Shirley Jackson Award announcement

[ellen_datlow]

The Shirley Jackson Award
PRESS RELEASE: THE SHIRLEY JACKSON AWARD

Contact: JoAnn F. Cox
Award Administrator
admin@shirleyjacksonawards.org

Award named for Shirley Jackson to Honor Writers of Psychological Suspense, Horror, and the Dark Fantastic

Inaugural year is for works published in 2007; Board of Advisors and Judges announced.

Boston, MA (January 2008) — In recognition of the legacy of Shirley Jackson's writing, and with permission of the author’s estate, the Shirley Jackson Award has been established for outstanding achievement in the literature of psychological suspense, horror, and the dark fantastic.

Shirley Jackson (1916-1965) wrote such classic novels as The Haunting of Hill House and We Have Always Lived in the Castle, as well as one of the most famous short stories in the English language, “The Lottery.” Her work continues to be a major influence on writers of every kind of fiction, from the most traditional genre offerings to the most innovative literary work. National Book Critics Circle Award-winning novelist Jonathan Lethem has called Jackson “one of this century’s most luminous and strange American writers,” and multiple generations of authors would agree.

The Shirley Jackson Award will be voted upon by a jury of professional writers, editors, critics, and academics, with input from a Board of Advisors. The awards will be given for the best work published in the preceding calendar year in the following categories: Novel, Novella, Novelette, Short Story, Single-Author Collection, and Edited Anthology.

A website, www.ShirleyJacksonAwards.org, will provide more information on the award categories and the selection process. The date and location for the awards ceremony will be announced soon.

The jurors for the 2007 Shirley Jackson Awards are, alphabetically:

F. Brett Cox, co-editor (with Andy Duncan) of Crossroads: Tales of the Southern Literary Fantastic (Tor, 2004); author of numerous short stories, critical essays, and reviews; English faculty at Norwich University in Northfield, Vermont.

John Langan, author of short story collection Mr. Gaunt and Other Uneasy Encounters (Prime Books, forthcoming 2008) and numerous critical essays and reviews; English faculty at State University of New York-New Paltz.

Sarah Langan, author of novels The Keeper (Harper, 2006; finalist for Bram Stoker Award for Best First Novel) and The Missing (Harper, 2007); MFA in Creative Writing, Columbia University; freelance writer currently living in New York City.

Paul G. Tremblay, author of collection Compositions for the Young and Old (Prime Books, 2004), novella “City Pier: Above and Below” (Prime, 2007), and novel The Little Sleep (Henry Holt, forthcoming); one-time co-editor of Fantasy Magazine and the anthologies Fantasy and Bandersnatch.

The Board of Advisors for the Shirley Jackson Award includes award-winning editor and anthologist Ellen Datlow; renowned scholar and editor S.T. Joshi; author, editor, and teacher Nick Mamatas, author and teacher Jack M. Haringa (co-editor, with Joshi, of the critical journal Dead Reckonings); editor Bill Congreve; author Mike O’Driscoll; editor Ann Vandermeer; and award-winning and best-selling novelist Stewart O’Nan.

www.ShirleyJacksonAwards.org


________________________________________________________________
Media representatives who are seeking further information or interviews should contact JoAnn F. Cox, admin@shirleyjacksonawards.org.

I deleted ALL the comments because I mistakenly mentioned the IHGA and its status, which I should not have done.
You can certainly comment on the Jacksons though ! Um. Sorry for the inconvenience.

Comments

[susangalique.livejournal.com]

Hi,

I followed the link off of Marlys site. I thought the pictures of her were really good so I thought I would check it out and I saw where you had an LJ so I thought I would follow that link.

oh the joys of internet wondering :o)

[ellen-datlow.livejournal.com]

Welcome :-)

[susangalique.livejournal.com]

I am going to send you a friend request but I must first warn you that I am an atrocious speller and use all my proof reading energy for my proffesional life and I let it all hang out in my lj life...Its so bad Marly actually interviewd me about it on her blog.

I think I need some more varitey in my friends list.

