An evening of celebration for Australia's magnificent speculative fiction community.
An evening of celebration for Australia's magnificent speculative fiction community.
For those who could not be there…
Saturday, 21st May 2011 was the day set by many doomsday Christians as the beginning of Armageddon, or the Rapture – the taking up into heaven of God’s elect people. It was also the day set for the 2010 Aurealis Awards. As far as I know, no one at the awards was taken anywhere but there was plenty of heavenly rapture – of the earthly kind!
Tracey O'Hara and Nicole R Murphy. © Zena Shapter 2011
A cocktail party kicked off the night, which included two of my favourite things in this world – free drinks and free books! Thank you HarperVoyager!
16th Annual Aurealis Awards, Independent Theatre, North Sydney. © Zena Shapter 2011
North Sydney’s Independent Theatre was then packed with talent as finalists, supporters, editors and fans crossed their fingers and hoped for their favourites.
With so many favourites, the audience was certain to win every time!
Master of Ceremonies, Garth Nix. © Zena Shapter 2011
Garth Nix opened the ceremony, then handed over to co-convenors Nathan Burrage and Susan Wardle.
After an address by Stephanie Smith of HarperVoyager, the awards came thick and fast. And the winners were:
Ian Irvine, presenter of Best Illustrated Book / Graphic Novel. © Zena Shapter 2011
CHILDREN’S FICTION (told primarily through words): The Keepers, Lian Tanner, Allen & Unwin
CHILDREN’S FICTION (told primarily through pictures): The Boy and the Toy, Sonya Hartnett (writer) & Lucia Masciullo (illustrator), Penguin Viking
YOUNG ADULT Short Story: A Thousand Flowers, Margo Lanagan, Zombies Vs Unicorns, Allen & Unwin
YOUNG ADULT Novel: Guardian of the Dead, Karen Healey, Allen & Unwin
BEST ILLUSTRATED BOOK/ GRAPHIC NOVEL: Changing Ways Book 1, Justin Randall, Gestalt Publishing
Kaaron Warren, Finalist for Best Collection "Dead Sea Fruit". © Zena Shapter 2011
BEST COLLECTION: The Girl With No Hands, Angela Slatter, Ticonderoga Publications
BEST ANTHOLOGY: Wings of Fire, edited by Jonathan Strahan & Marianne S. Jablon, Night Shade Books
Richard Harland, winner of Best Horror Short Story "The Fear". © Zena Shapter 2011
HORROR Short Story: The Fear, Richard Harland, Macabre: A Journey Through Australia’s Darkest Fears, Brimstone Press
HORROR Novel: Madigan Mine, Kirstyn McDermott, Pan Macmillan
Jason Fischer. Finalist for Best Horror Novel "After the World: Gravesend". © Zena Shapter 2011
FANTASY Short Story: JOINT WINNERS – Yowie, Thoraiya Dyer, Sprawl, Twelfth Planet Press AND The February Dragon, LL Hannett & Angela Slatter, Scary Kisses, Ticonderoga Publications
FANTASY Novel: Power and Majesty, Tansy Rayner Roberts, HarperVoyager (HarperCollins)
SCIENCE FICTION Short Story: The Heart of a Mouse, K.J. Bishop, Subterranean Online (Winter 2010)
SCIENCE FICTION Novel: Transformation Space, Marianne de Pierres, Orbit (Hachette)
The Peter McNamara Convenor’s Awards went to Helen Merrick.
The Kris Hembury Encouragement Award went to Jogi Cleghorn.
Alan Baxter live-tweeting. © Zena Shapter 2011
Alan Baxter kept twitter followers breathless with his live twitter-feed. Thanks Alan!
Alan Baxter and Jason Fischer. © Zena Shapter 2011
Abuzz with appreciation for both the success of individual winners and the stunning growth of Australia’s speculative fiction community over the last sixteen years, we then retired to the lobby for more free drinks and so many congratulations I found only further proof that Australia has the best speculative fiction community in the world (a theory practically set in stone after my Aussie Author Month post last month)!
Sean Williams. © Zena Shapter 2011
After drinking the lobby bar dry, we all crept down a dark alley with enough shadows I worried that the Rapture might still come, only to find the 16th Annual Aurealis Awards in full after-party swing at the alley’s end… The Rydges Hotel’s Mundo Tapas Bar offered us comfy crimson chairs and a late-night celebration so full with, er, rapture it was hard to leave. Thank you for a wonderful night – SpecFaction NSW, Chimaera Publications, Judging Coordinator Keith Stevenson and HarperVoyager!
Now begins months of torment, not just the five months of anarchy, chaos, and despair predicted by the Rapture that thankfully never came, but twelve months – until the next Aurealis Awards!
A special thanks to co-photographer Bothersome Words and to those who posed for my lovely photos: Tracey O’Hara, Nicole R Murphy, Ian Irvine, Kaaron Warren, Richard Harland, Jason Fischer, Alan Baxter and Sean Williams.
we realy enjoyed your superb report and photos of your wonderful evening. B.B =’Books and Boose at the ‘Aurealis awards’ We wish you all the best for 2011 valerie and ernest