The Seattle 2025 Worldcon committee today announced a Special Hugo Award for Best Poem will be on the Hugo ballot next year.
The Hugo rules give each year’s Worldcon the option of creating one special category. Seattle 2025’s will recognize speculative, science fiction, and fantasy poems from 2024 which are “at least three lines”.
The Seattle Worldcon team points to the city’s “rich, vibrant poetry culture…. From having one of the only poetry-only bookstores to having its own Civic Poet, the Seattle poetry scene teems with activity…. We look forward to seeing what poems resonate with the WSFS membership.”
The con launched its poetry celebration in July by naming of Brandon O’Brien as the Poet Laureate for Seattle Worldcon 2025.
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Probably the oldest poetry bookstore is Grolier in Cambridge, MA. Founded 1927.
https://www.grolierpoetrybookshop.org/
I find myself conflicted. On the one hand, it will bring someone joy, and joy should be brought. On the other, I don’t know much about the sci-fi poetry scene, and I don’t know if the Hugo votership does either. An award that just stole some thunder from the Rhysling and replicated their shortlist would be a bit pointless.
Nickpheas: We’ll see. Writers generally like awards being multiplied. Rather than detracting from the Rhysling, they may see it as vindication.
Nickpheas: I suspect this category in particular will get votes from people who didn’t nominate, because the time investment is less than for most other categories, and much less than for novel, dramatic presentation long form, or series. That’s assuming the poems are in the Hugo packet, but I’d be surprised if they weren’t.
I know you’re making a larger point, but this should be all that’s necessary to support something in fandom.
I wish people would stop trying to kill the Retro Hugos, something that brings me joy in the years when a Worldcon decides to do them. Same with the ones who want to kill NASFiC even though cities still want to host them.
The next time I have any interest in filk will be the first time, but I’ve never thought hey we should really bring a stop to all that fun I am not having.
A one-year Best Poem Hugo that belongs to a wider celebration of poetry at Worldcon is a terrific idea. I am so excited about this news that I might read the poems in Analog.
The magazines (Big 3 and online) publish poetry every issue. F&SF in particular. I saw one in the last issue of Scientific American I read, even.
And like @Vicki said, ease of reading will encourage more voting. A lot of people can’t get through all the finalists in Novel or Novella, but reading 6 poems takes much less time.
@rcade: agreed.