Aurealis Award Winners

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Congrats to Conflux 9 guest of honour Kaaron Warren who took out the Aurealis Award for best horror short with the multi-award winning ‘Sky’.

Here’s the rest of the winners from the ceremony, held at the Independent Theatre in North Sydney on Saturday 18 May.

2012 Aurealis Award Winners

BEST CHILDREN’S FICTION (TOLD PRIMARILY THROUGH WORDS)
Brotherband: The Hunters by John Flanagan (Random House Australia)
BEST CHILDREN’S FICTION (TOLD PRIMARILY THROUGH PICTURES)
Little Elephants by Graeme Base (Viking Penguin)
BEST YOUNG ADULT SHORT STORY
The Wisdom of the Ants by Thoraiya Dyer (Clarkesworld)Media Release – 2013 Aurealis Awards ceremony Page 2 of 2
BEST YOUNG ADULT NOVEL
(Joint winners)
Dead, Actually by Kaz Delaney (Allen & Unwin)
Sea Hearts by Margo Lanagan (Allen & Unwin)
BEST ILLUSTRATED BOOK / GRAPHIC NOVEL
Blue by Pat Grant (Top Shelf Comix)
BEST COLLECTION
That Book Your Mad Ancestor Wrote by K. J. Bishop (self-published)
BEST ANTHOLOGY
The Best Science Fiction and Fantasy of the Year: Volume Six
edited by Jonathan Strahan (Night Shade Books)
BEST HORROR SHORT STORY
Sky by Kaaron Warren (Through Splintered Walls, Twelfth Planet Press)
BEST HORROR NOVEL
Perfections by Kirstyn McDermott (Xoum)
BEST FANTASY SHORT STORY
Bajazzle by Margo Lanagan (Cracklescape, Twelfth Planet Press)
BEST FANTASY NOVEL
Sea Hearts by Margo Lanagan (Allen & Unwin)
BEST SCIENCE FICTION SHORT STORY
Significant Dust by Margo Lanagan (Cracklescape, Twelfth Planet Press)
BEST SCIENCE FICTION NOVEL
The Rook by Daniel O’Malley (Harper Collins)

PETER MCNAMARA CONVENORS’ AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE
Kate Eltham
KRIS HEMBURY ENCOURAGEMENT AWARD
Laura Goodin

Next year’s awards will be held in Canberra in March, organised by Conflux Inc and convened by Nicole Murphy.

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Fill in the survey to help us plan better cons

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With the first steps for planning Conflux 10 underway, we’d really like to have YOUR input into what worked/didn’t work at Conflux 9.

It’s one of the weird facts of running a con that the committee (particularly folks like Donna, Karen and myself) that have NO IDEA what the convention was actually like to attend.

So please, fill in the survey. Leave your name and email address at the end and you’ll go into the draw to win some prizes.

Click here to take survey

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Aurealis Awards coming to Canberra

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Aurealis AwardsAfter 18 years the Aurealis Awards, Australia’s premier awards for speculative fiction, finally make it to the nation’s capital.  The owner of the Aurealis Awards, Chimaera Publications –the publishers of the Aurealis magazine and book imprint – have reached agreement for Conflux Inc to administer the Awards for the next two years.

The Awards’ founder, Dirk Strasser says, “SpecFaction NSW took the Aurealis Awards to new levels of professionalism during its three years in Sydney, and the energy, enthusiasm and experience in the Conflux team indicates the awards will be raised to even greater heights.  With Canberra now joining past hosts Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide, we can truly claim the Aurealis Awards as fully national.”

Conflux Inc President Nicole Murphy said Canberra and the Aurealis Awards would be a great match. “Conflux has always had the support and promotion of Australian writing as an important part of our charter, and we’re delighted to be hosting Australia’s premier speculative fiction awards,” she said. “Canberra has a long history of involvement with science fiction and we’re going to do everything we can to make the coming ceremonies match up to that history.”

