2007 News:

 Aurealis magazine Australia Council grant for 2008

Aurealis magazine has been successful in its grant application from the Australia Council Literature Board for 2008. This will mean increased pay rates for Australian authors appearing in issues #41 and #42 to be published in 2008. Now is the time to send us your best story for consideration. See our guidelines. Now is also the time to take out a subscription to Aurealis as our policy has always been to fast-track the reading and evaluation of submissions from subscribers.

 Aurealis Awards Finalists announced

Congratulations to the finalists for the 2007 Aurealis Awards!

Winners will be announced at the Aurealis Awards ceremony at the Judith Wright Centre of Contemporary Arts in Brisbane on Saturday 26 January 2008.

best science fiction novel
Marianne De Pierres, Dark Space, Orbit
Jack Heath, Remote Control, Pan Macmillan
David Kowalski, The Company of the Dead, Pan Macmillan
Sean Williams, Saturn Returns, Orbit
best science fiction short story
Simon Brown, ‘Lonely as Life’, Fantastic Wonder Stories, Ticonderoga Publications
Penelope Love, ‘Whitey’, Shadow Plays, Elise Bunter
Chris McMahon, ‘The Eyes of Erebus’, Daikaiju! 2 – Revenge of the Giant Monsters, Agog! Press
Cat Sparks, ‘Arctica’, Fantastic Wonder Stories, Ticonderoga Publications
Cat Sparks, ‘Hollywood Roadkill’, On Spec, #69
best fantasy novel
Jennifer Fallon, The Gods of Amyrantha, The Tide Lords Book Two, Harper Collins/Voyager
Lian Hearn, Heaven’s Net is Wide, Tales of the Otori The First Book, Hachette Livre
Sylvia Kelso, The Moving Water, Book 2 of the Rihannar Chronicles, Thomson Gale
Glenda Larke, Song of the Shiver Barrens, The Mirage Makers Book Three, Harper Collins/Voyager
Michael Pryor, Heart of Gold, Second Volume of The Laws of Magic, Random House
best fantasy short story
R J Astruc, ‘The Perfume Eater’, Strange Horizons, #16
Adam Browne, ‘An Account of an Experiment by Adam Browne’, Orb Speculative Fiction, #7
Garth Nix, ‘Sir Hereward and Mister Fitz go to War Again’, Jim Baen’s Universe, April 2007
Angela Slatter, ‘The Angel Wood’, Shimmer, November 2006
Cat Sparks, ‘A Lady of Adestan’, Orb Speculative Fiction, #7
best horror novel
The panel of judges for this division declined to select a short list from the nominated works.
However, the winning novel will be announced at the ceremony.
best horror short story
Terry Dowling, ‘Toother’, Eclipse, #1
Richard Harland, ‘Special Perceptions’, At Ease with the Dead, Ash-Tree Press
Rick Kennett, ‘The Dark and What It Said’, Andromeda Spaceways Inflight Magazine, #28
Ben Peek, ‘Black Betty’, Lone Star Stories, #23
Anna Tambour, ‘The Jeweller of Second-Hand Roe’, Subterranean, #7
best young adult novel
Kate Constable, Taste of Lightning, Allen & Unwin
Anthony Eaton, Skyfall, UQP
Juliet Marillier, Cybele’s Secret, Pan Macmillan
Michael Pryor, Heart of Gold, Second Volume of The Laws of Magic, Random House
Scott Westerfeld, Extras, Simon Pulse
best young adult short story
Deborah Biancotti, ‘A Scar for Leida’, Fantastic Wonder Stories, Ticonderoga Publications
Shane Jiraiya Cummings, ‘Yamabushi Kaidan and the Smoke Dragon’, Fantastic Wonder Stories, Ticonderoga Publications
Garth Nix, ‘Bad Luck, Trouble, Death and Vampire Sex’, Eclipse, #1
Garth Nix, ‘Holly and Iron’, Dark Alchemy, Allen & Unwin
Tracey Rolfe, ‘Cast Off’, Fantastic Wonder Stories, Ticonderoga Publications
best children’s (8-12 years) long fiction
Isobelle Carmody, A Mystery of Wolves, Penguin Books
Kate Forsyth, The Silver Horse, The Chain of Charms 2, Pan Macmillan
Kate Forsyth, The Herb of Grace, The Chain of Charms 3, Pan Macmillan
Kate Forsyth, The Cat’s Eye Shell, The Chain of Charms 4, Pan Macmillan
Kate Forsyth, The Lightning Bolt, The Chain of Charms 5, Pan Macmillan
Kate Forsyth, The Butterfly in Amber, The Chain of Charms 6, Pan Macmillan
Emily Rodda, The Key to Rondo, Omnibus Books
Carole Wilkinson, Dragon Moon, Black Dog Books
best children’s (8-12 years) short fiction
Luke Edwards, Ock Von Fiend, Omnibus Books
Anna Fienberg & Barbara Fienberg, Tashi and The Mixed Up Monster, Allen & Unwin
Marc McBride, World of Monsters, Scholastic Australia
Briony Stewart, Kumiko and the Dragon, UQP

