To raise funds for SpecFaction NSW, the new hosts of the Aurealis Awards, some of the biggest names in Australian speculative fiction have donated their books to be sold on Ebay!Where else can you buy an original print from Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld or a bundle of autographed fantasy, science fiction, or horror novels from a huge list of Aussie authors including; Sara Douglass, Ian Irvine, Sean Williams and Shane Dix, Traci Harding, Karen Miller, Stephen M. Irwin, Nathan Burrage, Richard Harland, Marianne De Pierres, Angela Slatter, Kate Forsyth, Isabel Merlin, Sophie Masson, Jack Dann, Kaaron Warren, Shane Jiraiya Cummings, and Kirstyn McDermott?The autographed books are being auctioned off in five book bundles. For a complete description of the contents of each bundle, or to bid on one of these great items, refer to the list of Ebay item numbers below and make sure you place your bid between 16…
Aurealis awards night
Scored myself another award last Saturday night. I’m pictured here with fellow winner, the lovely Paul Haines. Full photo set here. Full list of winners here.A ripper night was had by all. There was even a teeny light sabre duel between Jedi Williams and Darth Hood!How awesome were the Tiki drinks in the bar afterwards!Rob, Cat & Angie RegaB: Angela Slatter and Lisa BennettF: Abigail Nathan and Karen MillerDonna Hanson, Glenda Larke and Nicole MurphyAngela Slatter, Ron Serdiuk and Helen MerrickPeter BallCaz Tebbutt, Kaaron Warren & Deb BiancottiSean Williams and Scott Westerfeld with big drinksTrudi Canavan
Viva Brisvegas!
It’s that time of the year again — Aurealis Awards weekend in Brisbane when the who’s who of Australian spec fic frock up and descend on Fortitude Valley in their droves. This will be the last time the hurrah will be hosted by Fantastic Queensland. I’m not sure what’s going to become of it so I’m thinking we need to see this one out with a bang rather than a whimper.A lot of bitching and moaning often accompanies awards: what value do they truly serve? Are they rigged, fixed, biased or just an old load of toss? Do they affect sales figures? Does anybody give a flying fuck? The AAs have been good to me. I’ve served as a judge twice, had stories nominated seven times, taken home a trophy twice, as well as a Golden Aurealis and the convener’s award. What did all these trophies do for my career…
a few photos
Here are the snaps I took before my focusing mechanism threw in the towelRob Hood, Keith Stevenson, Jack Dann and Donna HansonKaren Miller, Lisa Bennett and Angela SlatterTehani Wessely, Tansy Roberts & Alisa Krasnostein
Aurealis Awards 2008
Generally speaking, I think if you are nominated for an award and you bother to attend the ceremony, it’s good manners to have a speech prepared, just in case. I hate it when folks get up on stage and say ‘ooh, I never dreamed I’d be the winner.’ Fortunately I managed to blurble some appropriate thanks to Paper Cities editor Ekaterina Sedia and Senses Five Press when I got up to accept the best short fantasy award on Saturday night, but the serious achievement was not falling off my high heels and tumbling down the stairs to break my neck. Note to future self: if nominated, don’t sit in back row, just in case…I must admit to being very disappointed that Rob didn’t win best collection. He lost to the ever awesome and gracious Sean Williams who acknowledged Rob in his speech (and who we were sharing an apartment with!).…
well bugger me ragged!
So here’s me holding my two beautiful Aurealis awards, still in their boxes because I was too over excited to risk taking them out and dropping them all over the concrete balcony. I was utterly stoked to win not only the AA for best SF short story (Hollywood Roadkill), but the golden AA for best short story overall. So stoked, I was rendered speechless in my speech. Which, as you know, doesn’t often happen to me. More photos of the big night here.I am also very pleased with what the judges’ report had to say about ‘Hollywood Roadkill’:”A powerful, emotive, and vividly written story. Most impressive is the fact that its power lies not so much in the tightly plotted foreground and events but in the dark message of the world intimated in the background. In a short space this story creates a vivid world, marked by substantial themes, and…