Travel write : select entries from 20 years of the Bradt travel-writing competition

For over 20 years Bradt Travel Guides has been running an annual travel-writing competition which now attracts hundreds of entrants each year.

Thanks to Bradt's status as the largest remaining independently owned travel publisher in the UK and one of the most respected travel publishing brands in the world, it is uniquely placed to champion good writing, bringing to the written word the same calibre of high expectations that it looks for in the travel experience itself. Now for the first time, Bradt is delighted to release a select anthology of the best pieces of writing to pass in front of the judges' eyes over the past 20 years.

In keeping with the spirit of the competition, both new and previously published writers are included, young and old, based in countries across the globe and offering a collection of true stories that reflect our endless appetite for travel, adventure and connection.

All of these tales paint vivid pictures through the power of their writing - and they do it in under 800 words each (one of the conditions of entry). Six themed chapters include remarkable places, extraordinary people, encounters with wildlife; real terror; history; and learning and reflection.

All in all, 95 stories cover everything from border guard mix-ups, wild animals and dodgy navigation to a day trip to Iceland and being seduced by a goat in a French market. From soothing, familiar scenes in some of our favourite destinations to unrepeatable and uncomfortable exploits in obscure corners of the world, these stories offer the perfect chance for virtual travel.

You might even be inspired for your next trip. So, sit back, relax and let us tell you our stories.