My novel The Hounds of Avalon has been shortlisted in the Best Novel category for this year’s British Fantasy Awards. That makes five out of the last six books that have been shortlisted for Best Novel, which must be some kind of record. (Also, no wins, which must also be a record on the nominations/failure to win ratio…)
The award will be presented at Fantasycon in Nottingham next month, which is shaping up to be one of the best British conventions in recent years. Well worth a visit.
And there are some great books also on the Best Novel shortlist: Ramsey Campbell, Secret Stories; Hal Duncan, Vellum: The Book of All Hours; Neil Gaiman, Anansi Boys; George R R Martin, A Feast For Crows; Mark Morris, Nowhere Near An Angel.
Maybe they’re making like the Oscars with Peter Jackson and book three of the Kingdom Of The Serpent will sweep the board when it’s finally published.
I would say that Jack Of Ravens is a better bet for the BFS award – it’s more complete as a single novel (is it time that Fantasy Awards had a “best trilogy/sequence” award seeing as that seems to be the predominant format in the genre? ) and maybe has more standalone appeal. If Hounds Of Avalon does win it then we expect to see Jack victorious at the World Fantasy Awards next year…
Good luck for this year, Mark. Of all the years this one would be the sweetest, wouldn’t it, to break the voodoo of no wins? It’s a fantatsic final six. Cheers.
Thanks, Sean. Any year is a good year to win, but with that kind of competition it would be validation and a half!
Too bloody true!! Fingers crossed, eh?