Stealing Up on the Latest Crime Fiction Awards

From Japan, the UK and Australia comes news of three crime fiction awards.

2023 MALTESE FALCON AWARD

 S. J. Rozan has won the 2023 Falcon Award for Paper Son. 

The award is given by the Maltese Falcon Society of Japan for the best hardboiled/private eye novel published in Japan in the previous year.

The winning author receives a certificate of merit and a falcon sculpture crafted in wood.

The Maltese Falcon Society was founded in San Francisco in 1981, and later added chapters in New York and Japan. The Japanese chapter is the last one still active, and holds meetings in Tokyo and Osaka.

2023 FINGERPRINT AWARDS

Capital Crime, a crime fiction con in London, has announced the finalists for The Fingerprint Awards 2022. The public can vote for the winners at the link.  The winners will be announced August 31.

CRIME BOOK OF THE YEAR 2022

  • The Botanist by M W Craven
  • The It Girl by Ruth Ware
  • Bleeding Heart Yard by Elly Griffiths
  • The Family Remains by Lisa Jewell 
  • The Twist of a Knife by Anthony Horowitz

THRILLER BOOK OF THE YEAR 2022

  • Like a Sister by Kellye Garrett
  • Do No Harm by Jack Jordan
  • Truly Darkly Deeply by Victoria Selman
  • Wrong Place Wrong Time by Gillian McAllister
  • A Good Day to Die by Amen Alonge 

HISTORICAL BOOK OF THE YEAR 2022

  • The Lost Man of Bombay by Vaseem Khan
  • The Clockwork Girl by Anna Mazzola
  • A Fatal Crossing by Tom Hindle
  • Miss Aldridge Regrets by Louise Hare
  • Shrines of Gaiety by Kate Atkinson

GENRE-BUSTING BOOK OF THE YEAR 2022

  • The House of Ashes by Stuart Neville
  • The Skeleton Key by Erin Kelly
  • The Cartographers by Peng Shepherd
  • Wild and Wicked Things by Francesca May
  • Suicide Thursday by Will Carver

DEBUT BOOK OF THE YEAR 2022

  • The Maid by Nita Prose
  • Wahala by Nikki May
  • That Green-Eyed Girl by Julie Owen-Moylan
  • A Fatal Crossing by Tom Hindle 
  • Death and the Conjuror by Tom Mead 

AUDIO BOOK OF THE YEAR 2022

  • Ink Black Heart by Robert Galbraith; narrated by Robert Glenister
  • The Skeleton Key by Erin Kelly; narrated by Helen Keeley
  • One Last Secret by Adele Parks; narrated by Kristin Atherton
  • The Twyford Code by Janice Hallett; narrated by Thomas Judd
  • Better the Blood by Michael Bennett; narrated by Miriama McDowell and Richard Te Are

2023 DAVITT AWARDS

Sisters in Crime Australia have announced the 2023 Davitt Awards longlist. The award is given for the best crime and mystery books published by women in 2022..

ADULT NOVELS

  • N D Campbell, Daughters of Eve (Allen & Unwin) Debut
  • Jane Caro, The Mother (Allen & Unwin) Debut
  • Lucy Christopher, Release (Text Publishing)
  • Aoife Clifford, When We Fall (Ultimo Press)
  • Maryrose Cuskelly, The Cane (Allen & Unwin) Debut
  • Kerry Greenwood, Murder in Williamstown (Allen & Unwin)
  • Margaret Hickey, Stone Town (Penguin Random House Australia)
  • Julie Janson, Madukka the River Serpent (UWA Publishing)
  • Tracey Lien, All That’s Left Unsaid (HQ Fiction) Debut
  • Fleur McDonald, Broad River Station (Allen & Unwin)
  • Dinuka McKenzie, The Torrent (HarperCollins Publishing Australia) Debut
  • Dervla McTiernan, The Murder Rule (HarperCollins Publishing Australia)
  • Mercedes Mercier, White Noise (HarperCollins Publishing Australia) Debut
  • Vikki Petraitis, The Unbelieved (Allen & Unwin) Debut
  • Sally Piper, Bone Memories (University of Queensland Press)
  • Hayley Scrivenor, Dirt Town (Pan Macmillan Australia) Debut
  • Emma Styles, No Country for Girls (Sphere, an imprint of Hachette Australia) Debut
  • Susan White, Cut (Affirm Press)