Currently the awards are calling for expressions of interest from potential judges. Information can be found at the Aurealis Awards website www.aurealisawards.com. Judging is open to any Australian with a love for speculative fiction and a willingness to read and judge the best works published this year.

 

Further information:

www.aurealisawards.com

president.conflux@gmail.com

www.conflux.org.au

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#Conflux9 wrap ups

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Banner-eidtThe Con is over, sad but true. Relive those fabulous moments through members’ wrap-ups. Leave a comment with the link to your Conflux 9 blog post and we will add it to this post.

First cab off the rank is Rivqa Rafael who posted on the COSMOS blog:
http://www.cosmosmagazine.com/features/the-state-of-flux/

Zena Shapter had so much to say it’s in two parts:
http://www.zenashapter.com/blog/?p=6466
http://www.zenashapter.com/blog/?p=6554

Cat Sparx took some awesomesauce photos:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/42956650@N00/sets/72157633345616139/

Local Guest of Honour and multi-Ditmar-winning Kaaron Warren tells us about refreshed wells here:
http://kaaronwarren.wordpress.com/2013/04/29/refreshing-the-wells-21-conflux/

Ellen Gregory shares her thoughts on the fantastical experience that was Conflux 9:
http://ellenvgregory.com/2013/05/01/more-on-building-fantastical-worlds/

And editor extraordinaire Bothersome Words gives us her version of the Con:
http://www.bothersomewords.com/blog/2013/05/01/conflux-9/

World-renowned punster Jasoni Fischerio’s thoughts on Conflux 9:
http://jasonfischer.com.au/conflux-was-awesome/ 

Double-Ditmar winner Kathleen Jennings:
http://tanaudel.wordpress.com/2013/05/01/conflux9-speculative-art-and-bookcovers/ 

And Merlin’s cock! It’s Alan Baxter:
http://www.alanbaxteronline.com/conflux-9-aftermath/ 

Reflections from Maureen on her first con:
http://inkashlings.wordpress.com/2013/05/02/conflux9-some-notes/

Best New Talent (according to the Ditmars voters!), David McDonald:
http://www.davidmcdonaldspage.com/2013/05/conflux-2013-roundup/ 

Local writer (and member of the Canberra Science Fiction Guild), Tim:
http://thegreencastle.wordpress.com/2013/05/01/fun-and-discoveries-at-conflux9-in-canberra-for-2013/

Wade of the prehensile ears:
http://justaddstory.wordpress.com/2013/05/02/coming-down-from-a-conference-high/

Mark Webb’s thoughts you can find here:
http://www.markwebb.name/?p=2027

And a wrap-up from Helen Venn:
http://www.imaginemeatclarion.blogspot.com.au/2013/05/conflux-9-2013.html 

Lawrie Brown took some great photos:
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151671986630466.1073741834.688425465 

Day-by-day action from Rick Keuning:
http://the-rick-blog.blogspot.com.au/2013/04/conflux-day-1.html
http://the-rick-blog.blogspot.com.au/2013/04/conflux-day-2.html
http://the-rick-blog.blogspot.com.au/2013/04/conflux-day-3.html
http://the-rick-blog.blogspot.com.au/2013/04/conflux-day-4.html 

And a lengthy post from Jason Gale:
http://www.jcgale.com/blog/?p=596

I even wrote one:
http://lilymulholland.com/2013/05/04/conflux-9/ 

Fabulous con co-chair Donna Hanson gives a behind-the-scenes look at the Con, including the disappearing of body parts…:
http://donnamareehanson.wordpress.com/2013/05/06/conflux-9-the-aftermath 

The delightful Trudi Canavan has not one, but three posts about Conflux 9:
http://www.trudicanavan.com/

Dave Versace was so invigorated by Conflux he wrote three posts:
http://www.otherleg.com/lexifab2/?p=1628
http://www.otherleg.com/lexifab2/?p=1613
http://www.otherleg.com/lexifab2/?p=1615

And here’s one from Sue:
http://suebursztynski.blogspot.com.au/2013/05/conflux-9-2013-natcon.html

Short story competition winner Aidan Walsh:
http://aidanrwalsh.com/2013/05/19/a-very-belated-conflux-post/

Conflux 9, as the NATCON for 2013, also provided a venue for the Ditmar Awards.

