The Ilse Schwepcke Prize for Women’s Travel Writing

For a travel book by a woman writing in English.

The Ilse Schwepcke Prize is an annual award for women’s travel writing in English. An independent jury will select a shortlist and the winning book will be announced in autumn at the International Frankfurt Book Fair. The winning author will receive £5,000.

To read more about the Ilse Schwepcke Prize and its sister prize in Germany, the Ilse-Schwepcke-Preis, visit IlseSchwepckePrize.co.uk.

‘I wish,’ Ilse said to a travel writer, ‘I wish I could go with you.’ But they both knew it was impossible. At the time of their meeting, she was already in her late eighties, a director at Haus Publishing, the company set up by her daughter Barbara, using Ilse’s maiden name. Not long after the company started operating, Ilse became the curator of a unique list of travel books inspired by many a journey she had taken – or wished she had. Ilse’s commissions resolutely reflected a love of travel itself and a refusal to pander to the mainstream.

Beautifully written, the books on Ilse’s list invited us all to voyage far beyond the sunset, even if we never leave our armchairs. The Ilse Schwepcke Prize therefore celebrates travellers she would have wished to have accompanied, writers she would have commissioned, and authors she would have loved to have published.

The Prize will close for submissions on 31 March 2025

The Ilse Schwepcke Prize is an annual award for women’s travel writing in English. An independent jury selects a shortlist and the winning book will be announced in October, with the prize awarded in a ceremony at the Frankfurt Book Fair. The winning author will receive £5,000.

To read more about the Ilse Schwepcke Prize and its sister prize in Germany, the Ilse-Schwepcke-Preis, visit www.ilseschwepckeprize.co.uk.

The award is administered by the Society of Authors.

Deadline: 31 March 2025

Entry criteria:

  • Submission period opens 1 January 2025 and closes 31 March 2025.
  • Entries to the English prize must be written in English and not translated works.
  • Entries must have been published between 1 April 2024 and 31 March 2025.
  • Submissions must be made by an established commercial publisher.
  • Submissions must not contain the use of AI generated works.

How to enter

For each entry, please send five physical copies of the book to:

The Ilse Schwepcke Prize
Prizes Department
24 Bedford Row
Holborn
London
WC1R 4EH

Please note any couriers should use the entrance on Theobalds Road.

Please also upload a digital version of the book when prompted below.  If the file you are using is too large for the form, please complete the rest of the entry form and then send the file via email or WeTransfer to prizes@societyofauthors.org.

The work submitted must have been first published in the English language between 1 April 2024 and 31 March 2025
Click or drag a file to this area to upload.
Please upload a digital version of the book in addition to physical copies sent in to The Society of Authors. If the file you are using is too large for the form, please complete the rest of the entry form and then send the file via email or WeTransfer to prizes@societyofauthors.org.
Click or drag a file to this area to upload.
If the file you are using is too large for the form, please complete the rest of the entry form and then send the file via email or WeTransfer to prizes@societyofauthors.org.
Click or drag a file to this area to upload.
Please include any photographer credit in the file name.

Confirmations

I agree to abide by the terms and conditions of entry and confirm that the submitted work and the author meet the entry criteria.
By ticking the above you are confirming that you have permission to share all the above information with the Society of Authors and The Ilse Schwepcke Prize team and their PR partners. We may invite you to take part in PR activities surrounding the prize but you are under no obligation to do so and will always contact you to ask your permission before giving your contact details to our media partners. To read our full privacy policy please visit our website: societyofauthors.org/Legal-Privacy/Privacy-Statement.

Helena Attlee

Helena Attlee’s latest book, Lev’s Violin, was published in 2021 and broadcast as BBC Radio 4’s ‘Book of the Week.’ Before that came The Land Where Lemons Grow, which was a Sunday Times Bestseller and has been translated into several languages. It was shortlisted for the Stanford Dolman travel writing prize, won the Guild of Food Writers’ Book of the Year 2015, and was also broadcast on Radio 4. Helena is currently working on a book set in Sicily. She is a consultant fellow of the Royal Literary Fund and teaches writing in many different contexts. 

Arabella Friesen

Arabella Friesen studied archaeology at SOAS and has worked as a translator, writer, researcher, editor, reviewer, artist, gardener and cook. She has worked at John Sandoe Books in London since 2012. 

© Kaye Ford

Stephanie Yeboah

Stephanie Yeboah is a freelance writer, author, content creator and body image advocate based in London. Stephanie is the author of Fattily Ever After: A Black Fat Girl’s Guide to Living Life Unapologetically, a critically acclaimed book that explores the intersections of race, body image, and mental health. She is also author of the upcoming romantic comedy novel, Chaotic Energy, out in February 2025. Her work has been featured in numerous publications, including British Vogue, Elle Magazine, Stylist, Grazia, Refinery29 and more.