2010 News:
Aurealis 42 shortlisted for Shadows award
The Australian Horror Writers Association (AHWA) has selected thirteen of the best and scariest works of horror fiction from 2009 as the finalists in the annual Australian Shadows Award, the highest honour for horror, dark fantasy, and paranormal fiction in Australia and New Zealand. And one of those is Aurealis issue 42 in the edited publication category.
More information can be found at the Australian Horror Writers Association website.
Competitions, Interviews and more from Twitter
Recent links of interest @AurealisXpress:
The latest issue of aurealisXpress is out for Aurealis subscribers. Includes an interview with Garth Nix and, thanks to Madman Entertainment, a competition to win the 1960s classic cartoon Gigantor, Collection 1 and the Korean disaster movie, Haeundae on DVD
Cartoon Network will air “Deltora Quest” animated series in April http://bit.ly/b6dM5i
@KathLangrish interviews Kate Forsyth for "An Australian Perspective...about writing fantasy" http://bit.ly/dijoVB
LA Times announces 2009 Book Prize finalists | Sean Tan nominated in Young Adult Lit for Tales from Outer Suburbia http://bit.ly/aEhTHO
Meet Melina Marchetta at SLV March 14th http://bit.ly/bCy83l also a the short video interview with Melina.
Syd Mead, concept artist for Blade Runner, Tron, Aliens, Star Trek, will appear at the Orpheum in March http://bit.ly/cfBef
Foz Meadows on Solace and Grief @ Fancy Goods http://bit.ly/cQpQiT
Paul Collins interview @ KidsLife | The stuff of legends: writing for the world of fantasy adventure http://bit.ly/c3N42M
Maria V Snyder interviews Glenda Larke http://bit.ly/bGHJyT plus a contest to win The Last Stormlord
Trespass Magazine (@trespassmag) interview with Foz Meadows http://bit.ly/dlg0IC
February has been Aussie Month at The Clock Monkey: Interviews & Reviews of Australian authors http://bit.ly/a9xdlH ~ thx to @EllaPress
"Keeping the magic alive: Australia and eBooks" by @renailemay http://bit.ly/d2d3p0 ~ thanks to @KimFalconer
Garth Nix joins Mary Pope Osborne, Cory Doctorow & Mindy Klasky on The Author Hour http://bit.ly/bfITr0 audio & transcript
Margo Lanagan’s (@MargoLanagan) workshop Blood, Boggarts and Battlestars: An Introduction to Speculative Fiction, 6th March @ NSWWC http://bit.ly/c4wc4r
Tor.com interview with Garth Nix from late last year. I missed this one at the time.http://bit.ly/ckUYSI
Paul Haines has (Aurealis Award winning) Wives & A Spot of Liver avail. at his website for your consideration http://bit.ly/cbJfkE
You can pick up free e-copies of Horn, A Book of Endings and Siren Beat from Twelfth Planet Press till March http://bit.ly/cl67TH
90 interviews for the 2010 Australian Specfic Snapshot! Here's the roundup by @kathrynlinge: http://bit.ly/9phNvH
Here's Stuart Mayne’s (@AurealisEd) 2010 Australian Specfic Snapshot interviewhttp://bit.ly/bQcdkf
2009 Nebula Awards Nominations: http://tinyurl.com/ycfxheq
Writers Read: Narrelle Harris http://bit.ly/d9YDke
ABC RN's Lingua Franca talks to the creator of the Na'vi language
(Avatar).http://bit.ly/dcdQX9 Stream or download, also transcript available.
The Small Picture Podcast interviews KJ Taylor (The Griffin's Flight) http://bit.ly/aCD0Av
Sean Williams Interview @ The Long Write Blog http://bit.ly/9pLtGM
Joel Shepherd interview @nethspace http://bit.ly/cWnv9y
Patrick Ness Oz/NZ Tour details http://bit.ly/cub0uX
February's Australian Speculative Fiction Carnival is up at Ripping Ozzie Reads http://bit.ly/aq4YRw
NSW Writers' Centre has an interview with Margo Lanagan (@margolanagan) in their February Newsletter http://bit.ly/bY5bar
Garth Nix is February's Writer in Residence at insideadog.com.au. His first post is here:http://bit.ly/9ZB9KN
Up now TISF 16: Matthew Chrulew reads 'Beast Machine Fableaux', Keith reviews The Terminator Gene. Free at www.tisf.com.au or iTunes.
