Lola Akinmade Åkerström
| Lola Akinmade Åkerström | |
|---|---|
 Image of Lola Akinmade | |
| Residence | Stockholm, Sweden |
| Nationality | Nigerian |
| Occupation |
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| Known for |
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| Title | Editor-in-chief |
Lola Akinmade Åkerström is a Nigerian photographer, travel writer and story teller based in Stockholm, Sweden. She is the editor-in-chief for Slow Travel Stockholm. Her works have been featured in the National Geographic Traveler, BBC, and CNN, among other publications. She studied Geography Information System (GIS) at the University of Maryland.[1]
Early life and education
She started her early life in Lagos, Nigeria, where she completed her early school life before relocating to the United States at the age of 15.[2] She received a master's degree in Information System from the University of Maryland.[3][4] At the age of 19, she gained admission to the University of Oxford in the England but failed to pursue it because of funding. In 2006, Åkerström relocated to Sweden with her husband.[2]
Career
Åkerström started her career as a field journalist at Eco-Challenge.[5] She worked for 12 years as a GIS developer before becoming a professional photographer. Between 2006 and 2007, she joined Matador Network and worked as an editor.[1] In October 2009 she resigned her appointment at the GIS world to pursue her passion.[1] In June 2011, Åkerström contested in a pre-selection program organised by Quark Expeditions to pick a writer that will be traveling to the North Pole for the project of documenting its ecosystem.[6] In 2012 she participated in the expedition race in Fiji, where she started the combination of her traveling, photography and writing skills.[7] In 2016, she went to Italy to attend the Unesco World Heritage Sites of Sabbioneta and Mantua for exploration.[8]
Awards
| Year | Class | Category | Awarding body | Work |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Honorable Mention | Best in Travel Writing | Solas | Terracotta |
| 2015 | Gold | Category 127: 50+ Travel | NATJA | “The New Age of Adventure,” Women’s Adventure Magazine |
| 2015 | Silver | Category 125: Personality and Profiles | NATJA | The New Age of Adventure |
| 2014 | Bronze | Category 140: Local Lifestyle | NATJA | “The Silence of the Swedes,” Roads & Kingdoms/Slate |
| 2014 | Bronze | Best in Travel Writing | Solas | Travel & Shopping – Fake Birds |
| 2013 | Silver | Category 193: Travel Tips & Advice | NATJA | “5 Ways to Get More Mileage From Smart Phone Photos,” Mashable |
| 2013 | Silver | Category 140: Local Lifestyle | NATJA | “The Silence of the Swedes,” Roads & Kingdoms/Slate |
| 2013 | Silver | Category 172: Landscape, Seascape | NATJA | “10 Tips for Photographing Northern Lights,” Fodor’s |
| 2013 | Finalist | Category 125: Personality and Profiles | NATJA | “Insight-Ice Hotel/Arne Bergh,” Qatar Airways Oryx Inflight Magazine |
| 2013 | Finalist | Category 149: Culinary Travel | NATJA | “Navigating Gothenburg’s Culinary Scene,” BBC Travel |
| 2013 | Gold Award | Best in Travel Writing | Solas | Culture and Ideas – Decoding Lagom (Sweden) |
| 2013 | Regional Award Winner: Africa | The Hot Mommas® Project | Press Release | |
| 2012 | Bronze | Category 173: Portrait, People | NATJA | “Through the Lens: Kwazulu-natal, South Africa,” National Geographic Channel |
| 2012 | Silver | Category 149: Culinary Travel | NATJA | “10 Things to Know About Sweden’s Food Culture,” Sweden.se |
| 2012 | Finalist | Category 132: Eco, Environmental or Special Purpose Travel | NATJA | “Stockholm’s Green Groove,” Thai Airways’ Sawasdee In-Flight Magazine |
| 2012 | Silver | Category 176: Photo Essay | NATJA | “The Spirit of Lapland,” Wild Junket |
| 2012 | Silver | Best in Travel Writing | Solas | Travel and Food – Meat My Love (Global) |
| 2011 | Gold | Category 145: Personality and Profiles (Internet) | NATJA | “Slow Food From Sápmi” – Sweden.se |
| 2011 | Gold | Category 149: Culinary Travel (Internet) | NATJA | “Revamping classic Irish tea at Dublin’s Merrion Hotel” – Matador Network |
| 2011 | Silver | Best in Travel Writing | Solas | Travel and Food – Sweet Pillows (Portugal) |
| 2011 | Judges’ Vote | Black Weblog Awards | Best International Blog – Geotraveler’s Niche | |
| 2011 | Silver (Group Award) | Lowell Thomas Award | Society of American Travel Writers (SATW) | Online Travel Journalism Site-Matador Network |
| 2010 | Silver | Category 140: Local Lifestyle (Internet) | NATJA | Back to Sender” – Matador Network |
| 2010 | Bronze Award | Category 120: Local Lifestyle (Print) | NATJA | “Röckåbilly” – Hemispheres |
| 2010 | Silver (Group Award) | Lowell Thomas Award | Society of American Travel Writers (SATW) | Online Travel Journalism Site – Matador Network |
| 2010 | Gold Award | Best in Travel Writing | NATJA | Travel and Shopping – Walkway to Nowhere (Nigeria) |
| 2009 | Bronze Award | Best in Travel Writing | NATJA | Travel and Shopping – Market Hopping Around Lagos (Nigeria) |
| 2008 | Runner-Up Winner | Narrative Travel Writing Contest | NATJA | Transitions Abroad – Market Hopping Around Lagos (Nigeria) |
References
- 1 2 3 Gbenga Awomodu. "Proudly African, In Love With Scandinavia & Exploring the World: Time Out with Lola Akinmade, Award-Winning Travel Writer & Photographer". Bella Naija. Retrieved 11 June 2016.
- 1 2 "Lola Akinmade Åkerström: The GeoTraveler Who Finally Found Her Niche". Career. Retrieved 6 June 2016.
- ↑ "Lola Akinmade Akerstrom". The Advice Project. Retrieved 5 May 2016.
- ↑ "Lola Akinmade Åkerström – Nigeria/Sweden/U.S.A.". The project. Retrieved 6 June 2016.
- ↑ Nellie Huang. "travel writing corner interview lola akinmade". wildjunk. Retrieved 5 May 2016.
- ↑ staff. "Join Lola Akinmade to explore the North Pole". Nigeria Abroad magazine. Retrieved 5 May 2016.
- ↑ "interview Lola Akinmade Akestrom". jetting around. Retrieved 5 May 2016.
- ↑ Louise Bastock. "Meet a traveller: Lola Akinmade Åkerström, travel writer and photographer". Lonely Planet. Retrieved 6 June 2016.
- ↑ North America Travel Journalist Association. "Award". Retrieved 6 June 2016.