The Aurealis Awards Gala Ceremony will be held on 26 January 2008.
For ticket info or more detail on the Aurealis Awards, visit the website:
www.aurealisawards.com

 Australian authors represented in US anthology

Antipodean writers are well represented in Ruins Terra, an anthology with a great Bob Eggleton cover, out from US spec fic publisher Hadley Rille Books. The local authors are Jenny Blackford and Ivan Sun from Melbourne, and Lyn McConchie and Doug Van Belle from New Zealand. Ruins Terra has a US RRP of $13.95. It is available now from online booksellers including Ziesing Books and amazon.co.uk, and it should be available at a discounted price from amazon.com by Christmas.

 Terry Dowling Wins International Award

 SFFANZ awards nominations open

The Sir Julius Vogel sub-committee of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Association of New Zealand  is currently accepting nominations for science fiction and fantasy works first published in the 2007 calendar year.
Nominations open on November 1, 2007 and close on January 26, 2008.
You can find full details about the nomination procedures and rules, including eligibility criteria. Detailed nomination FAQ are available.
To make a nomination please email:  sjv_awards@sffanz.sf.org.nz. Please send one nomination per email and include as many contact details as possible for the nominee as well as yourself.
For more information about SFFANZ and the SJV Awards, please go to the SFFANZ web-site.

 National Writing Competition

    Saturday 1 December: IP Picks National Writing Competition for Unpublished Manuscripts closes. Now in its seventh year, the IP Picks national writing competition is now open for submissions! Offering royalty publication to the winners in the Best Fiction, Best Creative Non-fiction, Best Poetry and Best First Book, the competition offers an excellent opportunity for established and emerging authors to be published with one of Australia's leading independent publishers. Highly Commended and Commended entries are also considered for publication. To see the conditions and download an entry form, and to view past winners, please go to http://www.ipoz.biz/ip/ip_picks.htm

 Local SF writers at Northcote library

Thursday, 25 October: Speculative Fiction Reading. Lucy Sussex, Andrew Macrae and Jane Routley, three local Science Fiction and Fantasy writers, will read from their work at the Northcote Library as part of the Northern Notes Writers Festival. 32-38 Separation Street Northcote, 6:30 – 7:30pm. This is a free event – all welcome.

 Lucy Sussex Speculative Fiction class

Speculative Fiction
with Lucy Sussex
Workshop: How do you speculate in fiction? Can you write science fiction without being a scientist? And how can crazy ideas be turned into credible stories? This workshop is aimed at beginning to intermediate writers of the non-realistic, the futuristic, and the fabulous. It will discuss and provide exercises in ideas creation, story development, creating an alternate world, and workshopping fictions. Writers are required to bring along a favourite example of science fiction writing, and a story idea. They are also required to submit a sample of their fiction (no more than 1000 words), prior to the workshop. Learn how to let your imagination play, and have the great fun of turning ideas into narratives.

