobi Desert

A Vital Warning Ignored

The Kyrgyz Truck Driver

Beijing to Bangkok

Return from Egg Island

The Birds of Auschwitz

Silent Tides

A Sweet Lesson

What Happens Next?

The authors of these pieces will remain anonymous until the finalists are selected.

In mid-January we will announce our three finalists, who will each be invited to the Edward Stanford Travel Writing Awards evening in March, so please check back again then.

Thank you to all those who entered this year.