The Australian Horror Writers Association (AHWA) announces “thirteen of the best and scariest works of horror fiction from 2009 as the finalists in the annual Australian Shadows Award, the highest honour for horror, dark fantasy, and paranormal fiction in Australia and New Zealand.”
This year, according to AHWA Vice President Shane Jiraiya Cummings, the organization “marks a landmark year for the award, as it has expanded from a single category to three categories: Long Fiction (novels, novellas, and short story collections), Edited Publication (anthologies and magazines), and Short Fiction.”
The finalists are:
Long Fiction:
A Book of Endings by Deborah Biancotti (published by Twelfth Planet Press)
Red Queen by H.M. Brown (Penguin Australia)
“Wives” by Paul Haines (published in X6, Coeur de Lion Publishing)
The Dead Path by Stephen M. Irwin (Hachette Australia)
Slights by Kaaron Warren (Angry Robot)
Edited Publication:
Grants Pass edited by Jennifer Brozek & Amanda Pillar (Morrigan Books)
Festive Fear edited by Stephen Clark (Tasmaniac Publications)
Aurealis #42 edited by Stuart Mayne (Chimaera Publications)
Short Fiction:
“Six Suicides” by Deborah Biancotti (A Book of Endings)
“The Emancipated Dance” by Felicity Dowker (Midnight Echo #2)
“Busking” by Jason Fischer (Midnight Echo #3)
“The Message” by Andrew J. McKiernan (Midnight Echo #2)
“The Gaze Dogs of Nine Waterfalls” by Kaaron Warren (Exotic Gothic 3)
The Australian Shadows Award is an annual juried award that honors “the very best works of Australian dark fiction.” The finalists were chosen by the juding panel of Craig Bezant, Stephanie Gunn, and Chuck McKenzie. The winners will be chosen by guest judge Bill Congreve (editor of the Year’s Best Australian SF & Fantasy series), James Doig (editor of Australian Gothic), and Martin Livings (author of Carnies), and announced on 5 April 2010.