For further information and Lucy’s bio visit the Victorian Writers Centre website and click on upcoming events and training courses

When: Saturday 6 October, 10am-4pm
Where: VWC Space 1st floor Nicholas Blg 37 Swanston St Melbourne
Cost: Non-member $130, VWC Member $90 / $80VWC conc
Bookings: 9654 9068

 Orbit Australia open to submissions

Bernadette Foley, Publisher, Orbit Australia is reading submissions for the new Australian SF imprint and remarked, "My colleague Deonie Fiford and I are reading the submissions. We would prefer full manuscripts rather than sample chapters and an outline. And we would also like the author to include some information about themselves."

Ms Foley told Aurealis, "The three most important points are:

1. People need to be patient. We will read everything we receive but it will take time.
2. If submissions are to be returned we need correctly stamped self-addressed envelopes.
3. And, we would prefer hardcopies rather than emails as they are easier to keep track of."

Send manuscripts to:
Bernadette Foley, Orbit Australia, Hachette Livre, Level 17, 207 Kent Street, Sydney 2000

 Agog! Press announces plans for new SF anthology

    Agog! Press is pleased to announce a new anthology of speculative fiction to be launched at Swancon 2008. Working title 'Canterbury 2100', edited by Dirk Flinthart, is open for submissions from Australian and New Zealand authors until 1 December 2007. Standard manuscript formatting applies. Payment offered: AUS $30 plus a copy of the anthology. Email your submissions as .rtf or .doc files to Dirk Flinthart at: canterbury2100 at gmail.com

 Kate Forsyth's latest books previewed on YouTube

Kate Forsyth has been inspired by Ian Irvine, Suzanne Gervay and Deb Abela and her other techno-proficient friends. She got Pan Macmillan to do a TV ad for The Chain of Charms books. I hope you'll all go and check it out!

 Generation next: A masterclass with Cory Doctorow

Given that fans of science fiction were early adopters of technology, digital rights activist, blogger and science fiction novelist, Cory Doctorow sees cyberspace as the ideal home for the genre. The award-winning author has published three science fiction novels, which are available for free download from the internet (craphound.com). Leading by example, Cory has championed the need to bring copyright issues in line with the online environment of C21.

Date: Saturday 25 August 2007
Time: 10am - 4pm
Cost: Full: $195, Concession: $175
Venue: City Museum
Event: #202 

Date: 26 August 2007
Time: 11.30am - 12.30pm
Venue: Merlyn Theatre
Cost: Full $18/ Concession $15
Event: #350

Bookings: Malthouse box office.

 Re-release of Australian YA fantasy trilogy on CD

The Shalott trilogy, by Felicity Pulman and published by Random House has now been re-released by Louis Braille Audio as a set of CDs.  The Shalott trilogy tells the story of five Australian teenagers who go back in time to rewrite a legend and save the life of 'the Lady of Shalott' (Elaine of Astolat).  In doing so, they hope also to avert the doom of Camelot.  Instead, they rewrite their own lives with ramifications for the future.

 New website for Sean McMullen

Sean McMullen has a new site up and running which features his new YA novel, a time-slip called Before the Storm. It's set in Melbourne in 1901. The book is receiving great reviews, the latest being in The Courier-Mail and Good Reading. Before the Storm is published by Ford Street Publishing Pty Ltd.

 Ian Irvine's latest book trailer on YouTube

The trailer to Ian Irvine's latest children's book about Runcible Jones can now be viewed on YouTube. This trailer was created by Ian's son, Simon. Most book trailers are pretty ordinary but a lot of effort into this one.

 Australian Book Industry Award for Shaun Tan

Shaun Tan's amazing book The Arrival continues to pick up award after award. Not content with a 2006 Aurealis Award, The Arrival has also picked up shortlistings and awards in the following:

Shortlisted, APA Design Awards Year: 2007 Prize: Best Designed Childrens Picture Book
Winner, Western Australian Premier's Book Awards Year: 2007 Prize: WA Premier's Award and Children's Prize
Winner, Book Data/ABA Book of the Year Year: 2007 Prize: Book of the Year for Older Children
Shortlisted, Children's Book of the Year Awards Year: 2007 Prize: Picture Book of the Year
Winner, NSW Premier's literary award Year: 2007 Prize: Ethel Turner Prize for Young People's Literature and Book of the Year.

