The short list for the 2018 RSL Ondaatje Prize for “a distinguished work of fiction, non-fiction or poetry evoking the spirit of a place” is due to be published on Wednesday morning. All I can say at this stage is that it’s a strong list, with contenders representing all three genres. Watch out for more news on Wednesday. I’ve chosen extracts from the six books for Telegraph Travel, and they should be appearing either this coming weekend or the following one.