Many of the world’s greatest travel writers gathered in
the iconic London Transport Museum to celebrate the
fifth Edward Stanford Travel Writing Awards (ESTWAs),
hosted by television presenter and author Julia Bra-
dbury.
Paul Theroux received the prestigious Edward Stan-
ford Award for Outstanding Contribution to Travel Wri-
ting. The acclaimed American travel writer and nove-
list, best know for The Great Railway Bazaar (1975), has
enjoyed a long career studded with accolades, awards
and honours. A number of Theroux’s novels have been
made into films and later this year Apple Films will re-
lease a ten part TV series based on his “Mosquito Coast”.
“Paul has enjoyed a truly global existence, spending
time in Malawi and Uganda, Singapore and London, as
well as his native home in America," explained Vivien
Godfrey, Chairman and Chief Executive of Stanfords.
"His travel writing consequently carries rich descrip-
tions, portraying an intimate knowledge and understan-
ding of the people and places he has been.”
In total 61 books made the shortlists, divided into ten
award categories with winners being both debut authors
and multi-award-winning writers.
All entrants were treated to a night of bespoke gin
cocktails created for the evening by Seven Crofts Gin
and dined on ‘World Street Food’ inspired canapés. Each
winner was presented with a hand-made globe featuring
a design produced exclusively for the ESTWAs.
N
The winners in all categories for 2020 are -
• Robert McFarlane - Underland
Stanford Dolman Travel Book Of The Year
• Chloe Daykin - Fire Girl, Forest Boy
Gandy's Childrens Travel Book Of The Year
• Eleanor Ford - Fire Islands
Kerd Food And Drink Travel Book Of The Year
• Sam Landers and Tom Maday - Trope City
Nikon Photography Travel Book Of The Year
• Travis Elborough - Atlas Of Vanishing Places
DK Eyewitness Travel Guides Illustrated Travel
Book Of The Year
• Nicholas Butler - Little Faith
Cicerone Fiction, With A Sense Of Place
• Pico Iyer - A Beginners Guide To Japan: Observa-
tions And Provocations
APA Publications Travel Memoir Of The Year
• Lara Prior-Palmer - Rough Magic; Riding The Wor-
ld's Wildest Horse Race
Steppes Travel Adventure Travel Book Of The
Year
• Richard Davies - Extreme Economies
Lonely Planet Debut Travel Writer Of The Year
• Kirstin Zhang - Close To Home
Bradt Travel Guides New Travel Writer Of The
Year
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