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Catherine Marshall Australian travel writer of the year 2018, ASTW awards
Catherine Marshall's award-winning portfolio included a story on Japan's cherry blossom season. Credit: Shutterstock
Traveller contributor Catherine Marshall has been named travel writer of the year at the annual Australian Society of Travel Writers Awards for Excellence. This was Marshall's second year in a row taking out the top award.
Marshall's three features to win the title included her piece on cherry blossom season in Japan, published by Traveller in October last year. Of the phenomenon, she wrote: "An encounter with the blossoms feels providential, like a blessing from an animate being. Even the Japanese, who are showered with petals each spring, must jostle for space beneath frothy canopies in order to enjoy hanami, a ritual delight-taking in the beauty and transience of cherry blossom season."
Read: Japan's most alluring spectacle
Travel writer Catherine Marshall.
A native of South Africa, Marshall started her career as a hard news journalist more than 20 years ago before making the switch to travel writing.
Read more of Catherine Marshall's travel writing here.
Other winners published by Traveller included Sheriden Rhodes for best family travel story for her piece on exploring the Whitsundays on a chartered yacht, and Belinda Jackson and Andrew Bain shared the award for best Australian travel story under 1000 words.
Jackson's piece detailed her adventures exploring the hidden creeks of the Murray River, while Bain's feature focused on another aquatic Australian highlight, the Horizontal Falls of Western Australia.
Louise Southerden won the award for best responsible tourism story for her piece on Jordan's first eco-lodge, the Feynan in the Dana biosphere reserve.
The ASTW Awards for excellence were held this month in Bangkok. The society's awards are now in their 25th year and form part of the annual ASTW convention, with more than 120 travel media professionals in attendance.
The event also announced the launch of the "Rising Star" award for budding travel writers. The award is open to any writer or digital influencer who has had their first paid travel story published in the past two years.
The winner will receive a four-night trip to Hong Kong courtesy of the Hong Kong Tourism Board and have their resulting travel story published on Traveller.com.au. Entries close on October 31. Click here for details.
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