The Ditmar Awards were given out this weekend at Conjecture, the 48th Australian National Science Fiction Convention. The Ditmars are the Australian equivalent of the Hugo Awards (i.e., awards for the best science fiction of the year as voted by the readers and fans).
This year’s winners are:
Best Novel: Tender Morsels by Margo Lanagan (published by Allen & Unwin)
Best Novella: “Painlessness” by Kirstyn McDermott (GUD: Greatest Uncommon Denominator #2)
Best Short Story (tie): “This Is Not My Story” by Dirk Flinthart (ASIM #37)
     “The Goosle” by Margo Lanagan (The Del Rey Book of Australian Science Fiction, Del Rey)
Best Collected Work: Dreaming Again edited by Jack Dann (Harper Voyager)
Best Artwork: Tales from Outer Suburbia by Shaun Tan (Allen & Unwin)
Best Fan Writer: Rob Hood
Best Fan Artist: Cat Sparks for Scary Food Cookbook (Agog! Press)
Best Fan Publication: ASif! Australian Speculative Fiction In Focus edited by Alisa Krasnostein and Gene Melzack (Twelfth Planet Press)
William Atheling Jr Award for Criticism or Review: “Popular genres and the Australian literary community: the case of fantasy fiction” by Kim Wilkins (Journal of Australian Studies, Vol 32, Issue 2)
Best Professional Achievement: Angela Challis for Black: Australian Dark Culture Magazine and Brimstone Press
Best New Talent: Felicity Dowker
The Australian Science Fiction Awards, commonly referred to as the Ditmar Awards or Ditmars, recognize excellence by Australians in Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror. The Ditmars were first presented in 1969. They are named after Martin James Ditmar (Dick) Jenssen, a founding member of the Melbourne Science Fiction Club. Martin financially supported the awards until about 1975, and is still active in fandom. Each year, the Australian National Science Fiction Convention presents the Ditmar Awards for the previous calendar year.