Travel Scholarships

In this adventure classic, a group of students traveling from London to the Caribbean don’t know escaped convicts have hijacked their ship.

“Travel Scholarships is a found treasure. An unexpected treat that will fascinate many a Verne fan, and those interested in a nautical adventure yarn as well.” —Peter Schulman, author of The Sunday of Fiction: The Modern French Eccentric

Nine students from London's Antillean School receive travel scholarships to visit their island homelands in the Caribbean. Accompanied by their eccentric Latin professor, they set sail on what they expect to be a thrilling educational voyage. Little do they realize that, prior to their arrival on board, their ship had been hijacked by escaped convicts who murdered its original captain and crew . . .

First published in 1903, Travel Scholarships is the only novel by the legendary Jules Verne that has never been available in English until now. Although ostensibly written for an adolescent audience, its suspense-filled plot, sophisticated narrative style, and critique of European colonialism make it an engrossing read for all ages.

“Stylistically and narratively complex and unsparing in its depictions of menace and violence, Travel Scholarships gives further evidence that Verne’s reputation as primarily a children’s author has to be opened to nuance and even outright contestation, even when he is writing for children.” —Terry Harpold, author of Ex-foliations: Reading Machines and the Upgrade Path