2014 Ditmar Award winners announced

Last weekend at Continuum X, the 53rd Australian National Science Fiction Convention in Melbourne, the winners of the 2014 Ditmar Awards were announced. They are:

BEST NOVEL

“Fragments of a Broken Land: Valarl Undead” by Robert Hood (Wildside Press)

BEST NOVELLA OR NOVELETTE

“The Home for Broken Dolls” by Kirstyn McDermott (Caution: Contains Small Parts, Twelfth Planet Press)

BEST SHORT STORY

“Scarp” by Cat Sparks (The Bride Price, Ticonderoga Publications)

BEST COLLECTED WORK

“The Bride Price” by Cat Sparks (Ticonderoga Publications)

BEST ARTWORK

“Rules of Summer” by Shaun Tan (Hachette Australia)

BEST FAN WRITER

Sean Wallace, for body of work, including reviews in Adventures of a Bookonaut

BEST FAN ARTIST

Kathleen Jennings, for body of work.

BEST FAN PUBLICATION IN ANY MEDIUM

Galactic Chat Podcast, Sean Wright, Alex Pierce, Helen Stubbs, David McDonald and Mark Webb

BEST NEW TALENT

Zena Shapter

Congratulations to all the winners and nominees!

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2013 Australian Shadows Awards shortlists announced

Yesterday, the 2013 Australian Shadows Awards shortlists announced. Here they are:

For Edited Publication:

MIDNIGHT ECHO 9, BY GEOFF BROWN
A KILLER AMONG DEMONS, BY CRAIG BEZANT
BABY TEETH – BITE SIZED TALES OF TERROR, BY DAN RABARTS AND LEE MURRAY
STAR QUAKE 1, BY SOPHIE YORKSTON

For Collected Works:

This year, there is no shortlist. In 7 days, the winner will be announced.
(No, this makes no sense to us, either.)

For Short Fiction:

NIP, TUCK, ZIP, PLUCK, BY JOHN PAUL FITCH
FENCE LINES, BY JOANNE ANDERTON
THE NEST, BY C.S. MCMULLEN
CATERPILLARS, BY DEBBIE COWENS
THE DEAD WAY, BY JC HART

For the PAUL HAINES SHADOWS AWARD for LONG FICTION:

SOUL KILLER, BY ROBERT HOOD
THE HOME FOR BROKEN DOLLS, BY KIRSTYN MCDERMOTT
THE UNWANTED WOMEN OF SURREY, BY KAARON WARREN

For Novel:

UNDEAD KELLY, BY TIMOTHY BOWDEN
TOPSIDERS, BY SCOTT TYSON
809 JACOB STREET, BY MARTY YOUNG

Congratulations to all the nominees. The winners will be announced in 7 days.

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Genre Community Open Day : Seeking Exhibitors

[From Notions Unlimited Bookshop]

In keeping with the Notions Unlimited Bookshop philosophy of building Community – both around the shop itself, and putting our customers in touch with the wider Australian genre community – we’re looking at holding a Genre Community Open Day at some point over the next month or so, where our customers can meet with people representing genre-themed products, businesses and events, and learn more about what going on out there.

So: if you’re involved with organising an upcoming sci-fi convention, or are in the process of marketing a short horror film, or publish fantasy fiction, or are making and selling dragon figurines in your spare time, we want to hear from you! Once we have an idea of numbers of potential exhibitors, we’ll be able to let people know about dates, times and costs*.

Contact Chuck at info@notionsunlimitedbookshop or on (03) 9773-1102.

* Costs are likely to be minimal, with a token amount payable by exhibitors to cover hire of tables for the day, etc. Full details will be made available asap.

$30,000 FELLOWSHIP TO SUPPORT NSW WRITERS

MEDIA RELEASE: Thursday 6 February 2014

$30,000 FELLOWSHIP TO SUPPORT NSW WRITERS

Minister for the Arts, George Souris, today called on NSW-based writers to apply for the 2014 NSW Writer’s Fellowship, worth $30,000.

Mr Souris said the fellowship would support a program of professional development for established or mid-career professional writers of fiction, literary non-fiction, children’s and young adult literature, poetry, scripts for performance, literary digital and new media work, and graphic novels.

“This fellowship is being offered as part of the NSW Government’s ongoing support for the professional growth of NSW-based writers,” Mr Souris said.

“The fellowship will provide the writer with new opportunities to progress in their writing career. The money can be used to support national and international travel, mentorships, internships, residencies, short-term workshops, courses and training, research and the creation of new work.

“This is an exciting opportunity for NSW’s talented writers. I particularly encourage writers living in regional communities to apply for the fellowship.”

