Found this lead on Twitter and wanted to pass it along.
Do you want to be a published travel writer?
Go on assignment to Kerala with Footprint Travel Guides!
Applications close: January 9, 2009
Kick start your travel writing career by going on assignment to Kerala, India. You will enjoy a 10 day tour with The Blue Yonder, offering unique insight into the River Nila civilization. Then, after touching base with your travel writing mentor – David Stott, you will hit the road for 10 days reviewing and writing for the Footprint India Handbook!
Your assignment brief
* We’ll fly you to India from your country of residence. You need to be available between February 16th and March 7, 2009 to participate on the Blue Yonder Tour and Footprint travel writing assignment.
*Your Kerala journey with The Blue Yonder will give you unique insight into the River Nila region. With a focus on sustainable tourism, the tour is specifically tailored for the lucky scholarship recipient to inspire your travel writing , and you will be personally escorted by a TBY interpreter.
*The ten day tour will include interactions with musicians, folk artists, bell metal workers, potters, sand miners, fire worshippers and ritualistic healers. You will also be planting saplings at the ‘Traveller’s Forest’ a community driven eco-restoration project.The tour will be based on the age-old tradition of story telling that reveals the uniqueness of the region and the importance of rivers for a sustainable life.
*After touching base with your mentor – David Stott, you will research, review and update essential travel info including accommodation, bars & restaurants, entertainment, shopping, tours, activities and transport, as well as searching out those local secrets that travellers want to read about.
* Your mentor will be at hand to offer guidance, but essentially this is your assignment; you will travel on your own for this part of the journey so you must be comfortable travelling solo. David will assign you a specific local area based on your travelling experience.
* The fruits of your labour will feature in the new edition of the Footprint Inida Handbook, placing your foot firmly in the door of the elusive travel writing industry!
Who can apply
* Anyone can apply – it’s open to students, emerging and non-professional writers and lovers of travel looking for a career change.
* You must have a high degree of proficiency in written English.
* The opportunity is designed to give you a taste of what it’s like to be a travel writer on the road, so you must be comfortable doing some travel on your own.
* Minimum age 18 with a current passport.
* You should be an excellent writer with a lust for adventure travel and a burning desire to be a travel writer!
Apply now
If you want it, you’ve got to show it. To apply you need to:
1. Write. Craft a 500 word (or less)travel focused essay based on a personal experience around one of the following themes;
a. ‘A Journey that Changed Lives’
b. ‘Responsible Travel’
c. ‘Adventure in an Unknown Culture’
It’s up to you to convince our judging panel through your writing that you have the spirit of adventure and passion for travel writing to be chosen for this scholarship. We will be looking for;
– great descriptive ability
– strong eye for detail
– ability to uncover and tell a compelling story
Рexcellent spelling and grammar and a knack for avoiding clich̩s
2. Complete an entry form which includes contact details and a 200 word (or less) essay on why you should be chosen and what the opportunity will mean for you. Your answer will provide considerable weight in the judging process.
3. One entry per person.
4. The entry must be submitted in English.
The recipient of the Scholarship, along with the best entries will be published on the WorldNomads.com website on January 23, 2009.
Read the winning and best entries from our 2008 Travel Writing Scholarship
Applications close midnight January 9, 2009.(AEST)
– Text is lifted directly from Word Nomads site.
Wonderful opportunity. India is the perfect place to launch a travel writing career. At every turn, there are new experiences to impart. It’s also the place where a lot of travelers go to find themselves so that can also be a topic for interesting stories.
Good luck to the contestants.