YOUNG ADULT NOVELS

  • Louise Bassett, The Hidden Girl (Walker Books) Debut
  • Sarah Epstein, Night Lights (Fourteen Press)
  • Ellie Marney, The Killing Code (Allen & Unwin)

CHILDREN’S NOVELS

  • Deborah Abela, The Book of Wondrous Possibilities (Puffin, an imprint of Penguin Random House Australia)
  • Charlie Archbold, The Sugarcane Kids and the Red-bottomed Boat (Text Publishing)
  • Fleur Ferris, Seven Days (Penguin Random House Australia)
  • Emily Gale, The Goodbye Year (Text Publishing)
  • Nicki Greenberg, The Detective’s Guide to New York City (Affirm Press)
  • Lian Tanner, Rita’s Revenge (Allen & Unwin)
  • Sue Whiting, Pearly and Pig and the Great Hairy Beast (Walker Books)

NON-FICTION

  • Wendy Davis, Don’t Make a Fuss: It’s only the Claremont Serial Killer (Fremantle Press) Debut
  • Meg Foster, Boundary Crossers: The hidden history of Australia’s other bushrangers (NewSouth Books) Debut
  • Ellis Gunn, Rattled (Allen & Unwin) Debut
  • Katrina Marson, Legitimate Sexpectations: The power of sex-ed (Scribe Publications)
  • Megan Norris, Out of the Ashes (Big Sky Publishing)

[Thanks to Cora Buhlert for these stories.]

Mid-Year Crime Fiction Awards Roundup

Three more crime fiction awards announced their winners or longlists in June.


2023 ELEANOR TAYLOR BLAND EMERGING CRIME FICTION WRITER OF COLOR AWARD

The winner of the 2023 Eleanor Taylor Bland Crime Fiction Writers of Color Award was announced by Sisters in Crime on June 20.

  • Nicole Prewitt

The winner of the 2023 Award is Nicole Prewitt of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Her winning submission, “Harts Divided”, follows Neema Hart, a black, bisexual thief-turned-P.I., who owns a detective agency and therapy office with her estranged wife, Genie Hart. When what should be a bread-and-butter infidelity case results in unsuspecting women getting burned, in more ways than one. The Harts are pushed to prove their commitment to their clients, their community, and each other.

The winner receives a $2,000 grant intended to support the recipient in crime fiction writing and career development activities. The grant may be used for activities that include workshops, seminars, conferences, and retreats, online courses, and research activities required for completion of the work.

 Prewitt’s story was selected from over 60 submissions by 2023 judges Shizuka Otake — winner of the award in 2022 — plus novelists R. Franklin James and Andrea J. Johnson.

Sisters in Crime also awarded five runners-up a year-long membership to the organization:

  • Josette Covington (Wilmington, Delaware)
  • Ann Harris (Atlanta, Georgia)
  • Kathryn Harrison (Bingham Farms, Michigan)
  • Karabi Mitra (Toronto, Ontario)
  • Deena Short (Stonecrest, Georgia).

THE NGAIO MARSH AWARDS 2023 LONGLIST

The 14 books up for the 2023 Ngaio Marsh Award for Best Novel, the New Zealand crime fiction award, were announced June 29.