Launch of @fozmeadows Solace & Grief by @ScottWesterfeld at Books Kinokuniya, Sydney, March 7 at 12.30pm http://bit.ly/aXp1025
Entries open for the 2010 Katharine Susannah Prichard SF Awards
Entries are now being accepted for the 2010 Katharine Susannah Prichard Speculative Fiction Awards.
Writers of all ages are invited to submit their work. A fee per manuscript of $7.00 applies, however young writers under 20 years are particularly encouraged to enter and may submit their work for FREE!
Cash prizes are awarded, and winners will be invited to read at the Awards Ceremony on Sunday 15 August 2010 at KSP Writers Centre.
Stories must be between 1500 and 3500 words, with all forms of Speculative Fiction welcomed.
Syd Mead, concept artist tours Australia
In conjunction with the premiere viewing of the award winning film Visual Futurist - the life and work of Syd Mead at the Hayden Orpheum Picture Palace in Cremorne, on 18 March, 2010; celebrated concept artist, Syd Mead worked on such films as Blade Runner, Tron, Aliens and Star Trek will be interviewed live on stage.
Book tickets at the Hayden Orpheum Picture Palace.
Stargate convention. Meet the cast!
The first weekend of March is looking to be very exciting for Sci/fi fans of Australia. The Hub productions are hosting a Stargate convention and have managed to secure one of the most impressive Stargate lineups ever seen, not only just in Australia, but worldwide.
The event will be held on March 6th in Sydney and March 7th in Melbourne and people can visit www.thehubproductions.com for more information or to purchase tickets. Alternatively they can call on 02 9874 7171.
Recent links of interest posted to our Twitter page
ABC RN's The Book Show on Cormac McCarthy's The Road and the movie adaptation. http://bit.ly/bErwyU stream or download
Vote in the David Gemmell Legend Awards - Aussies on the list include Miller, Canavan & Marillier http://tinyurl.com/y9
Deborah Biancotti's story collection A Book of Endings shortlisted in the Crawford Award http://bit.ly/a7tHJs Congrats!
The Small Picture Podcast interviews Duncan Lay http://bit.ly/dqMe1T mp3 or stream
Kylie Chan interview "Blending East with West" at The Straits Times Blogs http://bit.ly/bnGHcY
Two interviews with Foz Meadows: http://tinyurl.com/y868gec & http://fozmeadows.wordpress.com/2010/01/24/it-has-begun/
Sean Williams is "standing for election in SFWA, as Overseas Regional Director on the most excellent Scalzi/Kowal ticket" http://bit.ly/96SCti
Marianne de Pierres http://bit.ly/cc2FfH and Tracey O'hara http://bit.ly/d2DjrQ "show you theirs" at Tara Moss's blog. (Their desks, that is)
Link from last year I missed: Authors from the Apex Book of World SF Discuss the Global Reach of Speculative Fiction http://bit.ly/dxEVAQ
The Small Picture Podcast interviews Kylie Chan http://bit.ly/cClcXg
Kate Forsyth interviewed by Robert Salisbury at the Manly Writers Group. Part 1 of 5 at YouTube http://bit.ly/8lTvbi
Preliminary Bram Stoker Ballot shortlist
Congratulations to Shane Jiraya Cummings and Andrew McKiernan for their shortlisting in the Bram Stoker awards for horror fiction. Cummings (author) and McKiernan (illustration) have picked up their shortlist for superior achievement in a collection. The Bram Stoker awards will be announced later this year.
New Ford St supernatural title
Everyone welcome to Ford Street's launch of Foz Meadows's Solace & Grief at the Carlton Library, 667 Rathdowne Street, Carlton on 20 February at 2pm for 2:30pm. Kirstyn McDermott will be launching it!
Bookseller + Publisher says " a clever and funny supernatural romp, with a chilling underside" and "Solace & Grief is solid and a welcome addition to the burgeoning vampire book market". There's more, but come along and read it for yourself!
If you're living in Sydney, you'll be pleased to know that Scott Westerfeld is launching the book at Books Kinokuniya, Sydney,
Level 2, Galeries Victoria
500 George Street
Sydney on Sunday, March 7 at 12:30pm
RSVP info@fordstreetpublishing.com.
