Well, some rather fabulous news arrived today: fellow New Zealand fantasy author and good friend Helen Lowe won a Gemmell Morningstar award (best new talent) for ‘The Heir of Night’!
This makes me happy as a clam, of course, so permit me a moment to smile fishily. 🙂
I suspect – I’m not absolutely sure – that Helen may be the first woman to break through the shortlist barrier and actually win that award. I’d love to find out if so… a double cause for celebration.
Hey Mary, thanks for the shout out! I am sorry I didn’t see this sooner but as ma sure you can imagine it has been something of a craz-ee few days.
And my publicist here asked me to confirm thats ame question today, whether I am the first ‘sheila’ to win either a Legend or a Morningstar, ditto a Southern hemisphere author, and the answer is a decided “yes” on both counts–we double checked the shortlists and winners since the beginning and it is indeed so. Having said that, ’tis a very new award of course, of course… 😉
I had a feeling it might be true…
Well-deserved celebrations for you, and a big triumphant “yes” for female SFF authors everywhere. 😀
Well done Helen! and a happy return of many more awards to come!
Thank you so much, Bahiyyih–I apologse for not seeing this & responding before!