  • Too Far From Antibes by Bede Scott
  • Exit .45 by Ben Sanders
  • Blue Hotel by Chad Taylor
  • Remember Me by Charity Norman
  • The Darkest Sin by D. V. Bishop
  • Poor People With Money by Dominic Hoey
  • The Doctor’s Wife by Fiona Sussman
  • Miracle by Jennifer Lane
  • Better the Blood by Michael Bennett
  • In Her Blood by Nikki Crutchley
  • The Pain Tourist by Paul Cleave
  • Blood Matters by Renée
  • The Slow Roll by Simon Lendrum
  • Paper Cage by Tom Baragwanath

DASHIELL HAMMETT AWARD

The winner of the 2022 Dashiell Hammett Award for Literary Excellence in Crime Writing was named by the International Association of Crime Writers (North American Branch) on June 24. The award is given to a book, originally published in the English language in the United States or Canada, “that best represents the conception of literary excellence in crime writing.”

  • Pay Dirt Road by Samantha Jayne Allen

[Thanks to Cora Buhlert for these stories.]

Pixel Scroll 4/5/23 The Words Of The Filer Are Written On The Pixel Scrolls

(1) KGB. Fantastic Fiction at KGB reading series hosts Ellen Datlow and Matthew Kressel present Peng Shepherd and Paul Park on Wednesday, April 12 at 7:00 p.m. Eastern. Location: KGB Bar, 85 East 4th Street, New York, NY 10003 (Just off 2nd Ave, upstairs).

Peng Shepherd

Peng Shepherd is the nationally bestselling, award-winning author of The Book of M and The Cartographers. Her novels have been named Best Book of 2022 by The Washington PostAmazonElle, and The Verge, Best Book of the Summer by the Today Show and NPR, and Pick of the Month by Good Morning America, as well as optioned for television. She was born and raised in Phoenix, Arizona, where she rode horses and trained in classical ballet, and has lived in Beijing, Kuala Lumpur, London, New York and Mexico City.

Paul Park

Paul Park is the author of three collections of short stories, most recently A City Made of Words from PM Press. His twelve novels include A Princess of RoumaniaCelestis, and All Those Vanished Engines. His work has been nominated for the Nebula and World Fantasy Awards, among many others.  He recently retired from teaching writing and literature at Williams College for many years, and is currently working on a series of screenplays for SunHaus Productions. He lives in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, with his wife, Deborah.

(2) HORROR POETS. At the Horror Writers Association blog “It’s National Poetry Month—How Incredibly Frightening!” Denise Dumars introduces the series:

Now that I’ve got your attention, April is National Poetry Month. Naming the month thusly implies that something of great value is being overlooked. Every poet in America knows what I’m talking about. Poetry has never had the huge following in the U.S. that it boasts in some other cultures; in fact, if you are an HWA member who lives in another country, I’d love to hear how poetry is viewed by the general public where you live. I know some countries where it is very much a part of the national conversation, and is not reserved for the so-called “ivory tower” or wherever people in the U.S. think it lives. (Folks, check the cemeteries, Goth clubs, museums, craft breweries, coffee houses, public libraries, and any place with a senior or student discount! I guarantee a poet will be hanging out in one of those locales or somewhere that has a Happy Hour or free WiFi.)

I write science fiction and fantasy poetry as well as horror poetry, and so I know the trouble poets in other genres face when trying to get genre fiction organizations to recognize it. That’s one of the reasons HWA is so special. Would you believe that horror poetry has been on the Bram Stoker Awards ballot for 23 years? I don’t think I realized it had been recognized by HWA for that long. It makes me very proud to be a member of HWA. But even within our ranks people often overlook poetry as a vitally important part of the genre, so here we are, people! Live poets! Two shows on Sunday!

Here are excerpts from the first four Q&A’s in the series.

What sparked your interest in horror poetry? Was there a particular event or work that inspired you to delve into the darker side of poetry?

I never really understood poetry. I struggled with it for years, both as a reader and as a writer, until I heard someone—I think it was Anselm Berrigan—describe it this way: Poetry is a machine you put people through. And then it just clicked. That was the moment where it fell into place for me, and unlike prose (with which my relationship has always been a slow, iterative kind of process), the transition from confused frustration to comfortable acceptance was immediate. That’s not to say that poetry is easy for me (is it for anyone?), but like realizing what a chisel is meant for, I could at least begin to work with this new tool in ways I couldn’t before.

