# Lola Akinmade Åkerström

Lola Akinmade Åkerström is a Nigerian photographer, speaker, travel storyteller and an international author whose books are published in 18 languages. She is based in Stockholm, Sweden. Her work focuses on culture, tradition, and lifestyle.
She is a Hasselblad Heroine and 2018 Bill Muster Travel Photographer of the Year. In January 2024 her novel, Everything is Not Enough, earned a nomination in the Outstanding Literary Work at the NAACP Awards.

## Early life and education

She started her early life in Lagos state in southwest Nigeria, where she completed her early schooling before relocating to the United States at the age of 15. She studied Geography Information System (GIS) and holds a master's degree in information systems at the University of Maryland. At the age of 19, she gained admission to the University of Oxford in England but failed to pursue it because of funding issues. In 2006, Åkerström relocated to Sweden with her husband.

## Career

Her work focuses on culture, tradition, and lifestyle. Åkerström started her career as a field journalist at Eco-Challenge. 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. In October 2009 she resigned her appointment at the GIS world to pursue her passion. 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. In 2012 she participated in the expedition race in Fiji, where she started the combination of her traveling, photography and writing skills. In 2016, she visited the Italian Unesco World Heritage Sites of Sabbioneta and Mantua for exploration.
She has dispatched from more than 70 countries and her work has appeared in publications, online and in print, including National Geographic Traveler, BBC, and CNN, The New York Times, The Guardian, Travel + Leisure, Lonely Planet, Vogue, BBC World Service, National Geographic Traveler, Travel Channel's World Hum, San Francisco Chronicle, Forbes Traveler, Sherman's Travel, Fodors.com, ISLANDS Magazine, United's Hemispheres, AFAR, Guardian UK's Been There, Smithsonian.com, City Magazine, The Away Network, Transitions Abroad, and The Matador Network. She has collaborated with brands such as Dove, Mercedes Benz, Intrepid Travel, Electrolux, and National Geographic Channel.
Her photography is in the National Geographic Image Collection and she is a member of Women Photograph and Wonderful Machine. She was recognized as one of the Most Influential People of African Descent (MIPAD) in Media & Culture, and she runs her own online academy, Geotraveler Media Academy, dedicated to storytelling.
She lives in Sweden, teaches travel writing and is the current editor-in-chief for Slow Travel Stockholm.

## Awards

| Year | Class | Category | Awarding body | Work |
| 2017 | First place | Category 7: History | SATW | Enchanting Odense |
| 2017 | First place | Category 5: Sport or Adventure | SATW | Northern Lights |
| 2017 | First place | Category 4: Food and Wine | SATW | From Sea to Table |
| 2017 | Second place | Category 1: Single Destination | SATW | Stockholm |
| 2017 | First place | Category 1: Single Destination | SATW | Lagos |
| 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) |