Win a holiday for two and a travel-writing commission

On the 40th birthday of Bradt Travel Guides (bradtguides.com), we have again joined forces to launch the country's leading travel-writing competition.

Win a holiday for two and a travel-writing commission (Getty)

Not only are there TWO holiday prizes – to Canada and northern France – but there's also the chance to write a travel article for The Independent on Sunday. To enter go to bradtguides.com/travelwriting

How to enter

The theme this year is "Meeting the Challenge". Entries must be original, previously unpublished and based on personal experience relating to the theme. Minimum length is 600 words; maximum length is 800 words. The closing date for the competition is midnight on Sunday 29 June.

The competition is open to all who are resident in the UK. The judges will include representatives from Bradt Travel Guides, Travellers' Tales and The Independent on Sunday. The winners will be announced at an event at Stanfords, the UK's leading travel bookshop. For full competition rules, go to independent.co.uk/bradtcomp2014. To enter, go to bradtguides.com/travelwriting.

The prizes

First prize is a fabulous eight-day fly-drive holiday for two to Nova Scotia, courtesy of the Canadian Tourism Commission (keepexploring.ca), to be taken by 31 October 2015. The tour concentrates on the best bits of the glorious province of Nova Scotia, with its rugged seascapes, great seafood and friendly locals. The prize includes return flights, accommodation, car hire and a whale-watching tour. You will be commissioned to write a feature article about your trip to be published in this newspaper.

The prize for best unpublished writer is in two parts. First, you will win a four-day self-guided tour for two to the coastal villages and hills of Pas-de-Calais (including ferry crossings with P&O, car hire, three nights' accommodation and evening meals), generously donated by Pas-de-Calais Tourisme (wartimehistory.pas-de-calais.com). On the centenary of the outbreak of the First World War, you will visit key sites on the Western Front and have the chance to write about your trip on The Independent website.

Secondly, you will receive a place on any travel-writing weekend in 2014 or 2015 run by Travellers' Tales (travellerstales.org), excluding transport.

To celebrate Bradt's 40th anniversary we will, for the first time, be including a special category for writers aged 18 to 21. The winner of the best young writer prize will receive a place on a one-day Bradt Travel Writing Workshop as well as five Bradt books of his or her choice. The next workshop (bradtguides.com/seminar) will be held in November.

The prize for last year's winner, Cal Flyn, was a trip to Istria in Croatia.