Tag Archives: The Women Hold Up Half the Sky Award

Roswell Award and Tomorrow Prize 2021 Finalists and Honorable Mentions

Posted on by

Omega Sci-Fi Awards has announced the 2021 finalists and honorable mentions for both The Roswell Award and The Tomorrow Prize. They also have revealed the winner of the Women Hold Up Half the Sky Award, their feminist themed prize, and the winner of the Green Feather Award, their eco-themed prize.

THE ROSWELL AWARD for original short science fiction from writers worldwide

FINALISTS

  • “The Rite to Vote” by Matthew Cushing (Connecticut, USA)
  • “Imagine Dandelions” by Andrea Goyan (California, USA)
  • “Autonomous” by Ben Hennesy (USA/Tanzania)
  • “Run” by Tenzin Phillips (South Africa)
  • “Biomimicry” by Ven Pillay (South Africa)
  • “Realtiger” by Susan Wachowski (Illinois, USA)

HONORABLE MENTIONS

  • “When The Books Were on Paper” by Evgeniy Bondarev (Russia)
  • “Logistics” by Christian Dark (United Kingdom)
  • “Buddy and I” by Bryan Leong Jing Ern (Malaysia)
  • “Opt-In” by Susan Harper (California, USA)
  • “Way Out” by Larry Herbst (California, USA)
  • “Starchild” by Mayor Prosper Ihechi (Nigeria)
  • “Eclosion” by Alice Laciny (Austria)
  • “Rate Me!” by Lexus Ndiwe (United Kingdom)
  • “Mittens Aurelius: Meowditations” by Mark Thomas (Canada)

THE WOMEN HOLD UP HALF THE SKY AWARD for original short feminist themed science fiction

WINNER

  • “Never Turn Your Back on the Water” by Courtney Watson (Virginia, USA)

FINALISTS

  • “Yes” by Marie Cartier (California, USA)
  • “Unfrozen” by Libby Marshall (Illinois, USA)
  • “Fish Hunting Fish” by Archie Nicholson (Canada)
  • “Virgintillion” by Anna O’Brien (Maryland, USA)
  • “The Shadows of the Baobabs Fall Long” by Bailey Sweatman (Texas, USA)

THE TOMORROW PRIZE for original short science fiction by Los Angeles County high school students

FINALISTS

  • “EP-1M Contamination” by Britney Cruz (Susan Miller Dorsey High School)
  • “Äerd” by Tessa Kennedy (John Marshall High School)
  • “Star Sailor” by Gwendolyn Lopez (Pasadena High School)
  • “Returning Home” by Sofia Orduno (Mt. SAC Early College Academy)
  • “The Plague” by Flora White (Geffen Academy at UCLA)

HONORABLE MENTIONS

  • “Cold Ashes” by Ethan Kim (Crescenta Valley High School)
  • “The Gorm” by Jakob Wedel (Wedel Academy Independent Homeschool)

THE GREEN FEATHER AWARD for original short eco-themed science fiction by Los Angeles County high school students

WINNER

  • “Corn” by Sienna Koizumi (Culver City High School)

HONORABLE MENTION

  • “The Great Forgotten” by Jonah Guardino (High Tech LA)

On May 22 and 23 there will be Virtual Celebrity Readings & Awards events hosted in partnership with actress and stunt person Patricia Tallman’s (Babylon 5, Star Trek) B5 Events.

These events are free to attend with registration. Registration and more info is available here.

  • Saturday, May 22 at 11am PDT: The Roswell Award and Women Hold Up Half the Sky Virtual Celebrity Readings and Awards. Register here.
  • Sunday, May 23 at 5pm PDT: The Tomorrow Prize and Green Feather Award Virtual Celebrity Readings and Awards. Register here.

The Roswell Award and Women Hold Up Half the Sky Virtual Celebrity Readings & Awards will honor the best emerging science fiction writers from across the United States and worldwide. The Women Hold Up Half the Sky Award, a special feminist-themed award, is co-presented by the feminist publication Artemis Journal and KPFK’s Feminist Magazine radio show. The first place winner will also be presented with a free online course from the UCLA Extension Writers’ Program.

Featured celebrity guests for The Roswell Award Virtual Celebrity Readings & Awards on May 22 include: LaMonica Garrett (Arrow, Dc’s Legends Of Tomorrow), Ruth Connell (SUPERNATURAL), Nana Visitor (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine), Phil Lamarr (Samurai Jack, Futurama), Tiffany Lonsdale-Hands (Siren), Kari Wahlgren (Rick And Morty), and David Blue (Stargate Universe).

Finalist judges for The Roswell Award include: Author Steven Barnes (Lion’s Blood, The New Twilight Zone), paleontologist Alyssa Bell (Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County Dinosaur Institute), author Wesley Chu (The Lives Of Tao, The Walking Dead: Typhoon), author and engineer S.B. Divya (Runtime, Escape Pod), author Rebecca Moesta (Star Wars: Young Jedi Knights, Star Wars: Junior Jedi Knights), writer and director Philippe Mora (Communion, Continuity), author Larry Niven (Ringworld, The Integral Trees).