And now The Arrival has picked up Australian Book of the year for Older Children from the Australian Book Industry Awards.

All of us associated with Aurealis magazine would like to congratulate Shaun for his wonderful achievements.

 First Australian to publish Cthulhu novel

David Conyers has become the first Australian to have his Cthulhu novel published in the United States by Chaosium Inc. The Cthulhu Mythos was made famous by horror author H P Lovecraft.

The Spiralling Worm is a series of interlinked stories of two government agents fighting the cosmic horros and alien monsters that Lovecraft created. David said, "One aspect of The Spiralling Worm that I'm proud of is that my protagonist, Major Harrison Peel, is a Royal Australian Army intelligence Officer, transposed into a gloal setting. Chaosium were very suppostive of keeping him as an Australian character, when they could so easily adapted him as an American character."

David has been making a name for himself recently with his science fiction and horror writing, being nominated for Aurealis and Ditmar awards. A recent science fiction story has been nominated for the Irish Aeon Awards.

 Orbit takes off in Australia

Hachette Australia recently announced that Bernadette Foley had been appointed the Publisher of the new  Orbit Australia science fiction and fantasy imprint. At this stage it appears that Hachette Australia’s policy remains that all manuscript submissions must be submitted via a literary agent.

Read Tim Holman, Publishing Director, on Orbit in Australia. Tim is based in Orbit's New York offices. He is responsible for the imprint worldwide.

 Two Aussies on International Horror Guild Awards Short List

 Sophie Masson blogs on!

Sophie Masson is writing a guest blog spot this week on the Good Reading website. It is about the problems writers face creating villans that don't break PC rules - prompted by and article and speech by Anthony Horowitz. Obviously once Sophie starting blogging she couldn't stop!

http://www.goodreadingmagazine.com.au/blog/index.cfm

 Ditmar awards 2007

Congratulations to all the winners and nominees for the 2007 Ditmar Awards.

The presentation of the Ditmar Awards, for work published in the previous calendar year (2006), was held Saturday 9th June, at Convergence 2, the 46th National SF Convention.

Novel

• Carnies. Martin Livings, Lothian
• Prismatic. Edwina Grey, Lothian
• The Mother. Brett McBean, Lothian
• The Pilo Family Circus. Will Elliot, ABC Books (W)
• The Silver Road. Grace Dugan, Penguin

• Aftermath. David Conyers, Agog! Ripping Reads, Agog! Press
• The Dead of Winter. Stephen Dedman, Weird Tales, #339
• The Devil in Mr Pussy (Or how I found God inside my wife). Paul Haines, C0ck, Couer de Lion Publishing (W)
• The Souls of Dead Soldiers are for Blackbirds, Not Little Boys. Ben Peek, Agog! Ripping Reads, Agog! Press
• Under the Red Sun. Ben Peek, Fantasy Magazine #4, Prime Books
• World’s Whackiest Upper Atmosphere Re-Entry Disasters Dating Game. Brendan Duffy, Agog! Ripping Reads, Agog! Press
• (Fifth place nomination a tie)

• Burning from the Inside. Paul Haines, Doorways for the Dispossessed, Prime Books
• Cold. Kirstyn McDermott, Shadowed Realms #9
• Honeymoon. Adam Browne and John Dixon, C0ck, Couer de Lion Publishing
• Surrender 1: Rope Artist. Deborah Biancotti, Shadowed Realms #9
• The Bat's Boudoir. Kyla Ward, Shadowed Realms #9
• The Fear of White. Rjurik Davidson, Borderlands #7 (W)
• (Fifth place nomination a tie)

• Agog! Ripping Reads edited by Cat Sparks. Agog! Press
• C0ck edited by Keith Stevenson & Andrew Macrae
• Doorways for the Dispossessed edited by Paul Haines and Geoffrey Maloney, Prime Books
• The Year’s Best Australian Science Fiction and Fantasy Vol.2 edited by Bill Congreve & Michelle Marquardt, Mirrordanse Books (W)
• Eidolon I edited by Jonathan Strahan and Jeremy Byrne, Eidolon Books

