I can’t believe it… I’ve been nominated for a Ditmar Award for Best New Talent!
Thank you so much to everyone who nominated me for this wonderful honour – I’m seriously indebted to you 🙂
For anyone who doesn’t know, the Ditmar Awards celebrate achievements by Australians in speculative fiction writing and I’m so chuffed to have received this vote of confidence from a community of writers I respect so much.
This past year has been a good one for me: winning some awesome short story competitions, working with my agent to get my debut novel published, writing a second novel, winning Best Book for the Write-a-Book-in-a-Day challenge (as well as Best Illustrations and Most Sponsorship Raised), being called a writer who “deserves your attention” by Tangent Online reviewer Lillian Csernica, who also gave me a star review (and she doesn’t give too many of those out), being selected as 2014 Contributor for Writing Novels in Australia, being asked to judge the 2014 AHWA short story competition, publishing some short stories, getting semi-finalist in the internationally prestigious Writers of the Future competition… and now this! I couldn’t ask for more. Thank you all for your support.
Congratulations to the other nominees, and best of luck to the ultimate winner. Voting to decide that winner is open now and can be made by any member (full or supporting) of Conflux 9 or Continuum 10. The list of finalists is online here, so have a good look and vote for what you believe is deserving.
How to vote?
If you’d like to vote for me or anyone else, you can do so via this online form: http://ditmars.sf.org.au/2014, or by downloading the form at http://ditmars.sf.org.au/2014/2014_Ditmar_ballot.pdf then emailing it to the organisers at: ditmars [at] sf.org.au
Voting closes Wednesday 28th May.
Me, imagining 😉
Between now and then I don’t expect I’ll be writing much – since I’ll be crossing all my fingers and toes to win! Just imagine how much champagne I’d pop if I did!!
The competition is very high this year, so cross your fingers for me!
And thank you again for having me in your thoughts 🙂
Way to go, Zena! Congratulations on the nomination, as well as your other successes.
Thanks, Lillian! I’m very exciting to be acknowledged in this way. I hope it’s the start of good things to come! 🙂
Well done Zena, how encouraging and now it seems all worthwhile!
Ruth
Encouraging is definitely the word to take away, Ruth! And it’s exactly what I need right now too. With school holidays over, I have a few days’ work for clients, then I’ve got to get straight back into writing novel #3. This is exactly the mindset to enable me to do that. Thanks for stopping by 🙂
Brilliant. Well done Zena. I cant vote but am sending good luck vibes instead.
Wait, I think I see them… Yep, they’re here! Thanks, mate!
Well done, Zena. Of course, like all really good ‘new talent’, you’ve been years of hard work in the making! Really glad that you’ve been recognised like this … it caps off an amazing run over the past few years.
Congrats and good luck! Rob
Thanks, Rob – it’s a really wonderful feeling. Fingers crossed!
Hi Zena,
Congrats on the nomination! Best of luck. 🙂
The field looks pretty tough and personally I was quite surprised to have been nominated. I am pretty new and a very slow writer at the moment, especially recently due to extended illness.
But I’m very excited and encouraged that some of the people who have read my published (and I’m guessing forthcoming work as well due to the smallish nature of the community meaning that most of it has been seen by a reasonable number of people involved in the community in the critiquing, editing and publication process) must have thought I was worthy of being nominated. Also, quite honoured to be appearing on the ballot with such a talented group.
Are you planning to attend the convention? If so look forward to meeting you. Nominee party at the hotel bar?!
Congratulations Michelle! It is a wonderful feeling, isn’t it, to have your peers take the time and trouble to vote for you – even to think of you as talented. Go us! And good luck for the final result 🙂
You too! 🙂