How do you balance the need to be evocative and disturbing with the constraints of poetic structure and form? Are there any particular strategies you use to create tension and build suspense in your horror poems?

All of us are disturbed by different things, so my goal isn’t necessarily to disturb the reader. My first goal is clarity. Am I conveying what I want to convey? Whether that’s an image, or an emotion, or a concept, I need to make sure it gets across in words—and then I try to balance that communication with aesthetics.

Can you describe your creative process when writing horror poetry? Do you have any rituals or techniques that help you tap into your darkest fears and bring them to life on the page?

Do something related to what you want to be every day. I try to free-write something every day, even if it’s just a scrap or stub. Sometimes I will use a prompt, although most of them are pretty generic. Importantly, I try to read a couple of poems a day – either from a collection or from a site like the Poetry Foundation. I like the latter because I don’t know what to expect and get broad exposure. Poetry should be disruptive, and it’s easier to be surprised and outside your comfort zone when you don’t know what you’re getting into. The other thing is to try and go out into the world and experience things actively – try to really look at things and see them with fresh eyes. There’s a lot of juice in trying to describe something in a very specific way. I don’t know that I tap my darkest fears. I’m a reserved sort, clinical and academic by temperament and training. I tend to want to keep those things for myself. Poetry tends to work against that, which makes for an interesting struggle….

How do you balance the need to be evocative and disturbing with the constraints of poetic structure and form? Are there any particular strategies you use to create tension and build suspense in your horror poems? 

This is absolutely a balance that must be tended to with intention. I think stronger poets think this through and try out different iterations before finding what works. I’m still learning how to do this, so I enjoy reading the works of other poets and playing with imagery and form in my own work. I rely heavily upon the sounds of words to build tension and evoke emotions – alliteration, assonance, anaphora, cacophony – all the tricks!

(3) THE TEST. NPR reminds people “What is the Bechdel test? A shorthand for measuring representation in movies”. Named for the test’s creator, cartoonist Alison Bechdel.

…BECHDEL: As they talk, they’re trying to decide what movie to go see.

UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR #2: (As character) I only go to the movie if it satisfies three basic requirements. One, it has to have at least two women in it…

(SOUNDBITE OF BELL)

UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR #2: (As character) …Who, two…

BECHDEL: Who talk to each other.

(SOUNDBITE OF BELL)

UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR #2: (As character) …About, three, something besides a man.

(SOUNDBITE OF BELL)

BECHDEL: And the punch line is…

UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR #2: (As character) Last movie I was able to see was “Alien.” The two women in it talk to each other about the monster.

(SOUNDBITE OF SCREECH)

…(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

SAM JONES: The Bechdel Test.

JESSICA CHASTAIN: But then I looked at the test, and I thought, OK, it doesn’t seem too unreasonable. And then I looked at my films, and I realized not one of my films has passed that test….

(4) SADDLE UP! Space Cowboy Books is hosting an online reading and interview with Ai Jiang, author of Linghun, on Tuesday April 11t at 6:00 p.m. Pacific. Register for free here.

From acclaimed author Ai Jiang, follow Wenqi, Liam, and Mrs. to the mysterious town of HOME, a place where the dead live again as spirits, conjured by the grief-sick population that refuses to let go. This edition includes a foreword by Yi Izzy Yu, Translator of The Shadow Book of Ji Yun, the essay “A Ramble on Di Fu Ling & Death” by the author, and two bonus short stories from Jiang: “Yǒngshí” and “Teeter Totter.”

(5) THE MEMORY HOLE. So you bought that ebook before the revisions were made? The New York Times reminds Kindle readers, “It’s Their Content, You’re Just Licensing it”.

Amid recent debates over several publishers’ removal of potentially offensive material from the work of popular 20th-century authors — including Roald DahlR.L. Stine and Agatha Christie — is a less discussed but no less thorny question about the method of the revisions. For some e-book owners, the changes appeared as if made by a book thief in the night: quietly and with no clear evidence of a disturbance.