Ditmars host with the most, Deb Bianchotti’s post is here:
http://deborahbiancotti.net/blog/2013/05/ditmars-2013/ ‎

Read SeandBlogonaut‘s summary here:
http://storify.com/SeandBlogonaut/the-2013-ditmar-awards-ceremony

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Regency Banquet a highlight of #Conflux9

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The Conflux 9 Regency Banquet was held on Saturday night in the ballroom of the Rydges Capital Hill in Canberra.

With entertainment from Earthly Delights, the nearly 70 ball-goers minueted and reeled their way through a delightful evening.

While the dancing and costumes were charming, the undoubted highlight of the evening was the sumptuous Regency feast* prepared by the hotel’s chefs according to recipes created by Conflux’s own Gillian Polack.

Ball guests feasted on three incredible courses:

First Course

  • A pretty dish of eggs
  • Chicken forced with caper sauce
  • White mushroom fricassee
  • Mashed parsnips
  • Tomatoes
  • French beans
  • Almond cheesecakes
  • Brentford rolls

Second Course

  • Roast sirloin with mustard sauce
  • Salad with salad cream
  • Green peas soup
  • Savoury vegetables
  • Broccoli

Third Course

  • Burnt almonds
  • Ginger drops
  • Rice cake with raspberry cream
  • Almond jumbles
  • Moonshine pudding
  • Royal cake
  • Apricot ice cream

The recipes can be found in Five Historical Feasts by Gillian Polack, available from CSFG Publishing.

* Your correspondent, dear readers, is still feeling fabulously full from feasting. If you should hear no more from me, it is because I have expired. Do not be sad, dear readers, for I shall have died quite content.

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#conflux9 Our special guests

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Here’s our guests as you’ve never seen them before, courtesy of our MC Craig Cormick.

special guest picture

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#Conflux9 Art Show opens

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The Conflux 9 Art Show is open. With a range of speculative fiction-related works, there’s something for everyone, from wearable art to mixed media to digital art to oil and brush masterpieces. Most pieces are available for purchase – auction forms are available in the Art Show room and at Registration.

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#Conflux9 Steampunk High Tea

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The Conflux 9 Steampunk High Tea was held yesterday in the gorgeous Atrium of the Rydges Capital Hill. Gorgeous frocks and sumptuous delights vied for attention of Conflux members. Another scone? Or find out who is beneath that fabulous cyber-samurai costume? Oh, the dilemmas!

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#Conflux9 art show sets up

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art show setupPreparations are underway for the Conflux 9 art show, which kicks off at 9am tomorrow (26 April).

Many of the items on display are up for auction. Con members can place a bid or purchase prints at the Art Show desk.

For more information, visit the Art Show room (Executive Boardroom 3).

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#Conflux9 Dealers Room opens for business

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dealers3 Dealers1 Dealers2The Conflux 9 Dealers Room is open for business.

As you can see from the pictures, spec fiction fans of all ages are keen to snap up a new read.

Dealers are: Storm Glass Books (Conflux 9 Bookseller), Andromeda Spaceways Inflight Magazine, Australian Romance Readers Association, The Canberra Speculative Fiction Guild, Celestial Cobbler, Creative Corsetry, Fablecroft Publishing and Twelfth Planet Press.

Join them at the Con. Opening hours are:

Thursday (today): 1-5.30pm

Friday: 9am-6pm

Saturday: 9am-6pm

Sunday: 9am-3.30pm

The Market Day will be held on Saturday. Check your Con program for details.

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