The prestigious new Sherborne Prize for Travel Writing, launched with a remarkable £10,000 award, has revealed its first-ever shortlist – a six-strong line-up that speaks to the power of travel literature to illuminate, connect and challenge. Awarded as part of the Sherborne Travel Writing Festival (10th–12th April 2026), the prize celebrates outstanding non-fiction from British and European authors whose work fosters understanding across borders and cultures.
The judging panel – acclaimed travel writer Colin Thubron, award-winning author Sara Wheeler, and literary agent Emma Paterson – selected the finalists from more than 70 submissions. They looked for bold ambition, superb writing, and books that bring our fragmented world into sharper, more compassionate focus.
From exploring the emotional scars of war to charting a wolf’s epic journey through Europe’s highlands, the shortlist captures a diversity of voices, places and preoccupations.
The shortlist includes:
- Russia Starts Here by Howard Amos – a thoughtful, personal journey through
- the overlooked Pskov region of Russia.
- A Wild Pastoral by Kapka Kassabova – an intimate portrayal of Europe’s last nomadic shepherds.
- Is A River Alive? by Robert Macfarlane – a lyrical argument for recognising rivers as living beings.
- Greyhound by Joanna Pocock – a haunting, personal retracing of a 2006 bus journey across America.
- Night Train to Odesa by Jen Stout – dispatches from Ukraine that lay bare the human cost of war.
- Lone Wolf by Adam Weymouth – a hike across the Alps in the footsteps of a GPS-tracked wolf.
Chair of the judges Colin Thubron said: ‘In its vigour and diversity alone, our shortlist is a striking tribute to the indispensable value of travel and the seriousness of its writing.’
The winner will be announced at a special event on Sunday 12th April at the Sherborne Travel Writing Festival.
Tickets for the presentation and the full weekend programme are now available via the Festival’s website. This powerful debut prize not only elevates the Sherborne festival’s national profile – it cements its status as a leading showcase of contemporary travel writing at its most thoughtful and relevant.