In Britain, Clarissa Aykroyd, a Kindle reader of Dahl’s “Matilda,” watched a reference to Joseph Conrad disappear. (U.S. editions of Dahl’s books were unaffected.) Owners of Stine’s “Goosebumps” books lost mentions of schoolgirls’ “crushes” on a headmaster and a description of an overweight character with “at least six chins.” Racial and ethnic slurs were snipped out of Christie’s mysteries.

In each case, e-books that had been published and sold in one form were retroactively (and irrevocably) altered, highlighting what consumer rights experts say is a convention of digital publishing that customers may never notice or realize they signed up for. Buying an e-book doesn’t necessarily mean it’s yours.

“Nobody reads the terms of service, but these companies reserve the right to go in there and change things around,” said Jason Schultz, the director of New York University’s Technology Law and Policy Clinic and a co-author of “The End of Ownership.”

“They make it feel similar to buying a physical book, but in reality it’s 180 degrees different,” he added….

(6) BOOK OR MOVIE: WHICH WAS BETTER? Inverse’s Ryan Britt claims “Logan’s Run Is a Sci-Fi Masterpiece Because it Rewrote the Book”. I’m not sure who thinks the movie is a masterpiece besides Britt, though – it finished behind No Award in the 1977 Best Dramatic Presentation Hugo vote.

…Although it was published in the same era as Frank Herbert’s Dune and Philip K. Dick’s Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, the novel isn’t spoken about in the same reverent tones relative to its movie adaptation. The number of people who have seen Logan’s Run may not be huge, but the number who still read the book must be minuscule. There are several ways to explain this, the most tempting of which would be to argue that the movie is simply better. But that’s not it.

Both the novel and the film float a similar dystopian premise about futuristic population control. There’s an age where people are required to die, those who try to skirt this rule are called “runners,” and they’re hunted by people called Sandmen. In the movie, the age of “renewal” is 30. In the novel, it’s just 21, a stark difference that makes the novel weirder and hard to buy. But the motivation was clear: the book represents a kind of twisted Lord of the Flies endgame. What if all the college kids protesting in the ‘60s really did run the world?

The novel is a bit more subtle than that, but this central premise is largely why it hasn’t aged well. Which is a shame because, unlike the movie, the world-building is expansive. In the film, Logan (Michael York), Jessica (Jenny Agutter), and all the other twenty-somethings live in domed cities, where the outside world is a distant memory. So when Logan and Jessica escape the domes, they’re out in the wilderness and we’re in Planet of the Apes territory, in which familiar buildings like the Capitol have been overrun by vines and cats.

These features make Logan’s Run the quintessential dystopia, more reminiscent of Brave New World than its own source material….

(7) MOBY KHAN. “Star Trek: Every Literary Reference In The Wrath Of Khan”ScreenRant furnishes a “Cliff’s Notes” for the movie – not that you need it.

Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan‘s references to Moby-Dick are anything but subtle, but the movie finds a way to perfectly utilize Herman Melville’s controversial narrative. Making his intentions clear throughout the story, Khan actually quotes the 1851 novel on several occasions and even uses his last dying breath to invoke one of its most moving passages. “From hell’s heart, I stab at thee,” is so much more than Khan showing off his well-read vocabulary, but instead succinctly encapsulates how he views Kirk and the situation he’s been living in for years on Ceti Alpha V. The parallels are on-the-nose, but powerful nonetheless….

(8) MEMORY LANE.

2006[Compiled by Cat Eldridge.] Patricia A. McKillip’s Solstice Wood

I assume that you’re familiar with the work of this author but it’s more likely that you’ve encountered her more fantastic works such as The Riddle-Master of Hed, The Cygnet series or The Forgotten Beasts of Eld.

Solstice Wood was published by Ace Books seventeen years ago as part of the Winter Rose duology with Winter Rose which was published a decade before this novel.

The cover on the left is the one from the Ace Books publication. Before this novel, Kunuko Y. Craft did all of the Ace covers for her books. This cover art is by Gary Blythe. 

It would win the Mythopoeic Fantasy Award for Adult Literature.

