SATWF Award Winners Announced Today

I don’t know if there’s anything sweeter than being recognized for a labour of love.

That’s what happened today.

My piece on Being Black in China, written for National Geographic Traveler’s “Intelligent Travel” blog scored a bronze from the Society of American Travel Writers Foundation (SATWF) .

SATW

My name was read out at the national SATW conference in Iceland this morning and my twitter feed lit up shortly after.

What an honour!

I’m particularly proud of that piece because it succeeded in doing something I try very hard to do with any cultural writing: Shine a light on other perspectives in an uncomfortable situation.

Ish and Cam in China

Ish and Cam in China

Working with my editor at Intelligent Travel to make sure this piece did exactly that was a joy. Big thanks to the National Geographic Traveler team.

And now I’ve got accolades from my SATW peers to boot.

Here’s what the judges had to say:

 Most of us probably would not have responded to the situation this author faced in China with anything close to her good humor and understanding. She and her African-American family stand out and draw gawkers, and her telling of the story is hilarious.

So very, very honoured.

For a full list of winners click here . If you like travel writing this is a great place to find new authors to follow.

To watch a video highlighting all of the winner’s pieces click here