Aurealis Awards (& Adelaide Event)

Posted on by scott

Every year, the Australian speculative fiction (that is, science fiction, fantasy, and horror) community comes together for the Aurealis Awards. This year, Leviathan was nominated in the YA category, and won!

My speech was a bit shambolic, but here’s everyone I should have thanked:

  • My lovely agent Jill Grinberg, who (among many other things) makes sure that my Australian rights are kept separate, allowing me local publication.
  • My wonderful publisher here, Laura Harris of Penguin Australia.
  • Keith Thompson, of course.
  • All my editors (US, UK, and Oz) and the US production team, for making Leviathan the best book it could be, and an awesome physical object as well.
  • The great people at Fantastic Queensland, who’ve hosted the awards the last six years.
  • Everyone else in the Oz SpecFic community—writers, readers, booksellers—who have become my friends and allies.
  • And of course Justine, who gave me a reason to make a life 10,000 miles away.

Congrats to all the other winners and nominees (click here for a list), especially Cat Sparks, who won the YA short story category for her story “Seventeen.”

The award itself made of curved glass, and so is fiendishly hard to photograph. I’ve been trying and failing all afternoon. So here’s the picture I took with my phone on the night, lit by tiny lightsabers (long story), and showing the audience for the ceremony filing out in the background. It’s more interesting than anything I’ve done under controlled circumstances.

AAward

Event News
For those of you in Adelaide, I’ll be appearing virtually at the Royal Institution of Australia’s Science Exchange Book Club this week. If you’ve read Leviathan, come and join in the discussion. I’ll drop in through iChat or skype, so I can’t sign books, I’m afraid. But I’ll try to answer any questions generated by the discussion.

Leviathan at the Science Exchange
Wednesday, 27 January, 2010
6:00-7:30PM
55 Exchange Pl
Adelaide SA 5000

Admission is free, but book ahead.

39 thoughts on “Aurealis Awards (& Adelaide Event)”

  1. Congrats Scott-la! You certainly deserve it! Leviathan is a beautiful work of art, including of course the actual artwork within it ^_^

  4. Congratulations are in order. Sounded like an amusing event. Leviathan definitely deserves an award.

    In a side note, I’ve been trying for a bit to get my brother involved in books by reading aloud to him. We’ve been through Harry Potter, and since he read Leviathan and liked it he’s letting me read him Uglies…:)

  5. It must feel absolutely wonderful to get such an award just by using your imagination and writing it down!

    But let us not forget the editing, the endless hours up late at night, the publishing, the making sure you don’t go crazy, etc.

    Don’t worry, I’m just teasing!

    Also, as others have previously stated: Congratulations.

  8. Thanks to you all for your congratulations.

    And to Saraluna: thanks a ton for reading to your brother. I _loved_ being read to as a kid. I think it’s one thing that can make all the difference in whether someone becomes a reader or not.

    TTB: Tiny light sabers were supplied by Sean Williams, for waving during the ceremony. Where he got them I do not know.

  15. haha that pic is very cool, especially since you can see the audience leaving and stuff
    congratulations!

  16. Congrats Scott!!!!!! I feel really bad, I’v read all your books but not Leviathan 🙁
    My mom said if I want to read it I’ll have to buy it, but I haz no money 🙁

  18. Jessica-la, it’s definitely worth it. It will be a while before Behemoth comes and and I’m SURE you’ll want to read Leviathan again! Plus, Keith Thompson did an awesome job with the pictures. One of the many reasons why I love this book is that I like to look at the pictures!

    Congratulations!

  19. Congratulations!!
    I finally got to read Leviathan over winter break and it was worth waiting for! I’ve got no time during school to read anything besides what’s assigned for class, or else I would have had Leviathan first-thing (hold number one at the library!).
    I tried to get my older brother to read it while he was home from college because he enjoys history (peace and conflicts major), but I’ll have to really lay into him this summer… (:

  20. Congrats on the award! Well deserved. 🙂 I loved Leviathan! Pretty different from some of your other books but great. 🙂 My little brother really liked the Uglies series so I’m trying to convince him to read Leviathan… Ironically enough, he says he doesn’t want to read about war. Boy book? I guess not always.

  21. Yeah, it’s actually a pretty good picture. 🙂 Lightsabers….

    I used to enjoy being read to, but now I LOVE reading aloud. I think that having the job of reading the audio book for something would be SO much fun. For now I just read to my brothers, and enjoy being able to show how I think the characters say each line.

  22. Congratulations Scott!!!! You’re one of my favourites autors ever and even though I haven’t read Leviathan yet ( I know, but just can’t find it – I live in Brazil ) I’m sure it’s deserved!

  23. Congrats Scott-la! The award is much deserved 🙂 I haven’t read Leviathan yet (reading others at the moment 🙁 ] but i know it’ll be a good read 😉

  28. congrats scott
    leviathan is amazing and i’m so looking forward to the next one
    can’t wait to see what the illustrations will be like too
    is it more interesting working with Keith T since you’ve met?

  30. OMFG
    CONGRATULATIONSSS!!!!
    your my favourite author ever!!!!!
    Yay!
    I feel so bad I haven’t had time to go on the blog lately I’ve so much f*****g homework that anyone else would have probably committed suicide!
    Luckly, I’m a strong person…blah blah blah
    ok you guys caught me, I just didn’t do my homework..
    Gah. : P

    ping at Liset:
    YES.
    Loved Avatar!!!
    Favourite movie ever!!!
    My father took me to see it in 3-D
    and it was sooo legit!!!
    Awesome.

    PING TO EVERYONE:
    anyone got any really cool speech topics
    things that are really killer oh and no history please.
    THANK YOU!
    <33

  35. congrats! i finally read leviathan after a 2 month long waiting list in the library and LOVED IT! deffinaltely deserved the award!

    hey scott, any news about the uglies movie?

    (sorry i haven’t posted in a while i have been busy i read the posts though!)

  37. hey!!!!anyone out there????ok who totally loves the uglies series?????i cant get enough of it omg i luv tally and david…….UGLIES!!!!!!!!!!

  39. Ping at liset:
    LOL ok

    ping at team yoshi banana:
    lmao sadly I’m in elementary (gr. 8, almost done woo!!)so just like about anything really.

    Ping at Claire-wa:
    lmao I’m obbsessed with Uglies love the stuff.

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