Writerly updates

Last month I went to Lexicon, the New Zealand Science Fiction convention. I loved the location, Lake Taupo, where the air seems to suit my health. My hair doesn’t frizz, my skin feels soft, my lungs feel clear. And with the massive lake, filled with mystery and beauty, and things stick out of the water, I was creatively inspired as well! To be surrounded by that environment, and by clever, funny, creative people…what a great weekend it was.

Grace Bridges is chairing the 2019 Convention, which will likely be held at Rotorua. They asked me to return as a guest and I absolutely agreed!

Lots of exciting things happening during the Conflux Science Fiction Convention which runs Friday September 29 to Monday October 2. I’m lucky enough to be MC for the event, which has two incredible guests: Ellen Datlow! and Angela Slatter! We’ll be doing a one hour event at Muse Bookshop, one of my favourite places in Canberra, on the Thursday night. Conflux is such a good convention for meeting writers, publishers and editors and for finding inspiration in words.

 

 

My story “Mine Intercom”, which I consider one of my scariest, appears in the 2015 Year’s Best Australian Fantasy and Horror. Edited by Liz Grzyb and Talie Helene, this book is a beauty with great stories from Australian writers. This story first appeared in Review of Australian Fiction.

 

Possibly the biggest news is the awards! “The Grief Hole” has become the first Australian novel to win the Aurealis Award, the Shadows Award and the Ditmar Award. Absolutely thrilled! It also one the Canberra Critics Circle Award, and I’m beginning to the think they are the predictors of what’s to come, because they also gave me the award for “Through Splintered Walls” and “Slights”, my other two most awarded books!

Here is the book its awards. Admittedly the Shadows Statue is my one from last year, but I couldn’t wait to post the news!

 

 

Read Full Post »

Upcoming stories

‘Walking the Tree’ will be out in February from Angry Robot Books, with ‘Mistification’ following soon afterwards.

“Ghost Jail”, which first appeared in the Twelfth Planet Press anthology 2012 will be reprinted in The Apex book of World SF, edited by Lavie Tidhar.

“The Blue Stream”, which first appeared in Aurealis, has just been reprinted by Morrigan Books in “Dead Souls”, edited by Mark Deniz.

Morrigan Books are also publishing “Purity Zoo”, which will appear in “Scenes from the Second Storey”, edited by Amanda Pillar and Pete Kempshall.

“That Girl” will appear in Haunted Legends, edited by Ellen Datlow and Nick Mamatas.

“The Edge of a Thing” has just appeared in the British Fantasy Society’s Yearbook, available only to members. It was edited by Guy Adams.

“The Gaze Dogs of Nine Waterfall” will appear in Exotic Gothic 3, published by Ash Tree Press and edited by Danel Olson.

“Hive of Glass” will appear in “Baggage”, edited by Gillian Polack and published by Eneit Press.

“The New Rat in Town” will appear in Tehani Wessely’s YA anthology.

“Isthar” will appear in the Ishtar trilogy, along with novellas by Deborah Biancotti and Cat Sparks, published by Gilgamesh Press.

Plus two more to be announced soon!

“A Positive”, short film of my short story of the same name, will be launched by Bearcage Productions in February.

Read Full Post »

KGB Bar Reading

Last night, Robert Freeman Wexler and I read at the KGB Bar. Robert read from his novel, “The Painting and the City” and I read a short story called “In the Drawback”. Robert was kind enough to share with me some Throat Coat Tea, which tasted like aniseed and really did coat the throat! Wonderful stuff when you have to read for 25 minutes.

The bar itself is fantastic. Up a flight of ricketty stairs, the walls dark red and covered with Russian ads and paintings, the atmosphere is smoky although no smoking is allowed any more. The mood is vibrant with conversation, yet through both readings there was absolute silence. What a brilliant audience! If I lived anywhere within two hours of New York, I would travel in for this night every month. Andrew Fox and Chris Genoa are up next, reading on September 16.

Afterwards, about 30 of us went out for a stunning Chinese meal, which puts the best that Suva can offer to shame.

Read Full Post »