Aurealis Awards - About Us

About SpecFaction NSW

In 2010 a group of friends and writers of speculative fiction got together with the aim of creating a range of New South Wales based events and activities for writers and readers of speculative fiction.

The group has formed as a non-profit association and taken on the management of the Aurealis Awards.

To contact SpecFaction NSW, email:
Nathan Burrage or Susan Wardle.

We would like to express our thanks to Fantastic Queensland for their support and assistance in providing a smooth transition in the management of the awards.

The Aurealis Awards were established in 1995 by Chimaera Publications, the publishers of Aurealis magazine, to recognise the achievements of Australian science fiction, fantasy and horror writers.

The Aurealis Awards are intended to complement the Annual Australian National Science Fiction Convention’s Ditmar Awards and the Australian Children’s Book Council Awards. Neither of those awards distinguishes between the different categories of speculative fiction. We hope that the growing list of Aurealis Awards finalists and winners will increase the profile of Australian science fiction, fantasy, and horror, and provide an essential reading list for anyone interested in these genres.

The awards originally comprised four categories: science fiction, fantasy, horror, and young adult. A fifth category for children’s fiction (ages 8-12 years) was added in 2001.
The YA and children's categories cover works in all three speculative fiction genres.

These categories each have two separate awards, one for novels and one for short fiction.

Two changes to the awards’ process were introduced in 2008, the best-in-show Golden Aurealis Awards for novel and short fiction (introduced in 2004) were discontinued, and two new categories were introduced: best anthology and collection, and best illustrated work or graphic novel.

Submissions within a category are reviewed by a panel of at least three judges, which selects each year's finalists and winners. One of the judges on each panel is also the panel convenor.

There is also the Peter McNamara Convenors’ Award for Excellence, which is awarded at the discretion of the convenors for a particular achievement in speculative fiction or related areas in that year. This award may take into account a body of work or achievements over a number of years; it can also be for a work of non-fiction, artwork, electronic or multimedia work, or that which brings credit or attention to the speculative fiction genres. The award was originally known as The Convenors' Award for Excellence and was renamed in 2002 after Peter McNamara (d. 2004), publisher, editor and the original Aurealis Awards convenor, shortly after he was diagnosed with a terminal illness.

Because this is a special award and the scope of the entries may vary greatly, entries for this award do not feature on the list of general Aurealis Awards 2010 entries.

Aurealis Awards Management Team

Co-Convenor:	Nathan Burrage Nathan is an internationally published author and a Clarion South graduate with over 15 years project management experience in the Financial Services industry. As a self-employed Programme Manager, he has been responsible for managing implementation budgets of up to $5m.
Co-Convenor:	Susan Wardle Susan is a Clarion South graduate with over 15 years professional experience in marketing, public relations and event management in both private and government sector.
Judging Coordinator:	Keith Stevenson Keith is a speculative fiction writer, editor, reviewer, podcaster, and the publisher at coeur de lion publishing. He is a former editor of Aurealis Magazine and has been an organising convenor of the Aurealis Awards.
Web Content Manager:	Stephen Denham Stephen is a writer, poet and photographer with over 15 years experience as a graphic designer in print, web and multimedia in small business, corporate and public sectors.
Rules Coordinator & Secretary:	Anne Mok Anne is a Clarion South graduate, a writer, and works as an editor in legal publishing.
Committee Member:	Chris Barnes Chris is a Clarion South graduate and previous organiser of the Magic Casements event in Sydney. He has over 15 years professional project management experience in a range of fields.
Committee Member:	Angie Rega Angie is a Clarion South graduate, a writer and librarian by trade. She also has formidable baking skills.
Sound & Music Coordinator:	Brian Yatman Brian is a singer, songwriter, instrumentalist and speculative fiction writer.
Programme Designer:	Cat Sparks Cat is a writer and multiple Aurealis Award winner, a graduate of Clarion South and former editor of Agog! Press with her partner Rob Hood. Also a graphic designer, photographer and desktop publisher, she is a former judge of the Aurealis Awards.
Programme Designer:	Rob Hood Rob is a multiple Aurealis Award winner, an editor and recognised as one of Australia's leading horror writers. He is also a former editor of Agog! Press with partner, Cat Sparks.