• 26Lies/1Truth, cover art by Andrew MacRae, Wheatland Press (W)
• Agog! Ripping Reads, cover art by Cat Sparks, Agog! Press
• Daughters of Earth: Feminist Science Fiction in the Twentieth Century cover art by Cat Sparks, Wesleyan University Press
• The Devoured Earth, cover art by Greg Bridges, HarperCollins Press
• The Arrival, cover art by Shaun Tan, Lothian

• Stephanie Gunn
• Shane Jiraiya Cummings
• Danny Oz (W)
• Miranda Siemienowicz
• Mark Smith-Briggs
• Matthew Tait
• (Fifth place nomination a tie)

• Christopher Johnstone
• Jon Swabey (W)

• ASif website, Alisa Krasnostein – Executive Editor (W)
• Inkspillers website, Tony Plank
• Outland, Directed by John Richards
• Tabula Rasa website, David Carroll
• The Bullsheet website & ezine, Edwina Harvey & Ted Scribner

• AntipodeanSF, editor Ion Newcombe
• ASIF – Australian Specfic in Focus, editor Alisa Krasnostein
• The Captain's Log, Austrek clubzine. Edited by Clare McDonald
• Ethel the Aardvark, MSFC clubzine
• HorrorScope, editor Shane Jiraiya Cummings (W)

• Angelia Challis for establishing Brimstone Press as a mass market publisher
• Bill Congreve for Mirrordanse Press and 2 issues of the Australian Year’s Best Science Fiction and Fantasy (W)
• Russell B Farr for Ticonderoga Publications
• Gary Kemble for work on ABC’s Articulate and promoting the genre through radio and other mediums
• Alisa Krasnostein for providing new paying markets for readers and writers of both fiction/ non fiction, art as well as forums for reviews/interviews within the speculative fiction genre, enhancing the profile of Australian speculative fiction.
• Justine Larbalestier, for editing Daughters of Earth: Feminist Science Fiction in the Twentieth Century

• Marty Young for his work establishing and promoting the Australian Horror Writers Association
• Alisa Krasnostein for establishing ASIf (W)
• Tony Plank for establishing and maintaining the Inkspillers website

• Stephanie Campisi
• David Conyers
• Shane Jiraiya Cummings
• Alisa Krasnostein (W)
• Brett McBean

• Miranda Siemienowicz for her review of Paraspheres appearing in Horrorscope
• Justine Larbalestier for Daughters of Earth: Feminist Science Fiction in the Twentieth Century (W)
• Robert Hood for Man and Super-Monster: A History of Daikaiju Eiga and its Metaphorical Undercurrents. Borderlands #7
• Grant Watson for Bad Film Diaries - Sink or Swim: The Truth Behind Waterworld. Borderlands #8
• Kathryn Linge for her review Through Soft Air, ASif

 Aurealis Awards Director Announced

    Ron Serdiuk has been announced as the new director of the Aurealis Awards for 2007. Ron began his career as bookseller with Galaxy Bookshop in Sydney before joining the sales division of HarperCollins, Scholastic and the National Gallery of Australia. In 1995 he opened his own bookshop, Pulp Fiction, in Brisbane which specialises in science fiction. fantasy, horror and crime fiction. Pulp Fiction sponsors the Golden Aurealis Award.

 Sophie Masson's new blog spot

Sophie Masson, prolific fanasy author and aurealis contributor, has started a new blog for her new younger readers fantasy series - the Thomas Trew series. It's intended to give extra information on the series and to provide a contact point with readers. Sophie says, "It's a bit of an experiment, so we'll see how it goes!"

 Aurealis Awards looking for new Director

Expressions of interest are being sought for two positions as Director and Assistant Director of the 2007 Aurealis Awards. Information on the positions can be found on the Aurealis Awards website.

 New Alastair Reynolds interview

An interview conducted by Aurealis Art Director, Andrew McKiernan with Alastair Reynolds can be found at the interviews section of the website.

Alastair Reynolds was in Australia this year to promote his new books, Galactic North and Pushing Ice published by Gollancz. Born in North Wales, Alastair Reynolds has a Ph.D. in astronomy and since 1991 has lived in the Netherlands where he works as an astrophysicist for the European Space Agency. His books have been short listed for major British SF awards. Chasm City won the British Science Fiction Award.

