Earlier this month, we announced the nominees for this year’s Aurealis Awards (for Australian science fiction, fantasy, and horror). Now comes word that Orbit, the sf/fantasy imprint of Little, Brown (which is a division of Hachette Livre Australia), has signed on to be a major sponsor of the Aurealis Awards.
LB’s Sales and Marketing Director Matt Hoy said “Hachette is ramping up its support of the local speculative fiction market with the development of the Orbit imprint in Australia. By partnering with organizations like Fantastic Queensland and the Aurealis Awards, we are supporting local talent and highlighting the wonderful writers right here in our own country.”
Fantastic Queensland is an Australian non-profit association “dedicated to the professional development of Australian speculative fiction authors and the promotion of the genre.” Representing the association, Damon Cavalchini said the sponsorship shows a commitment to the long-term future of genre publishing in Australia. Of the awards, he said they offer professional development opportunities for writers and also a day of workshops and seminars. For more information, see www.aurealisawards.com.