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.

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.

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

The Aurealis office will be closed from Friday 18 December 2009 and reopen  Monday 11 January 2010.

Friday 18 December will be the last post day for orders before Christmas.

Happy festive season from Aurealis.

The Mayne Press, publisher of Paul Haines' Aurealis Award shortlisted title, Slice of Life has a new website – http://www.themaynepress.com

TMP is publishing Slice of Life as a fundraising venture for the Paul Haines' cancer fund. Support a worthy cause and buy a copy of frighteningly paranoid tales.

Recent links of interest:

Shaun Tan interview @ The Star "Striking, surreal and unsettling" bit.ly/2NBHS

Jonathan Strahan & Jack Dann contribute to SF Signal Mind Meld on creating anthologies bit.ly/HyO8K & bit.ly/b1nbf

At Writer Unboxed blog, Sophie Masson gives her answer to a reader question on "Fairytale as a basis for fantasy" bit.ly/Do1N2

All in the Mind explores The Singularity with scientists and sf author Richard K Morgan bit.ly/gJEKN – mp3 & transcript available.

Michael Pryor was guest poster @ The Random Blog recently. His intro post is here: bit.ly/AzjYD and he continues posting on the subjects of Steampunk, series, history, and more.

Reminder: The Aurealis Awards close Saturday 31 October 2009. Find the nominated works here bit.ly/OaqxG

Reading the text: Joel Shepherd interview at Grinding to Valhalla bit.ly/3NIPbO

Here's the transcript bit.ly/fBweE and video bit.ly/OMOyY (scroll down) of  Jennifer Byrne Presents (First Tuesday Book Club): Monsters and Bloodsuckers

And finally, I'm redesigning the blog. Here's a pic of what I've done so far bit.ly/15mKCa I'd appreciate any comments, either via Twitter or email: ax@aurealis.com.au. Thanks.

Follow us on Twitter here: http://twitter.com/AurealisXpress for more links

Carissa's Weblog

Better late than never, I've uploaded the reviews from our July edition of aXp to LibraryThing. You can find them there or on the front page of our blog. Enjoy.

Carissa's Weblog

Glena Larke's new book The Last Stormlord, the first in the Watergiver trilogy, is being released soon and Voyager Online has let us know that it's available to read online through the HarperCollins Browse Inside application. aXp's reviewer Crisetta MacLeod loved it, as shown in the quote featured in their blogpost. Check out her full review at LibraryThing or at our blog.

Carissa's Weblog

We've started posting links of interest to our Twitter account

New SF TV – DEMONS Thursdays at 8.30pm, from August 27. Encores Fridays at 10am and Sundays at 6.30pm on @scifitv http://bit.ly/nQ82n

Q. Problem with Oz setting in getting a book published in the US? A. from Editorial Anonymous http://bit.ly/B5xf5

Dirk Strasser is in the "Author Spotlight" @fantasymagazine http://bit.ly/k2KTU

Trent Jamieson's "Story of the Three Book Deal" http://bit.ly/DYG0h @ ROR

Flashy new site >> the new Rangers Apprentice website http://www.rangersapprentice.com

Tracey O'Hara will be interviewed on Romance Radio on the 28th http://bit.ly/fUBCz Should be avail. for download soon after

CBCA Award Winners @abcarticulate: Shaun Tan among Children's Book Council winners http://bit.ly/45Oph

Kaaron Warren is one of the authors responding to the Blogging & Social Networking Mind Meld @sfsignal http://tinyurl.com/r9zroq

KJ Taylor's (author of The Dark Griffin) ABC Radio Interview is available http://bit.ly/49ZDM5

Chronos Awards Winners @ the Continuum Blog http://bit.ly/tLrj9

Continuum Reports at The Continuum Blog http://continuum5.blogspot.com

"an epic post-apocalyptic sci-fi love story" audio drama featured in the latest The Lifted Brow mag via @BlackOnline http://bit.ly/cT1AF

25 New and Notable International YA Books http://tinyurl.com/levwf2

Stephen M Irwin touring with The Big Book Club via @BlackOnline http://tinyurl.com/lqws44

Oz SF on the 2009 Inky's Longlist: Worldshaker by Richard Harland and Two Pearls of Wisdom by Alison Goodman http://bit.ly/15lIcE

More items from the ABC that might serve as inspiration for SF Writers; "Do you read me HAL? Robot wars, moral machines and silicon that cares" from All In The Mind. The transcript includes a link to "Robot Love" an "audio adventure" from The Night Air which includes tracks by Forest J Ackerman, The Buggles, and from South Park. See also the lecture by Rodney Brooks "Remaking Manufacturing With Robotics" available at ABC Fora.

Carissa's Weblog