Bradt Guides ‘New Travel Writer of the Year 2025’ (part of the Edward Stanford Travel Writing Awards)
By entering the competition you agree to be bound by these rules. The competition is open to entrants aged 18 or over who have not previously been paid for a travel-related piece of writing published either in print or online. This does not include winning entries to travel-writing competitions for which the entrant received a cash prize. Employees and individuals connected with any company involved in the competition, including for the avoidance of doubt employees, contractors and authors of Bradt Guides (“Bradt”), Stanfords booksellers and the Edward Stanford Travel Writing Awards, Pas-de-Calais Tourisme and members of the immediate family of the above people are not eligible to participate.
Winners of the overall prize in previous Bradt travel writing competitions are ineligible to enter. Previous entrants (including finalists) are eligible for entry provided they meet the criterion of not having received payment for a piece of travel writing. Payments received for contributions to Bradt’s anthologies of short travel tales (The Irresponsible Traveller, To Oldly Go, Roam Alone, Kidding Around and Beastly Journeys) are excluded from this clause.
Self-published authors are eligible provided they have not received any payment from a publisher for their work. If you are the author of a self-published work available from Amazon or other platform, please mention this and provide a link(s) with your entry.
If you are unsure about your eligibility, please email [email protected] before paying your entry fee.
Only one entry per person is permitted. Joint entries are not allowed and entries on behalf of other people will be excluded.
All entries must be received by midnight GMT on 15 November 2024.
Prize terms and conditions:
First prize
The First Prize will be awarded to the entry that the Judges consider to be the best in terms of the quality of the writing and adherence to the theme, and the two Runners Up prizes will be the two next-best entries judged in the same way. The Judges’ decision is final.
There will be one overall prize for one winner plus guest. The prize is a 4-night break to Pas-de-Calais in northern France, with a tailormade itinerary taking in the region’s towns, coastal villages, countryside and cultural sites. The prize is for 2 people and includes:-
- 5-day self-drive holiday for two people to Pas-de-Calais. Alternative travel options can be arranged: travelling by train or on a bicycle is possible
- Cross Channel transport from Dover to Calais to be arranged be Pas-de-Calais Tourism
- A tailormade itinerary and programme of visits taking in the region’s highlights and hidden gems, according to your interests
- 4 nights accommodation in a double or twin room, including breakfast and dinner for two in selected quality hotels or B&Bs, depending on the itinerary
The winner will be contacted by the prize provider by email within 28 days of notification of winner’s details.
The package is non-transferable and no alternative packages will be offered. There is no cash alternative.
The winner must provide their full name, address, email and daytime telephone number. We will use personal details to administer this promotion, and will not publish them or provide them to anyone without permission.
The winner and their chosen companion must comply with all relevant customs, security and immigration requirements, including appropriate passport and visa requirements.
The prize does NOT include any insurance, travel to and from London, or any other expense during the trip. Any out of pocket expenses are not included in the prize. During dinners, drinks will be at the winner’s charge.
Finalists
Three Finalists will be notified by phone or email in February 2025. The three Finalists will be invited to the Edward Stanford Travel Writing Awards prize giving ceremony in London (date in March TBC). If any of the three Finalists cannot attend the ceremony they will be notified of the winning entry by phone or email. Attendance at the awards ceremony is strongly encouraged, but no Finalist will be excluded because they cannot attend. Finalists will be responsible for their own travel to the ceremony (if a live event) and any accommodation required.
Shortlisted entries
Shortlisted entries will be published on the Bradt website in early 2025.
Intellectual property and other rules about entries
Your competition entry must be all your own work. It must not contain any third-party content or infringe the copyright of any third party and it must not be obscene, defamatory or in breach of any applicable legislation or regulations. We reserve the right to exclude entries from the competition that we consider, in our sole discretion, to be in breach of this clause.
Your entry must not have been published previously or entered in any other competition anywhere in the world before the Winner is announced. For the purposes of this competition, self-publishing – in print, digital, or blog form – will not be counted as an author having been published.
The Finalists grant Bradt an exclusive, irrevocable, worldwide licence to first publication; and a non-exclusive licence to publish, syndicate, distribute, reproduce and exploit the material in all present and future media and formats and to sub-license these rights to others. For the avoidance of doubt there will be no payment for such licences.
We reserve the right to withhold any of the Prizes if the Judges decide, in their sole discretion, that there are no entries of a suitable standard.
Publicity
The promoters reserve the right to publish the names of the Finalists and the winning entries themselves, and the Finalists are required to give their full co-operation to all requests by the promoters in connection with publicity for the competition, their entry, the Prizes or otherwise.
Miscellaneous
Bradt reserve the right, at their sole discretion, to change the rules of the competition while it is running if it appears to Bradt that it would be equitable or appropriate to do so. This may include extending the closing date whereupon there will be an announcement of any such extension at the first reasonable opportunity.
No correspondence, unless initiated by Bradt, will be entered into or comment issued on any matters concerning the competition and no reasons given for any decision made by the Judges.
We shall not be liable for any circumstances beyond our reasonable control that prevent the competition being fulfilled, a Winner or Finalist being chosen, or any prize being taken up or fully enjoyed by a Winner or Finalist. We exclude liability to the full extent permitted by law for any cost, claims or losses howsoever caused that arise by reason of any person’s entry into a competition or the award, or non-award, to them of a prize.
Names of the Winner and Runners-Up will be available on receipt of a request enclosing a stamped addressed envelope to: Travel Writing Competition, Bradt Guides, 31A High Street, Chesham, Bucks HP5 1BW
These terms and conditions shall be governed by and interpreted according to English law and the English courts shall have exclusive jurisdiction to deal with any disputes arising in connection with them.
Headings in these rules are for convenience only and shall not affect their interpretation.
Promoter: Bradt Guides, 31A High Street, Chesham, Bucks HP5 1BW, UK.