- A message from Chair, Chris Coe
- Antor discussion: Monday, 24 November – RSVP!
- Photography for the BGTW’s New Website
- Website Profile Updates Paused
- Feature Your Books in the “BGTW Christmas Gift Guide”
- Christmas Cheer
- Watch the “Sustainable Travel Journalism” webinar recording
- Michael James Travel Writing Grant
Hello!
Many thanks to Charlotte, who took over the Friday Fix for me last week, while I was in the Algarve with fellow Guildies Martin Hesp and Lindsay Sutton (who celebrated a birthday during our trip – happy birthday, Lindsay!)
It was a great few days, with lots of walking, art and food, as well as the opportunity to paint our own azulejos (Martin won that one) and spray paint our own shirts (absolutely nobody covered themselves in glory here, but I did destroy my manicure with a delightful yellow tinge, which smacked of a lifelong 100-a-day habit, served up with a side of toxic waste …)
Going back to the mention of birthdays, Chair Chris Coe and member Katja Gaskell both had birthdays this week, so warmest wishes to them both for the year ahead!
Hope you’ve all had good weeks and are looking forward to fun and fruitful weekends.
Sarah
A message from Chair, Chris Coe
With WTM immediately following, the feedback from this year’s Gala Dinner has been amazing. It was a fabulous evening as our members were joined by destinations, editors, PRs and other industry experts to celebrate our 65th anniversary.
Feedback included “Last night was epic, like the full glamour of the BGTW Awards was back. And the room was buzzing with brilliant people”. Destinations and sponsors loved it – and word must have spread fast because, at WTM, several destinations expressed their enthusiasm to come next year and to work with us on conventions.
To mark the occasion, we extended the invitation to some of our distinguished long-standing members, including founding member John Carter, who came on stage to make a speech and cut the birthday cake.
Congratulations to all the members who won awards, but also to all those shortlisted.
The prize raffle was introduced by Nick Hewer (of The Apprentice fame) and it raised £4410 for the amazing chosen charity, Hope and Homes for Children.
A huge thank you to everyone who worked so hard to deliver a spectacular event with delicious food and free-flowing drink. And thank you, also, to our sponsors and to everyone who supported the BGTW by attending. If you were unable to come, we hope to see you next year.
Antor discussion: Monday, 24 November – RSVP!
The annual Antor (the Association of National Tourist Offices and Representatives) & BGTW discussion will be Monday, 24 November. Members who are up for a spirited discussion about this year’s topic, “Is over-tourism overrated?” are invited to email Alicia Sheber at alicia.sheber@bgtw.org to register their interest in joining the event to listen, share opinions and network. It’s a fantastic opportunity to form valuable new connections, as well as strengthen existing relationships, with Antor’s destination members and spark ideas for future travel stories around this hot topic. Moderator Eva Stewart is from the advisory firm GSIQ, which provides data-driven insights uniting the sports, sponsorship and tourism industries. The event is free and for Antor and BGTW members only.
Venue: Zimbabwe House, 429 The Strand, London WC2 (nearest station Charing Cross/Temple Underground)
Moderator: Eva Stewart, GSIQ, Global Managing Partner
Panellists from Antor member countries Spain, Italy, and one more TBA, along with BGTW members Daniel Edward, Chris Coe and Rashmi Narayan.
Format:
3.30 pm: Antor and BGTW guests arrive and visit Shona Art exhibit, teas & coffees and biscuits in the library;
4 pm: Round Table begins, followed by general discussion with audience participation and questions;
5.30 pm: Networking drinks and informal discussion;
6.30 pm: ends
Photography for the BGTW’s New Website
We’re looking for striking, storytelling photography for the new BGTW website, which will be used on some pages with credit to our members. If you’d like to submit up to two photos for consideration, please email them to Daniel . We’re particularly seeking global landscapes rather than portraits or people, as we already have many images of our members and events in the designs. When selecting images for consideration, please be aware that (a) most imagery shown on the website will be cropped square, and (b) the website scheme is the teal/green colours of the logo, so we’d love photos that will work well within this colour scheme.
Website Profile Updates Paused
The database migration to the new website has now commenced on a staging environment. As such, we have restricted members’ ability to upload profiles during this period (until early December) to ensure no new data is lost. If you have any urgent updates, please contact Daniel.
