Sir Julius Vogel Award Results - 2011

                                Best Dramatic Presentation

Although only one episode from each
programme has been listed as nominated,
each series is a continuous story. The nominator
suggested that the vote be considered as a vote
for the series as a whole.

Fan Award Winners:

Special Award Winners:

I am nominating Karen Healey, the author of the Young Adult urban dark fantasy "Guardian of the Dead" for the Sir Julius Vogel award in the category of Best New Talent (Professional).

"Guardian of the Dead" was first published by Allen and Unwin (Australia) and Little Brown (anywhere else) in 2010.

Miss Healey's debut YA novel "Guardian of the Dead" is a very good read. Set in an alternate history current-day New Zealand, it is wonderful to see one's home country used as a setting to an urban dark fantasy. Local Maori mythology and well as mythology from various immigrant groups to New Zealand have been successfully incorporated into the story without going overboard. Just enough to give readers the general flavour but also enough to encourage some readers to do their own detailed research. Miss Healey has clearly done a lot of research to give her novel a well-rounded feel of the real history and multi-cultural aspects of New Zealand but at the same time making it an alternate history New Zealand.

The main characters (Ellie, Mark, Iris and Kevin) are realistic older teenagers. It was so well done it was like going back to school or university for me. It does not contain the typical aesthetic dressing-up that is found in most books, but what it does do is give the story the all-important "I can relate to this fictional reality as a reader, I can relate to this character, I like the characters". It could be considered a bold move for a debut novel, but it works in the context of this quite original story.

I saw Karen Healey at Aussiecon 4, the 68th World Science Fiction convention that was held in Melbourne, Australia. She was on two of the panels that I was able to attend - "Capes and Skirts : the Plight of Female Superheroes" and "Writing Strange Lands : Other Cultures in YA Speculative Fiction". From what I saw at Aussiecon 4, she is a good speaker, panelist and presenter, and would make a worthwhile guest at a science fiction or comics' convention.

Her next book "The Shattering" is set in the West Coast of New Zealand and will be available in September 2011. Published by Allen and Unwin (Australia/New Zealand) and Little, Brown (USA).

Karen Healey's website - http://www.karenhealey.com/

Ross Temple has consistently assisted fans in both Australia and New Zealand for a very long time. He has been there on committees, providing help, providing advice and in a thousand other ways. He's never obtrusive about it. When I need to know something about NZ writing or fandom and I know Ross is at a convention, I gently wend my way to the bar and have a drink with him. I always know if he's at a convention because he brings me chocolate fish, to share with other fans from Canberra. He's charming and easy to get on with, but he's one of the biggest reasons that NZ fandom is on the map in Australia. Additionally, Ross has a deep and abiding love of SF and a very deep knowledge of the genre and his sharing of this love has contributed significantly to fandom.

Simon Litten has provided consistent and good information about new books over a significant period of time to fans through his reviews on the sffanz site. He has also been generous in supporting both NZ and Australian writers through talking about their work, sharing his love of the genre in blogland and at conventions, and ensuring that new writers (Mary Victoria is a recent example) are seen.

His contribution at AussieCon 4 was particularly notable, if a trifle alcoholic. He was an outstanding representative for New Zealand and won many readers over, luring them with mead and chocolate into reading New Zealand writers. Until then, I'm not sure how many Australian fans and writers knew Simon Litten as anything except a reliable reviewer, but many of us knew and appreciated littenz for his contributions on Live Journal and his genre knowledge.

Taken separately, none of these things is extraordinary, but added together and looking at his work over time, his contribution to Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror is more than significant - he has helped to shape fan understanding and to improve levels of knowledge of local writers. He does quiet work and this kind of gentle support (although essential) seldom gets the recognition it deserves, which is why this nomination is being made.