[sdn.livejournal.com]

i think the award itself should be a stone.

[ellen-datlow.livejournal.com]

I don't think her estate would go for that, although a gold one would be very nice :-)

[sdn.livejournal.com]

i like it, though. then at the ceremony you can all throw the stones at one of the winners.

[ellen-datlow.livejournal.com]

Jeff Ford suggested it first (I had to delete his post when I deleted the whole thread and just reposted the initial announcement).
But we all agreed it's a great idea.

[sdn.livejournal.com]

then i am as creative and smart as jeff ford, which pleases me.

[ellen-datlow.livejournal.com]

I hate to bust your (and Jeff's) bubble--but it's a little obvious now, isn't it?
However, because it's the 60th anniversary of "The Lottery" having been published this summer, we're hoping we can do something special!

[sdn.livejournal.com]

yeah, maybe it is obvious, but it's still funny.

[ellen-datlow.livejournal.com]

I cannot disagree ;-)

[squirrel-monkey.livejournal.com]

The jury will pick winners out of a hat?

[sacredchao23.livejournal.com]

No, of course not, it will be a black box, made from the remnants of an older black box, made from the remnants of an older black box . . .

[sacredchao23.livejournal.com]

I being clearly not as creative or obvious or what have you, did not actually think of a stone. But really, I think a golden stone would be the best tribute. I also feel that nominees should be informed by the spontaneous appearance of writing on the walls of their domiciles.

[ellen-datlow.livejournal.com]

Nope--the losers have to stay in a haunted house!

[sacredchao23.livejournal.com]

I sense these awards turning deadly if an Eleanor is ever nominated.

[ellen-datlow.livejournal.com]

Luckily, I can't think of any Eleanors in horror...yet.

[nick-kaufmann.livejournal.com]

Whatever wins the award, wins alone.

[ellen-datlow.livejournal.com]

And what if there's a tie? Huh?

[nick-kaufmann.livejournal.com]

No live organism can continue for long to exist sanely under conditions of a tie; even larks and katydids are supposed, by some, to dream of not sharing an award with someone else.

[ellen-datlow.livejournal.com]

You certainly are poetic this evening, Nick.

[nick-kaufmann.livejournal.com]

Silly, these are all adapted quotes from THE HAUNTING OF HILL HOUSE!

[ellen-datlow.livejournal.com]

That doesn't mean you're not poetic :-)

[asyouknow-bob.livejournal.com]

I'm coming late to this thread, but when I first read of a "Shirley Jackson Award", yeah, my first thought was "Will it be awarded by lottery?"

[(Anonymous)]

Half a dozen of the judges and board members for this award are names you might expect to be on the lists of nominees. A bit of an anomaly.

Rick Bowes

[ellen-datlow.livejournal.com]

Well we're all people who care strongly about horror and feel that it deserves an award such as the Jacksons.

And the only purpose of the board members is to bring the best work available in the field to the attention of the judges, which is why we have members from the UK and Australia in addition to the US.

[(Anonymous)]

Of course. But it means a lot of likely nominees are disqualified.

Rick

[ellen-datlow.livejournal.com]

Four--the judges. And Brett Cox doesn't have anything that would likely ever be considered.

[oldcharliebrown.livejournal.com]

I tend to agree, and I think I posted here, explaining why: http://mssrcrankypants.livejournal.com/80938.html

[ellen-datlow.livejournal.com]

Nothing can be done--the judges MUST disqualify themselves--I think that's the only way it can work. Don't forget the judges also administrate the award--unlike WFA. However, they won't be judges forever. If I am ever asked to be a judge, I would only accept if I had nothing eligible that year.

[foresthouse.livejournal.com]

Off topic, but...

the HS my mom teaches at is trying to change up their summer reading program a bit, and I am trying to gather some recommendations for her of good books they might include (especially more "modern" books). I thought you might have some good ideas for that, what with being an editor and all. :) If you do, I'd love it if you could take a moment and comment here with any reccs. :)

[ellen-datlow.livejournal.com]

Sure--I'll come by.