Aurealis Award winners
The Aurealis Award winners were presented at a glittering ceremony in Brisbane on Saturday 24th January. Chimaera Publications and Aurealis magazine would like to congratulate all winners in all categories, but especially Trudi Canavan, Paul Haines, Pamela Freeman and Cat Sparks for their continued success and friendship.
Thanks to Fantastic Queensland
As editor of Aurealis and on behalf of Chimaera Publications I'd like to publically thank all the people associated with Fantastic Queensland over the last six years for the hard work and effort they have put into organising and developing the Aurealis Awards.
All these volunteers associated with Fantastic Queensland have helped bring the wealth of Australian SF talent to the eyes of more and more local readers.
I've been representing Aurealis and Chimaera Publications at the Awards ceremony for the past four years. Over that time I've come to know how hard the organisers work. I'd like to especially like to thank the following: Lea Greenaway for being the first and friendliest face I met in 2007; Ron Serduik for being such an open, responsive and friendly co-ordinator, his unfailing work has been inclusive and supportive to all those eligible for the awards; Kate Eltham who in her quiet and efficient way has been instrumental in turning the Aurealis Awards into a professional event; and finally Damon Cavalchini is a quiet administrator whose dedication to the Awards whose skills are shown at the event, as the entertainment and delivery of the awards has always proceeded seemlessly.
Chimaera Publications is in detailed negotiations with a party to take over running the Aurealis Awards and hope to make public an announcement soon on the new hosting arrangements.
Stuart Mayne, Editor
Time to gain eligibility to nominate for Hugos ends soon
The nominating period for the Hugo Awards commenced 1 January 2010, and nominations must be received by 13 March 2010. However, in order to be eligible to nominate, you must have purchased a membership of the 2010 World Science Fiction Convention (Aussiecon 4) by 31 January 2010 or have been a member of the 2009 World Science Fiction Convention, Anticipation. For more information visit the aussiecon website.Nominations for the Hugo awards open
Nominations for the annual Hugo Awards – considered the ‘Oscars’ of the science fiction and fantasy community – are now open. The winners of these prestigious awards will be announced at a special ceremony at Aussiecon 4, the next World Science Fiction Convention, which will be held in Melbourne 2 - 6 September 2010.Aurealis reviews on the sf site
Jenny Blackford, World Fantasy Awards judge and Aurealis published author kindly sent through the following links to rare reviews of Aurealis:
NZ SF awards open for nominations
The Sir Julius Vogel sub-committee of the Science Fiction & Fantasy Association of New Zealand is currently accepting nominations for science fiction, fantasy or horror works first published or released in the 2009 calendar year.Nominations open on 1 January 2010 and close on 31 March 2010 at 8pm.
New SF writers resource
Aurealis slush reader Mark Turner has started up a new website that aims to act as a conduit for all interested in writing and publishing. Writrade Showcase! is a social network for writers, editors, agents, artists, marketers and promoters, reviewers, and of course all readers and fans of writers and the writing industry.
The site has only been up for a week and has already gained a solid membership.
Links of Interest @AurealisXpress from our December Edition
Recently posted to our Twitter page:
Blasting Through Writer's Block with Kate Forsyth (7 February 2010) NSW Writers Centre http://bit.ly/7zQuEB
From aXp contributor Crisetta: "My story "Numbers" is on twittertales.wordpress.com. An early story, but I'm fond of it!
Latest Terra Incognita SF podcast has Deborah Biancotti reading "Hush" & Keith Stevenson reviews Kaaron Warren's Slights http://bit.ly/LAnUA
ABC's Life Matters Talkback asks listeners "what is it with vampires?" http://bit.ly/8sMXmY Audio available to stream or download.
Joel Shepherd interview at Tor.com | Sasha: Her Sword is Her Power http://bit.ly/4BkYFA
Exclusive Keri Arthur story in the new Spectra Pulse http://bit.ly/5OTqM
Iain Banks talks to The Book Show's Romona Koval about Transition http://bit.ly/4oP1Jp
The Book Show's Off the Shelf segment with China Mieville. Streaming audio or download. http://bit.ly/6YKPws