The Edward Stanford Travel Writing Awards 2023 shortlist was announced on December 9 via Twitter. The winners were first announced via Instagram stories.
This year, Stanfords decided to scale back on its awards. Missing in 2023 are Fiction with a Sense of Place, Food and Drink Travel Book of the Year, Photographic Travel Book of the Year, and Illustrated Travel Book of the Year.
Award recipients were announced at an event at Stanfords in Covent Garden on March 16, 2023. Their names are highlighted in bold below.
As reported by Michael Kerr, the “Stanford Dolman Travel Book of the Year” is now the “Stanford Travel Book of the Year.” Rev. William Dolman is unable to finance the award and it is not clear if the Author’s Club is still associated with the prize.
If you’re interested in purchasing any of the books below, we strongly encourage you to buy them directly from Stanfords, who put on the awards. By supporting them directly, you help support the the awards and the celebration of travel literature.
Edward Stanford Award for Outstanding Contribution to Travel Writing
⭐️ Tony Wheeler ⭐️
Stanford Travel Book of the Year
Titles have been selected in this category for their innovative and/or literary merit with content which is relevant, useful or inspiring to travelers:
- ⭐️ In The Shadow of the Mountain by Silvia Vasquez-Lavado ⭐️
- The Last Overland: Singapore to London: The Return Journey of the Iconic Land Rover Expedition by Alex Bescoby
- High: A Journey Across the Himalayas Through Pakistan, India, Bhutan, Nepal and China by Erika Fatland
- The Po: An Elegy for Italy’s Longest River by Tobias Jones
- The Slow Road to Tehran: A Revelatory Bike Ride through Europe and the Middle East by Rebecca Lowe
- Crossed Off the Map: Travels in Bolivia by Shafik Meghji
- Walking with Nomads by Alice Morrison
- My Family and Other Enemies: Life and Travels in Croatia’s Hinterland by Mary Novakovich
Bradt Travel Guides New Travel Writer of the Year
The theme for this year’s competition was “Beneath the Surface.”
- ⭐️ What Was Left Behind by Emma Willsteed ⭐️
- An Unforgettable Day in Iran by Ruth Millington
- All You Can Eat by Chris Baker
Children’s Travel Book of the Year
Fiction or non-fiction title for pre-teens which inspires a love of travel, exploration and adventure.
- ⭐️ The Lost Whale by Hannah Gold ⭐️
- The Accidental Stowaway by Judith Eagle
- An Atlas of Lost Kingdoms: Discover Mythical Lands, Lost Cities and Vanished Islands by
Emily Hawkins - A World Full of Journeys and Migrations : Over 50 stories of human migration that changed our world by Christopher Corr
- The Girl Who Rowed the Ocean by Alastair Humphreys
- Explorapedia by Lonely Planet Kids
Fiction with a Sense of Place
A novel from any genre within fiction (populist or literary) with a highly developed and integral sense of a real location interwoven within the plot or narrative.
- Not awarded in 2023.
Food and Drink Travel Book of the Year
Cookbook or non-fiction food writing focussed on a particular national cuisine or telling of food related exploration/travel. Must capture a sense of the place’s identity and culture.
- Not awarded in 2023.
Photographic Travel Book of the Year
A book of photography relating to travel, adventure or world cultures with limited accompanying text. The overall design and quality of publication of the book will also be considered by the judges.
- Not awarded in 2023.
Illustrated Travel Book of the Year
A book of illustrations, maps or infographics relating to travel, adventure or world cultures aimed at the adult market and with their focus on either one place or the entire World. The overall design and quality of publication of the book will also be considered by the judges.
- Not awarded in 2023.
Purchase Copies of the Edward Stanford Travel Writing Awards 2023 Nominees
If you live in the UK, please purchase your books from Stanfords, who put on the awards ceremonies. By supporting them directly, you help support the celebration of travel literature.
If you live in the United States or the United Kingdom and wish to order online, and you need to purchase your travel books from Amazon, please use our links. If you use our links to make a purchase, we will receive a few cents commission at no additional cost to you. These commissions help support and maintain the site.
Last Updated on 16 March 2023 by Travel Writing World
