Exciting news: I discovered that two of my stories won Lowell Thomas Awards from the Society of American Travel Writers during their convention in Barbados. First was Gold in the category of US/Canada Travel — my fourth Gold award in a row from them! — for my New York Times feature “A Muslim American’s Homecoming: Cowboys, Country Music, Chapatis.”
“Each traveler sees the destination through a personal lens,” the judges wrote. “For Sarah Khan, exploring regions of the U.S. was a test of popular myth, culture and stereotypes. The result? Fresh and surprising insights … and a welcome sense of humor. This is cross-cultural travel writing that shines.” Read the winning story, one of my favorites I’ve ever had the pleasure of writing, here.
Then I co-won a bronze in Service-Oriented Consumer Work with my former colleague Brooke Porter-Katz for the Virtuoso Life March cover story “My Town,” in which we interviewed five prominent locals in cities around the world for their insider favorites in their hometowns. “With a unique approach to these city profiles of popular destinations such as Singapore, Melbourne and Miami, this piece delivers an engaging read and a solid service story. By asking creative folks in each city — authors, chefs and art curators — to dish on their favorite haunts, the resulting tips are full of life and vibrancy and give travelers a few must-do items for future itineraries. The profiles are neatly organized, and with categories like Gallery-Hopping, Book Nooks and Drinks With a View, even a frequent globetrotter is sure to find a few new suggestions.” Read the whole piece here.