Mr Souris said the fellowship winner will also have the opportunity to participate in one of two residencies on offer from the State Library of NSW and the City of Sydney.

“The State Library of NSW is offering a residency for up to 12 months including a dedicated desk in the Fellow’s Room, as well as introductions to the Library’s collections experts to assist in their research. The writer will undertake a public engagement about their work during or after the residency, and contribute an article to the Library’s SL Magazine on an aspect of their project.“

The City of Sydney is offering a residency for up to 12 months including studio space and access to places to work in its extensive library network. As part of this residency the writer will undertake a public engagement, such as a talk, reading, question and answer session, workshop or blog.”

The 2014 NSW Writer’s Fellowship is offered by Arts NSW. Applications close on Monday, March 17, 2014. An independent peer assessment panel will assess the applications. The winner of the fellowship will be announced in May 2014.

Further information on the Fellowship can be found at www.arts.nsw.gov.au

Media contact:Hugh Cavill 0408 235 997

A STATE OF FEAR – “HORROR AT THE METCALFE”

Horror writers and librarians from Australia and beyond will get together at the NSW State Library this March, to brainstorm new ways of connecting with readers.

Every year, the NSW Readers Advisory Working Group in collaboration with the State Library of New South Wales runs a seminar on a different literary genre, as part of their Public Library Services. These events are attended by librarians from all parts of New South Wales. They aim to enhance their ability to advise and assist readers who are interested in that kind of fiction.

This year, it’s horror, and attendees have been asked to read at least one horror story, with suggestions encompassing the classics as well as more recent works by Clive Barker, Neil Gaiman and Kelly Link. “I was surprised to find that I’d already read more horror than I’d thought,” says co-coordinator Ellen Forsyth.

The State Library has liaised with the Australian Horror Writer’s Association to provide an intriguingly varied program. Kaaron Warren, multi-award-winning author of the likes of Slights and The Grinding House will prove that horror writers are quite nice people really, with serious things to say about the world. Author, actor and long-time State library member Kyla Lee Ward will discuss how libraries and horror writers can assist each other, and the work of the AHWA and its American counterpart.

With local stalwart Keith Whelan presenting on writing horror and Becky Siegel (author of The Readers Advisory Guide to Horror) skyping in from Illinois, this promises to be a lively and surprising day, with the potential to create ongoing links between writers and what is now more than ever, the vital gateway of the library.

Horror at the Metcalfe
Public Library Services
Wednesday, 12 March 2014 from 9:30 AM to 4:00 PM (EST)
Sydney, NSW

Attendance is limited to professional librarians, but AHWA members interested in putting themselves forward for library visits are asked to contact Kyla on kylaw [@] tabula-rasa.info

ScaryState

Keeping Books Alive is on again

The Australian Children’s Literary Board and Creative Net are proud to present Keeping Books Alive, a  professional development seminar designed to inform and inspire primary and secondary school teachers and librarians, municipal librarians, literacy support professionals and those interested in promoting literacy.

When: FRIDAY, 30 MAY 2014
Venue: City of Greater Dandenong Civic Centre and Library,
225 Lonsdale Street, Dandenong,
Victoria

Speakers include Kevin Burgemeestre, Gary Crew, Meredith Costain, Tom Danby, Leigh Hobbs, Tristan Bancks, and Deborah Abela.

Features of the day include specialist bookstalls, lively discussions and debates, lucky door prizes, networking opportunities with like-minded colleagues, 10% discount vouchers valid for all of 2014 from INT BOOKS, and much more.

Registration forms and further information can be found at: http://www.fordstreetpublishing.com/cnet/images/stories/downloads/keeping-books-alive-2014.pdf

Wolf Creek Author signing

[From Notions Unlimited Bookshop]

With the release of WOLF CREEK 2 due next month in Australian cinemas, Notions Unlimited Bookshop is proud to present the following event, to celebrate the release of Penguin’s WOLF CREEK prequel novel series:

Aaron Sterns (writer of WOLF CREEK 2, and co-author, with Greg McLean, of WOLF CREEK : ORIGIN), and Brett McBean (co-author, with Greg McLean, of WOLF CREEK : DESOLATION GAME) will be signing copies of their respective novels in-store.

Venue: Notions Unlimited Bookshop, 426 Nepean Hwy, Chelsea
Date: Saturday 1st Feb 2014
Time: Starts 4pm

Wine & Nibbles – plus some bloody surprises! – provided on the night.

This will be a FREE event, but space is strictly limited, so do please contact us to book your place.

info@notionsunlimitedbookshop.com  /  03-9773-1102