 New to the Aurealis website

We've added two new sections to the Aurealis website.

Go to Aurealis interviews and read interviews with top Australian and international SF authors such as Damien Broderick and Aurealis "old girl" Trudi Canavan. Coming in March is an interview with internatinally renowned Hard SF author Alastair Reynolds.

Go to the book reviews section of the website to access rviews of the latest SF books form Australia and around the world.

Subscribers are able to access these features in aurealisXpress, our monthly ebulletin months before all regular visitors to the website.

Subscribers also have the benefit of winning great prizes in aurealisXpress each month. Next month we'll be giving away an entire collection of Alastair Reynolds books, including Revelation Space and Pushing Ice, thanks to Gollancz and Hachette Livre Australia. Two lucky winners this month will each win two Doctor Who audio books, courtesy of ABC Books.

Be sure to subscribe to Aurealis to access these benefits.

 The 2006 Aurealis Awards winners

The 2006 Aurealis Award winners were announced at a ceremony in Brisbane on the 27th of January. All of us involved with Aurealis magazine and Chimaera Publications heartily congratulate award winners and all who entered their work into the Aurealis Awards.

The winners for 2006 are:
Science Fiction novel
K-Machines by Damien Broderick (Avalon)

Science Fiction short story
"The Seventh Letter" by Sean Williams (Bulletin Summer Reading Edition)

Fantasy novel
Wildwood Dancing by Juliet Marillier (Pan Macmillan)

Fantasy short story
"A Fine Magic" by Margo Lanagan (Eidolon 1)

Horror novel [tie]
The Pilo Family Circus by Will Elliott (ABC Books)
Prismatic by Edwina Grey (Lothian)

Horror short story
"Dead of Winter" by Stephen Dedman (Weird Tales)

Young Adult novel
Monster Blood Tattoo by DM Cornish (Omnibus

Young Adult short story
The Arrival by Shaun Tan (Lothian)

Childrens novel
Melissa, Queen of Evil by Mardi McConnochie (Pan Macmillan)

Childrens short story [tie]
"The True Story of Mary Who Wanted to Stand on Her Head" by Jane Godwin (Allen & Unwin)
"Woolvs in the Sitee" by Margaret Wild & Anne Spudvilas (Penguin)

Golden Aurealis novel
The Pilo Family Circus by Will Elliott (ABC Books)

Golden Aurealis short story
The Arrival by Shaun Tan (Lothian)

Peter McNamara Convenors Award
Bill Congreve

 Aurealis magazine Australia Council grant for 2007

Aurealis magazine has been successful in its grant application from the Australia Council Literature Board for 2007. This will mean increased pay rates for authors appearing in issues #38 and #39 to be published in 2007. Now is the time to send us your best story for consideration. See our guidelines. Now is also the time to take out a subscription to Aurealis as our policy has always been to fast-track the reading and evaluation of submissions from subscribers.

 11th annual Aurealis Awards Ceremony

The 11th annual Aurealis Awards Ceremony will be at 6.00pm on Saturday 27th January 2007 at the Judith Wright Centre of Contemporary Arts, 420 Brunswick Street, Fortitude Valley, Queensland.  This event will be teeming with authors, publishers, literary agents and readers, including hosts Kim Wilkins and Sean Williams, US editor Gardner Dozois and Aurealis magazine editor Stuart Mayne.

Everyone is welcome at this celebration of Australian achievement in speculative fiction brought to you by Fantastic Queensland.  Tickets are $27.50 and include post-ceremony tail function where drinks and food will be served. They can be purchased online from the Judith Wright Centre box office (www.jwcoca.qld.gov.au and find the Aurealis Awards under ‘what's on’) or in person from the Judith Wright Centre box office (Ph 07 3872 9000 Monday to Friday 12noon-4pm) or in person from Pulp Fiction bookshop, Brisbane, (Ph 07 3236 2750).  The 2006 Aurealis Awards Short Lists are available on http://www.fantasticqueensland.com/~aurealisawards/home.html.