Super summer for Naomi
SUNDERLAND WOMAN GETS AMAZING NEWS WHILE ON TALL SHIP
A tall ship sailor couldn’t believe it when she browsed through her emails for the first time in days – and found out she’d been nominated for a literary award.
Naomi Austin, from Sunderland, sailed to Esbjerg in this year’s Tall Ships Races.
And when she finally got into port, she decided to have a quick catch-up on on her messages. She was stunned at the news which greeted her.
The Sunderland University lecturer in fashion and design had been nominated in the Media Maritime Awards for her 288-page publication The Call of the Sea.
It spotlights Naomi’s 25 years of tall ships adventures as well as the history of shipbuilding on the Wear.
Astonished Naomi posted on social media: “Things like this don’t happen to me !!!! Mountbatten literary award??
“Just putting my feet up for 5 before heading to crew party so thought I’d check my e mails.. and saw this.”
She then told the Sunderland Echo: “I don’t know who nominated me and how but blown away! Don’t find out shortlist until October but to be nominated is amazing.”
What a summer it has been for Naomi.
While she is away, an exhibition based on her tall ships experience is about to start at the Arts Centre Washington duringAugust,where30ofher unique images will be on view.
On top of that, her pub- lication The Call Of The Sea won praise from television personality George Clarke.
In a foreword for the publication, he said: “Naomi Austin has put together the most wonderful book to keep the memories of those thriving industrial days alive.”
And at the same time, Naomi has just completed a tall ship experience on the German ship Alexander Von Humboldt II, sailing from Sunderland to Esbjerg.
“The journey has been incredible,” said Naomi who added: “It’s not over yet. There’s more high seas adventures to come. I swap ship today and join the Statsraad Lehmkuhl from Norway to sail to Norway! It’s been exhausting but another lifechanging experience with over 32 nationalities taking part.”