Feature Your Books in the “BGTW Christmas Gift Guide”
If you’ve published a book (guide, narrative, or other) in the last couple of years, and would like it featured in the “BGTW Christmas Gift Guide” going on social media and the website soon – naturally, with our fab 65th Anthology in top billing – please can you send an email to Daniel.Clarke@bgtw.org with a cover, one sentence summary, preferred purchase link, and a one sentence comment of why the author thinks it’s the perfect Christmas gift and for whom. Responses are required by 21st November.
Christmas Cheer
Many thanks to members who have kindly volunteered to lead regional, pre-Christmas socials with Guildies in their corners of the UK!
Stuart Forster has offered to lead a Christmas market gathering in Newcastle city centre on Wednesday, 17 December 3.30-7.30 pm. He’s suggested a dusk stroll to capture photos of the festivities followed by a couple of drinks. Please contact Stuart at stuart.forster@gmail.com if you’d like to come along or have any questions.
Lucy Dodsworth has arranged with Visit Cheltenham to lead an event on Thursday, 11 December, as it’s a date that members from Bath and Bristol have already mentioned would work for them. Members would meet at 5pm to explore the Christmas market, and if people can’t make it that early, they can join along the way before it closes at 6pm. This would be followed by ice skating and then festive drinks at a nearby venue, all courtesy of Visit Cheltenham. Please email Lucy at lucydodsworth@yahoo.com if you’d like to come along or have any questions.
Chau-Jean Lin has offered to lead a visit to Christmas at the Guildhall, The City’s Original Christmas Market on Tuesday, December 9th in support of the British Red Cross. Each member needs to buy a ticket here, they’re £7 per person, or 5 tickets for £30 https://www.redcross.org.uk/get-involved/fundraising-and-events/guildhall-christmas-market Members would meet at 5pm, then visit a nearby pub (location TBD) after the market closes at 7pm. Please email Chau-Jean at lin.chaujean@gmail.com if you’d like to come along or have any questions.
If any other members are interested in helping organise and lead regional, pre-Christmas socials to celebrate the season with Guildies in your corners of the UK, please get in touch with Alicia. alicia.sheber@bgtw.org
Watch the “Sustainable Travel Journalism” webinar recording:
Just a reminder that members who missed Travel Writing Webinars’ ‘What makes you a good ‘sustainable travel journalist?’ session are now able to watch the video and download the resources for free (members’ benefit; please do not share this code or recording with others). Simply “purchase” the recording using the code oct25bgtw at: https://travelwritingwebinars.com/product/what-makes-a-good-sustainable-travel-journalist/
Michael James Travel Writing Grant
The Fundación Gabo and the Hay Festival have opened the call for applications for the new edition of the 2026 Michael Jacobs Travel Writing Grant, which offers $10,000 USD to support a book or article project about Latin America or Spain.
Applications are open until 1 December 2025, and we’d love your help spreading the word. We invite you to share this opportunity with journalists and writers in your network or through your digital channels who might be interested in developing a story in English or Spanish.
The jury will evaluate projects based on their narrative quality, originality, and journalistic depth. The winner will be announced at the Hay Festival Cartagena de Indias 2026, which will take place from 29 January to 1 February 2026.
Learn more about the call here
About the Michael Jacobs Travel Writing Grant
This grant was born from friendship and shared imagination. In 2010, while navigating Colombia’s mysterious Magdalena River —a territory unknown to him both emotionally and geographically— the British writer Michael Jacobs met Gabriel García Márquez, whose faltering memory revealed a growing obsession with the river of his childhood. Jacobs told that story in his final book, The Robber of Memories.
After Jacobs’ death, the Gabo Foundation, the Hay Festival, and some of his friends created this grant to promote high-quality travel writing and strengthen the bond between writers. Since 2014, 11 projects—including books and articles in Spanish and English—have been awarded, forming a remarkable collection of stories.
For Michael Jacobs, travel writing was never about simple anecdotes; it was about stories that awaken the senses and expand the reader’s world.
That’s the spirit we continue to celebrate.
Learn more about the call on our social media
We deeply appreciate your help in spreading this unique opportunity for storytellers around the world. Please let us know if you need any additional information or materials.
Fundación Gabo and Hay Festival Team
