By Staff Reporter

Ireland’s best young travel writers will be discovered via a new competition announced by the organisers of the Immrama Festival in the heritage town of Lismore, Co Waterford this June.

Teenagers across the country are invited to write an 800-word short story about their favourite air journey and where it has taken them on their travels.

“Last year this competition took place for the first time and there we over 500 entrants,” said Jan Rotte of the festival organisers. “The standard of writing displayed by secondary pupils from all across the country was incredible.”

The 2016 winner was Erin Carr from Dundalk Grammar School, whose story ‘Escapism’ and it can be read online at the Immrama website. 

This year’s winner will be awarded an iPad Mini and a €100 Amazon voucher, while the winner’s English teacher will get a €500 Aer Lingus voucher plus tickets to the Immrama Festival of Travel Writing.

Judges for this year’s contest are Stephen Kavanagh, chief executive of competition sponsor Aer Lingus; Vicki Stevenson, director of customer experience director at AirBnB; and Phil Cottier, CEO of Ipsum Marketing. 

The 15th annual Immrama Festival from 14-18 June – with the theme of ‘Emigration, Exile and Slavery’ – offers another stellar line up of internationally renowned travel writers and broadcasters. Guests this year include award-winning author Colm Tóibín, humanitarian and author Terry Waite, journalist and author Des Ekin, writer and documentary maker Tom Feiling, and adventurer and author Andrew P Sykes.

The last day of the festival will feature a ‘Family Fun Sunday’ at the Millennium Park, alongside the Lismore Farmers Market on Castle Avenue and a special closing event with a focus on sport and travel.

For full details of the festival programme and for event tickets visit www.lismoreimmrama.com. Competition entries, open to secondary pupils ages between 13 and 18, can also be made via the website before the closing date of 20 May.