Lee Foster

The Rebecca Bruns Award is awarded bi-annually by Bay Area Travel Writers to one of its members whose dedication, both personally and professionally, has had a significant influence on fellow travel writers and their profession. Naturally, outstanding success is part of the equation, but it is not enough to say that the individual’s professional achievements are laudatory. More than that, the award recognizes originality, individuality and most of all, generosity in giving back to the writing community.

The 2010 Rebecca Bruns Award recipient is longtime BATW member Lee Foster.  Lee’s forward thinking, his dedication to professional development and education and his generosity as a teacher and mentor place him in the forefront of travel journalism today. BATW honors Lee with this recognition for his many contributions to the BATW membership and to the travel writing industry.

Congratulations, Lee Foster.

– Lee Daley

Rebecca was a mentor in the true sense of the word, working hard, achieving success and sharing her every secret about writing, marketing, motivation. In BATW’s fledgling years, a small number of aspiring writers gathered monthly at one another’s homes, to hear manuscripts in progress read aloud. Rebecca’s were invariably spellbinding, yet so too was her agility at helping others bring their work to a new level. She wrote, as she lived, with passion, honesty and creativity. Her metaphors, like her adventures, were gutsy and original.

To an exceptional friend, teacher and writer, we dedicate this webpage on the 10th anniversary of her passing.

Carol Canter
December 2004