Fun Night at the Aurealis Awards!

I had to tear myself away from revision work on the latest novel (I’m really in the flow!) to go to the Aurealis Awards last night – but so glad I did! The turnout was amazing – people from every state, a Who’s Who of spec fic in Australia. I’ve never seen an Awards night better attended by authors and publishers. It was so great to catch up with friends!
I only remembered to pull out my camera now and then – and spent half the night wondering why it wouldn’t work (I’d accidentally set it to video!) Here’s me (without glasses), Sean Williams and Cat Sparks before the show –

The venue is the old Independent Theatre in North Sydney, with its spectacular ceiling. Not sure if it’ll come out in this photo-

That’s when people were filing in, and Rob Hood’s first bit of video was showing on the screen. I wasn’t up for anything this time, so I could just sit back and enjoy. I sat next to a winner though! Thoraiya Dyer, who picked up the award for best Fantasy Short Story.

That’s Thoraiya – and she looked that happy even before she received the award! Apart from sitting next to a winner, I can claim I had a story in an anthology that was a winner – the “Ghosts By Gaslight” won best anthology, ed. Jack Dann and Nick Gevers.
All in all, a great night!

Tags: aurealis awards, australian fantasy. australian SF, australian horror, australian speculative fiction, best spec fic novel, best spec fic short story, cat sparks, Richard Harland, sean williams, thoraiya dyer