The River Nila offers countless opportunities to witness thrilling folk performances, far beyond the tourist trail. Photo courtesy of David Stott
Do you want to be a published travel writer?
Go on assignment to Kerala with Footprint Travel Guides!
APPLICATIONS NOW CLOSED
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!
Assignment location
Photos courtesy of www.theblueyonder.com
While Kerala is ranked as a top ten destination in the world, some parts of Kerala still remain unknown and unvisited. The river Nila, the longest river in Kerala (209kms) offers one of the most unique cultural experiences as it has an ancient and steeped in tradition river civilization. Be it the classical Kathakali or ritualistic folk art forms or temple festivals or literary traditions, you can trace a definite and indelible impact of the river Nila in each and every aspect.
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
- excellent spelling and grammar and a knack for avoiding clichés
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)
Program supported by
CONDITIONS OF ENTRY
1. Information on the scholarship prize and how to enter forms part of these conditions of entry. By applying for this scholarship you agree to be bound by these conditions of entry and all decisions of the scholarship promoter (World Nomads) which are final in all matters relating to the promotion. The scholarship and these conditions of entry are void where prohibited by law. Any changes to these conditions of entry will be published on the World Nomads website at www.worldnomads.com.
2. The promoter is World Nomads Pty Limited of Level 5, 24 York St, Sydney, NSW 2000.
3. Employees of World Nomads, The Blue Yonder, Footprint Books and their subsidiaries and affiliated companies, and members of their immediate families or households, are ineligible to apply for this scholarship.
4. Entry is free. No purchase necessary. You must be older than 18 to enter and hold a valid passport. To enter,submit a 500 word(or less)travel focused essay in English based on a personal experience around one of the following themes; 'A Journey that changed Lives', 'Responsible Travel'or 'Adventure in an Unknown Culture'. You are also required to 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 means to you.
5. The scholarship entries can be submitted from 9.00am AEST on October 1, 2008and entries close at 11.59pm AEST on 9 January 2009. Entries are deemed to be received at the time of receipt by World Nomads and World Nomads records are conclusive as to the time of receipt. All dates are subject to change if necessary in World Nomads discretion.
6. The Scholarship recipient will be selected by a panel of three judges including one independent judge judging the best overall entry from a review of all eligible entries. The best overall entry will best interpret both the writing task and best articulate why the author of the entry should be awarded the 2009 World Nomads Travel Writing Scholarship. The selection will be conducted at World Nomads Pty Limited of Level 5, 24 York St, Sydney, NSW 2000 over the week commencing Monday 12th January 2009. The judges' decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into, including in the event of a dispute. Chance plays no part in determining the successful scholarship recipient.
7. The successful applicant will receive the following;
- 10 day tour with The Blue Yonder in Kerala, India including accommodation based on homestay and resort, all meals, airport transfers and ground transport, various cultural activities, an escort /interpretor from The Blue Yonder.
- 10 day assignment in the local Kerala area, reviewing and updating for Footprint Guide Books, including a stipend of AU$600 to cover local transport, accommodation and meals.
- return economy airfares from nearest international airport to either Cohcin or Calicut airport India.
- mentorship with travel writer David Stott
- cost of any relevant vaccinations and visas.
7. The scholarship recipient must work with the mentor David Stott, and under his direction, review and update local travel information in Kerala such as accommodation, transport, bars & restaurants, entertainment, shopping, tours & activities. All relevant writing must be submitted to David Stott for review and possible editing no later than March 31, 2009. Some or all parts of the work submitted may be published in the 2010 Footprint India Handbook where the Scholarship recipient will be duely credited.
The scholarship recipient must also keep a daily travel diary and upload diary entries (no less than 200 words per daily entry) to the World Nomads website, via an online travel journal, no later than 2 weeks after returning from the trip.
8. The Scholarship recipient will be notified by email and the recipient's name will be published on the World Nomads websites within 14 days after selection.
9. If the Scholarship recipient is not immediately identifiable or contactable World Nomads will make reasonable efforts to identify and/or contact the Scholarship recipient. If the Scholarship recipient has not accepted the prize within 7 days, the next best entry will be selected as scholarship recipient.
10. No responsibility is accepted for late, lost or misdirected mail or any errors or failures in internet or other communications. World Nomads reserves the right to cancel or modify the scholarship promotion if, in its sole discretion, the administration of the scholarship promotion is impaired for technical or other reasons beyond its reasonable control and, in such an event, may select the Scholarship recipient from all valid entries received prior to the impairment.
11. Scholarship prize consists of:
- One return economy flight, to trip destination, Kerala, India departing from the nearest international airport to the scholarship recipient's home (approximate value AU$3000). The carrier's normal terms and conditions of travel will apply;
- 1 x 10 day tour with The Blue Yonder in Kerala, India (approximate value AU$2000);
- Stipend of AU$600 to cover all costs including but not limited to accommodation, transport and meals whilst travelling in Kerala working on the 10 day Footprint travel writing assignment. (Value AU$600)
Total prize value of scholarship is approximately AUD$5,600
The value of the prize is accurate at the date of commencement of the scholarship promotion. World Nomads accepts no responsibility for any variation in the value of the prize after that date. The prize cannot be refunded, transferred, substituted or redeemed for cash. World Nomads reserves the right in its sole discretion to substitute the prize with cash or a prize of comparable value if the prize cannot be awarded as described for any reason.
13. The scholarship recipient will be responsible for all personal expenses and any other expenses, fees and costs connected with the prize that are not included in the prize description. The scholarship recipient is also responsible for all transportation to the point of departure, including accommodation costs prior to and following the travel dates in order to meet flight connections.
14. The scholarship recipient must hold valid passports.
15. The scholarship recipient agrees that acceptance of the prize by the scholarship recipient is conditional upon compliance with all relevant laws, rules and regulations and upon the scholarship recipient releasing World Nomads, The Blue Yonder and Footprint Books, and their affiliates, subsidiaries, directors, officers, employees and agents, from any and all liability, claims, demands and causes of action for any personal injury or other loss or damage (including but not limited to indirect or consequential loss) suffered in connection with the acceptance or use of the prize, except for any liability which cannot be excluded by law. World Nomads reserves the right to disqualify the scholarship recipient at its absolute discretion in the event of non-compliance or the failure to provide such releases.
16. As the author of your entry, you warrant that your entry is original and your own work.
17. The scholarship recipient agrees to grant exclusive copyright to Footprint Books for all existing text and maps that have been updated by the scholarship recipient and revised, plus all additional text researched and written by the scholarship recipient in accordance with the Footprint travel writing assignment.
18. It will be a condition of entry that both scholarship applicants and the scholarship recipient will grant a non exclusive copyright license to World Nomads, The Blue Yonder, and Footprint Books to reproduce the submitted work for subsequent promotion of the World Nomads Travel Scholarships.
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