Linda DeMeulemeester wins Silver Birch Award for The Secret of Grim Hill

Linda DeMeulemeester's young adult fantasy The Secret of Grim Hill (Lobster Press) has won the Ontario Library Association's Silver Birch award.

The Silver Birch Award is awarded in fiction, non-fiction and Express categories each May, based on ballots cast by Grade 3, 4, 5 and 6 students earlier in the same month. It's administered by the Ontario Library Association and run by teacher-librarians and teachers in schools and by children's librarians in public libraries.

Other nominees in the fiction category were Baboon by David Jones (Annick Press), Directed by Kaspar Snit by Cary Fagan (Tundra Books), Jakeman by Deborah Ellis (Fitzhenry & Whiteside), Never to be Told by Becky Citra (Orca Book Publishers), Odd Man Out by Sarah Ellis (Groundwood Books), Pigboy by Vicki Grant (Orca Book Publishers), Shadows on the Train by Melanie Jackson (Orca Book Publishers), Torrie and the Snake-Prince by K.V. Johansen (Annick Press) and The Vampire's Visit by David A. Poulsen (Key Porter Books).

Complete Aurora Award results: two SF Canada members among winners

Two members of SF Canada won Aurora Awards at KeyCon 25 (host of this years CanVention) in Winnipeg. Hayden Trenholm (left) won the award for Best Short-Form Work in English for his novelette “Like Water in the Desert" (Challenging Destiny #24). Laurent McAllister, the joint pen name of Jean-Louis Trudel (below) and Yves Meynard, won the award for for Best Short-Form Work in French for “Sur la plage des épaves” (Solaris 164).

Here is the complete list of nominees, with winners marked in bold, with an asterisk:

Best Long-Form Work in English/Meilleur livre en anglais
Best work of SF or Fantasy in a novel or fiction collection by a Canadian writer, published in 2007.

As Fate Decrees, Denysé Bridger (Edge)
*The New Moon's Arms, Nalo Hopkinson (Warner)
The Moon Under Her Feet, Derwin Mak (Windstorm Creative)
Rollback, Robert J. Sawyer (Tor/Analog)
Cry Wolf, Edo van Belkom (McClelland & Stewart/Tundra)

Meilleur livre en français/Best Long-Form Work in French
Dans la catégorie du meilleur roman ou recueil de fiction publié, écrit par un(e) écrivain(e) canadien(ne) et sorti au Canada en 2007, qui relève de la science-fiction ou du fantastique.

Alegracia et les Xayiris, Dominic Bellavance (Les Six Brumes)
La-haut sur la Colline, Claude Bolduc (Solaris 161 et 164)
*Cimetière du musée, Diane Boudreau (du Phoenix)
Le Parasite, Georges LaFontaine (Guy Saint-Jean)
Arielle Queen, Michel J. Lévesque (Les Intouchables)

Best Short-Form Work in English/Meilleure nouvelle en anglais
For a published SF or Fantasy novella, novelette, short story or poem by a Canadian writer, released in Canada in 2007.

“Falling,” David Clink (On Spec Fall 2007) (poem)
“Saturn in G Minor,” Stephen Kotowych (Writers of the Future XXIII, Galaxy Press) (short story)
“Metamorphoses in Amber,” Tony Pi (Abyss & Apex #24, Q4/2007) (novelette)
“The Dancer at the Red Door,” Douglas Smith (Under Cover of Darkness, Julie E. Czerneda and Jana Paniccia, eds., DAW) (short story)
*“Like Water in the Desert,” Hayden Trenholm (Challenging Destiny #24) (novelette)

Meilleure nouvelle en français/Best Short-Form Work in French
Dans la catégorie de la meilleure nouvelle ou du meilleur poème écrit et publié par un(e) écrivain(e) canadien(ne) et sorti au Canada en 2007, qui elève de la science-fiction ou du fantastique.

“Le Luthier,” Mathieu Fortin (Solaris 162)
“Les Lucioles d'Alliante,” Michèle Laframboise, (QUAD9 magazine 5B, CFORP)
“L'Ancienne famille,” Michel J. Lévesque, (Les Six Brumes)
“Le sang noir,” Michel J. Lévesque (Solaris 161)
*“Sur la plage des épaves,” Laurent MacAllister (Solaris 164)

Best Work in English (Other)/Meilleur ouvrage en anglais (Autre) For SF or Fantasy activity, in English, by a Canadian, in 2007 not encompassed by the previous categories.