The Tomorrow Prize and Green Feather Award Virtual Celebrity Readings & Awards is co-presented by L.A. Parent Magazine. These include five all-female Finalists for The Tomorrow Prize original short sci-fi competition, this year’s Honorable Mentions, and the Winner of the Green Feather Award, a special ecology-themed award co-presented by the Los Angeles Audubon Society.

Featured celebrity guests for The Tomorrow Prize Virtual Celebrity Readings & Awards on May 23 include: Joanna Cassidy (Blade Runner, Who Framed Roger Rabbit), Rico E. Anderson (The Orville), Kirsten Vangsness (Criminal Minds), Duane Henry (Captain Marvel), and more.

Finalist judges for The Tomorrow Prize include: volcanologist, explorer, and author Jess Phoenix (Ms. Adventure), and author Charles Yu (How To Live Safely In A Science Fictional Universe, Interior Chinatown), author Jennifer Brody (The 13th Continuum, 200), American Flight engineer Bobak Ferdowsi.

This will be Omega Sci-Fi Awards’ sixth year hosting celebrity guests to read finalists’ stories. Gary Phillips, sci-fi and mystery writer and Omega Sci-Fi Awards board member says, “I was thrilled to read the entries for this year’s awards and am looking forward to hearing the Finalists’ stories read aloud by this stellar line-up.”

Their 6th annual Virtual Celebrity Readings & Awards events, with dramatic readings of the finalists’ stories followed by the prize announcements, will be on:

The Omega Sci-Fi Awards is a nonprofit program founded in 2014 by Sci-Fest L.A. that aims to recognize and encourage emerging sci-fi writers, and Light Bringer Project, a Pasadena-based nonprofit arts and education organization. The awards ceremony is hosted in conjunction with LitFest Pasadena 2021, a series of literary panel discussions that will be held on May 15-16 from noon to 6:00 p.m. Pacific.

[Based on a press release.]

Sixth Annual Roswell Award Contest Taking Entries

Posted on by

The Roswell Award contest for short science fiction by ages 16 and older is accepting submissions through December 15.

Run by Sci-Fest L.A. and the Light Bringer Project, the Roswell Award was created in 2014 to foster emerging science fiction writing talent worldwide.

For more information and submission guidelines visit here.

The “Women Hold Up Half the Sky Award” for feminist sci-fi is co-presented by Artemis literary journal and will also be presented to a distinct winner.

  • Selected finalists will be chosen to have their stories read in their honor by celebrity guests during a special performance. 
  • First, Second, and Third place Roswell Award winners will receive $500, $250, and $100 USD cash prizes.
  • The First place Roswell Award winner will receive access to the UCLA Extension Writers’ Program sponsored 11-week or shorter online course.
  • The Women Hold Up Half the Sky Award is an additional special prize category for a feminist themed sci-fi story. The winner will be published by Artemis literary journal with more prizes to be announced.

Women Hold Up Half the Sky Award

This award recognizes a science fiction story that embraces feminist themes and has a female protagonist. Top entries will exemplify excellence in feminist storytelling, while capturing the complexities of their characters. The winner will receive print publication in Artemis Journal. Artemis Journal is an award-winning non-profit feminist art and creative writing journal. Its purpose is to foster art and literary excellence in the Blue Ridge mountain region of Southwest Virginia and beyond. Learn more here.

Stories are only eligible for one prize. Stories not chosen for the Women Hold Up Half the Sky Award will be considered for the other Roswell Award prizes.

Have questions about The Roswell Award writing competition and want to hear from the source? Register for one of two free online Q&A sessions available on Zoom. This is your chance to learn tips for a great short sci-fi submission for The Roswell Award and engage in a Q&A in with the competition organizers. For more information and to register for either session:

  • October 19, 2020 from 7pm – 8pm PDT: Eventbrite
  • October 20, 2020 from 10am – 11am PDT: Eventbrite

2018 Roswell Award Finalists

Posted on by

The finalists for the 2018 Roswell Award for short science fiction by adults have been posted.

At LitFest Pasadena on May 19, celebrity guests will read the five finalists’ stories, after which the first, second, and third place winners will be announced.

During the ceremony The Women Hold Up Half the Sky Award also will be presented by Artemis Journal and the Hollywood Chapter of the National Organization for Women (Hollywood NOW). The award “recognizes a science fiction story that embraces feminist themes and has a strong female protagonist.”

2018 The Women Hold Up Half the Sky Award Winner

  • “Equality Day” by Mindy Quigley

The winning story will be published both by Artemis Journal and Hollywood NOW, and will be read aloud on stage by a celebrity guest.