We are announcing our judges one by one over the duration of the competition. Today (Tuesday 20th April) we welcome another talent to our group of judges - Tahir Shah.

   Over three generations the Shah family has worked to explain the East to the West, and the West to the East. In that time they have published scores of books on Eastern traditions and folklore, philosophy, travel, belles lettres, and on many aspects of Oriental and Occidental culture.

Tahir Shah is the author of a dozen books, most of which chronicle a wide range of outlandish journeys in Africa, Asia, and the Americas. For him, there is nothing so important as deciphering the hidden underbelly of the lands through which he travels. He shunds well-trodden paths, and avoids celebrated landmarks, preferring instead to position himself in a dusty cafe and observe life go by. At the same time, he insists that we can all be explorers, and can all find wonderment wherever we are.

Shah's latest book, 'In Arabian Nights', looks at how stories are used in cultures such as Morocco, as a matrix by which information, values and ideas are passed on from one generation to the next. The book follows on the heels of the celebrated 'Caliph's House: A Year in Casablanca', lauded as one of Time Magazine's Top 10 Books of the year.

His other works include an epic quest through Peru's cloud forest for the greatest lost city of the Incas (House of the Tiger King), as well as a journey through Ethiopia in search of the source of King Solomon's gold (In Search of King Solomon's Mines). Previous to that, Shah published an account of a journey through the Amazon on the trail of the so-called Birdmen of the Amazon (Trail of Feathers), as well as a book of his experiences in India, as a godman's pupil (Sorcerer;s Apprentice).

Shah also makes documentary films, which are shown worldwide on National Geographic Television, and the History Channel. The latest, 'Treasure Hunt in Afghanistan', was recently screened on British TV. While researching the programme he was arrested and incarcerated in a Pakistani torture jail for 16 days, along with his film crew. His other documentaries include 'House of the Tiger King', 'Search for the Lost City of Gold', and 'The Search for King Solomon's Mines'.

Tahir Shah's books have appeared in over a dozen languages and in more than forty editions. They are celebrated for their original viewpoint, and for combining hardship and exacting situations with sharp humour. http://www.tahirshah.com/

Kimmy Beach writes from Alberta, Canada, where she lives with her husband. Kimmy has four collections of poetry in print (Nice Day for Murder: poems for James Cagney, Alarum Within: theatre poems, fake Paul, and in cars). She holds a First Class Honors degree in English, and has been a teacher, workshop leader, fries flinger, Stage Manager, and roller rink skate cop. Her second collection has twice been adapted as a full-length stage play, and she launched her third on stage at the Cavern Club in Liverpool. Kimmy has just finished a travel memoir about her two trips - one in 1983 and the other in 2009 - to a tiny village on the south coast of Crete. She believes the best way to help the Greek economy is to go there once a year and drink a lot of local wine. That's the plan for the rest of her life. http://web.me.com/kimmybeach/Kimmy_Beach/Home.html

When Gary Buslik wrote for travel magazines, he discovered that by tossing around insincere promises, he could get hotels and restaurants to give him free rooms, meals, and drinks to write something nice about them. So he was able to forge a useless profession into a rewarding lifestyle. These days he writes novels, short stories, and essays and, in case the government should ask any questions, teaches literature and creative writing at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

His travel writing has appeared in many literary and commercial magazines and anthologies. His novel The Missionary's Position is a favorite of the Caribbean tourist crowd, and his latest book, A Rotten Person Travels the Caribbean , won Benjamin Franklin and ForeWord Magazine Book of the Year Awards for travel writing.

He windsurfs and plays softball. He has never seen The Sound of Music or played golf. Please do not call him to do either.

  Vicky Baker is a professional freelance journalist currently based in Buenos Aires. In 2008, she worked her way around South America for a travel column that was published in the paper every Saturday: guardian.co.uk/goinglocal. The idea was to escape the standard gringo trail and meet the locals using travel-networking sites, such as Couchsurfing.com. Since then, she has become a spokesperson for this new mode of travel, speaking at events (TNT Travel Show, London) and on the radio (BBC Radio 4, BBC Radio Five Live, Radio New Zealand). Her blog: goinglocaltravel.com .

Vicky is still a regular contributor to the Guardian newspaper's travel section and Guardian.co.uk/travel. Other work has been published in the Observer (Escape), the Daily Telegraph, Sunday Times Travel Magazine, TNT, Overseas, Time Out, Travel Mail, The Linguist, Matchbox, and International Travel and Tourism News. She has also written for travel guidebooks and websites.

  Travelers' Tales got its start in 1993 when travel writers James O'Reilly and Larry Habegger teamed up with writer and publisher (and James's brother) Tim O'Reilly to produce a new kind of travel book, one that would paint a portrait of a country through the experiences of many travelers. Through true stories, these books would give readers a depth of understanding that can only come from people who have been there. Reading each book would be like sitting in a cafe filled with fellow travelers swapping tales about the place you're headed next - you come out changed, and eager for more. http://travelerstales.com/

Sean O'Reilly is director of special sales and editor-at-large for Travelers' Tales. He is a former seminarian, stockbroker, and prison instructor with a degree in Psychology. Author of the controversial book on men's behavior, How to Manage Your DICK, he is also the inventor of a safety device known as Johnny Upright. A life-long devotee of good humor and all things sacred and profane, his recent editorial credits include: Travelers' Tales China, The Best Travelers' Tales 2004, Hyenas Laughed at Me and Now I Know Why, Travelers' Tales American Southwest, Travelers' Tales Greece, Travelers' Tales Ireland, Travelers' Tales Grand Canyon, Danger!, Pilgrimage, The Ultimate Journey, and Testosterone Planet. Widely traveled, Sean most recently completed a journey through the islands of the South Pacific. He lives in Virginia with his wife and six children.

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