Polaris: A Celebration of Polar Science, Julie E. Czerneda, ed., Star Ink Books
*Under Cover of Darkness, Julie E. Czerneda & Jana Paniccia, eds., DAW
Tesseracts Eleven, Cory Doctorow and Holly Phillips, eds., Edge
Neo-opsis magazine, Karl Johanson, ed., Issues 11, 12,& 13
On Spec magazine, Diane Walton, managing ed.

Meilleur ouvrage en français (Autre)/Best Work in French (Other)
Dans la catégorie du meilleur travail relevant de la science-fiction ou du fantastique canadiens en 2007, qui n'est pas compris dans les catégories précédentes.

No Nominations

Artistic Achievement/Accomplissement artistique
For a work or body of work produced by a Canadian artist during 2007. / Pour une oeuvre ou pour la production artistique d'un(e) Canadien(ne) en 2007.

*Lar deSouza (On Spec Winter 2007, Parsec Spring/Summer 2007)
Stephanie Ann Johanson Neo-opsis Issue 11, March 2007, interior illustrations
Jean-Pierre Normand
Martin Springett
Ronn Sutton (Elvira, Mistress of the Dark 165 and 166 [Jan-Feb 2007], Claypool Comics)

Fan Achievement (Fanzine)/Accomplissement fanique (Fanzine)
For a Canadian fanzine or newsletter relating to SF or Fantasy published in 2007. / Pour un fanzine ou bulletin fanique canadien, qui traite du milieu de la science-fiction ou du fantastique, publié au moins une fois en 2007.

Opuntia, Dale Spiers
*No Award / Pas de prix

Fan Achievement (Organizational)/Accomplissement fanique (Organisation)
For individual contributions to Canadian SF convention or club activities during 2007. / Pour des contributions à des congrès ou des activités de clubs canadiens en 2007.

Debbie Hodgins, KAG
*Penny Lipman, masquerades
Roy Miles, IDIC
Joan Sherman, IDIC
Geoffrey Toop, DWIN

Fan Achievement (Other)/Accomplissement fanique (autre)
For Canadian fan activity in 2007 not encompassed by the previous two categories. / Pour des activités faniques canadiennes en 2007 qui ne sont pas comprises dans les deux catégories précédentes.

*Paul Bobbitt, editor, The Voyageur
Judith Hayman, filk performances
Peggy Warner LaLonde, filk performances
Martin Springett, filk performances
Larry Stewart, master of ceremonies

Cory Doctorow's Little Brother makes VOYA's list of best SF, fantasy and horror for 2007

Cory Doctorow's Little Brother (Tor) has made VOYA's list of the best science fiction, fantasy and horror for teens for 2007. Writes VOYA:

Think “Dumbledore’s Army,” with serious technology, contemporary villains, and a jarringly predictable future, and the result is this exhilarating page-turner and cautionary tale that will motivate readers to contemplate free speech and political activism with new insights.

Michael R. Colangelo wins Bloody Quill Award

Michael R. Colangelo's story "Motion Sickness" won the 2007 Bloody Quill Award for best story from horror magazine Black Ink.

Matthew Hughes on Nebula Awards final ballot

Matthew Hughes's "The Helper and His Hero," which appeared in the February and March 2007 issues of F&SF, made the Nebula Awards final ballot in the Novella category.

Other nominees in that category were "Awakening" by Judith Berman (Black Gate 10, Spring, 2007), "Fountain of Age" by Nancy Kress (Asimov's, July 2007), "Stars Seen Through Stone" by Lucius Shepard (F&SF, July 2007), "Kiosk" by Bruce Sterling (F&SF, January 2007) and "Memorare" by Gene Wolfe (F&SF, April 2007). "Fountain of Age" was the winner.

The Nebula Awards are administered, voted and presented by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA) to acknowledge excellence in science fiction writing.

John R. Little on Stoker final ballot

John R. Little's novel The Memory Tree (Nocturne Press) was on the final ballot for the 2007 Bram Stoker Awards, in the Superior Achievement for First Novel category.

Others finalists in that category were I Will Rise by Michael Louis Calvillo (Lachesis Publishing), The Hollower by Mary SanGiovanni (Leisure Books), and Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill (William Morrow), the eventual winner.

The awards were handed out at the 2008 World Horror Convention in Winnipeg in early May.

Several members of SF Canada had appeared on the preliminary ballot. In the Superior Achievement for Long Fiction category, "Trolling Lures" by Steve Vernon and "Placeholders" by John R. Little both appeared. The preliminary ballot for the Superior Achievement for Fiction Collection category included No Further Messages by Brett Alexander Savory.

Lynda Williams's Righteous Anger nominated for Hal Clement Award

Lynda Williams's novel Righteous Anger (EDGE) has been nominated for the Hal Clement Golden Duck Award.

This award is named after Hal Clement, the pen name of the late Harry Stubbs, a well-known science fiction writer and science teacher. The award is for science fiction books suitable for Grades 6-12 that have a young adult protagonist. The science should be as correct as possible, but still a good story.

The Golden Duck Awards will be presented at DucKon 17 in Naperville, IL, June 13 to 15.

John R. Little, Brett Alexander Savory nominated for Black Quill Awards

Two SF Canada members were nominated for Black Quill Awards, a new award created by Dark Scribe Magazine to honor the best in dark genre fiction.

John R. Little's novelette Placeholders was nominated in the Best Small Press Chill category, which includes all novels and novellas published by small press pubblishers. Placeholders was published by Necessary Evil Press in a limited edition in September.

Chiaroscuro, edited by Brett Alexander Savory, was nominated in the Best Dark Genre Short Fiction Magazine category; the award goes to the editor.

Other nominees in the Best Small Press Chill category were Dark Harvest by Norman Partridge (Cemetery Dance), Midlisters by Kealan Patrick Burke (Biting Dog Press) (winner of the Editor's Choice award), The Cage by Jason Brannon (KHP Publishers), The Haunted Forest Tour by Jeff Strand and James A. Moore (Earthling Publications) (winner of the Reader's Choice award), and Vintage: A Ghost Story by Steve Berman (Haworth Positronic Press).

Other nominees in the Best Dark Genre Short Fiction Magazine were Cemetery Dance, edited by Richard Chizmar (print) (winner of the Editor's Choice award); Dark Discoveries, edited by Editor James Beach (print), Dark Recesses Press, edited by Boyd Harris, CJ Hurtt and Vincent VanAllen (virtual) (winner of the Reader's Choice award), Estronomicon, edited by Steve Upham (virtual), and Postscripts, edited by Peter Crowther and Nick Gevers (print).

Nominees were selected by the editors and active contributing writers of Dark Scribe Magazine. Readers of the magazine then voted.

Linda DeMeulemeester YA fantasy named one of 2008's "Great Books for Children"

Linda DeMeulemeester's novel The Secret of Grim Hill (Lobster Press) has been named one of the Canadian Toy Testing Council's "Great Books for Children" for 2008. The Council states, "Readers will enjoy the book's blend of suspense, sports and magical mystery... from the first page to the last."

Leslie Carmichael, Nicole Luiken up for Golden Eagle Book Award

Leslie Carmichael's young adult fantasy Lyranel's Song and Nicole Luiken's Frost are among the nominees for the 2008 Golden Eagle Book Award. Other nominees are Adventures in Istanbul by Cora Taylor, Kicker by Michele Martin Bossley, Mickie McGill & the Ring of the Red Dragon by Morag Haysom, No Time Like the Past by David A Poulsen, Skinnybones and the Wrinkle Queen by Glen Huser, Tiger Threat by Sigmund Brouwer, The Uncle Dunkle Chronicles - Escape From Treasure Island by Darren Krill, and Wild Ride by Jacqueline Guest.

The Golden Eagle Book Award is a literary award that is given annually to an Alberta writer whose book is selected by children in Grades 4 through 8 from schools in the southern Alberta communities of Claresholm, Nanton, Stavely, Granum, Fort Macleod, Pincher Creek and Lundbreck. The winning book will be announced in the spring.