I love this novel as what we have here is a quiet, gentler magic at work. I won’t say more about the novel as that would  involve, errrr, SPOILERS as you know. 

If you’re inclined, there’s a detailed review of Solstice Wood of course over at Green Man as we’re terribly fond of her fiction.  We also did a nice interview with her shortly before her death.

So without further commentary, here’s the Beginning…

Sylvia Gram called at five in the morning. She never remembered the time difference. I was already up, sitting at the table in my bathrobe, about to take my first sip of coffee. The phone rang; my hands jerked. Coffee shot into the air, rained down on my hair and the cat, who yowled indignantly and fled. I stared at the phone as it rang again, not wanting to pick up, not wanting to know whatever it was Gram wanted me to know.

At the second ring, I heard Madison stir on my couch-bed.

“Syl?”

“I’m not answering that.”

He unburied his face, squinted at me. “Why not? You having a clandestine affair?”

“It’s Gram.”

His head hit the pillow again on the third ring. “Is not,” he mumbled. “Tell him to leave a message and come back to bed.”

“I can’t,” I said firmly, though his naked body was exerting some serious magnetic pull. “I have to go to the store and unpack a dozen boxes of books.”

“Come back for five minutes. Please? She’ll leave a message.”

 “She won’t.” It rang again. “Only the weak-minded babble their business to inanimate objects.”

“Hah?”

 “She says.” 

It rang for the fifth time; I glowered at it, still not moving. I could have shown her any number of fairy tales in which important secrets imparted to a stone, to the moon, to a hole in the ground, had rescued the runaway princess, or the youngest brother, or the children lost in the wood. But Gram believed in fairies, not fairy tales, and in her world magic and machines were equally suspect.

(9) TODAY’S BIRTHDAYS.

[Compiled by Cat Eldridge.]

  • Born April 5, 1909 Albert Broccoli. American film producer responsible for all the Bond films up to License to Kill, either by himself or in conjunction with others. He also was the producer of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, and executive produced The Gamma People. (Died 1996.)
  • Born April 5, 1916 Bernard Baily. A comics writer, editor and publisher. Best remembered as co-creator of The Spectre and Hourman. For DC Comics precursor National Comics, Baily co-created and drew the adventure feature “Tex Thomson” in Action Comics #1 (June 1938), the landmark comic book that introduced Superman. In 1943, he founded his own studio. Among the artists who started out in the industry there were Frank Frazetta, Carmine Infantino and Gil Kane. (Died 1996.)
  • Born April 5, 1917 Robert Bloch. His Wiki page says he’s best known as the writer of Psycho, but I’ll guarantee that only film geeks and many of y’all know that. I know him best as the writer of the Trek “Wolf in the Fold” episode, one of three Trek episodes he did. His Night of the Ripper novel is highly recommended. And I know “That Hellbound Train” which won him first Hugo at Detention is the piece by him that I’ve read the most. He received a special committee award at L.A. Con II, where they were honored him for fifty years as SF professional. Impressive indeed. And yes, he’s a member of First Fandom as he should be. (Died 1994.)
  • Born April 5, 1926 Roger Corman, 97. Ahhhh popcorn films! (See popcorn literature for what I mean.) Monster from the Ocean Floor in the early Fifties was his first such film and Sharktopus vs. Whalewolf on Syfy just a few years back was another such film. He’s a man who even produced such a film called, errr, Munchies. A Worldcon guest of honor in 1996.
  • Born April 5, 1950 A.C. Crispin. She wrote several Trek and Star Wars novelizations and created her series called Starbridge which was heavily influenced by Trek. She also co-wrote several Witch World novels, Gryphon’s Eyrie and Songsmith, with Andre Norton. Crispin was also the co-founder of Writers Beware – the bane of literary fraudsters and scammers everywhere. Pirates of the Caribbean: The Price of Freedom was her last novel prior to her death from bladder cancer while in hospice care. (Died 2013.)
  • Born April 5, 1955 Anthony Horowitz, 68. He wrote five episodes of Robin of Sherwood, and he was both creator and writer of Crime Traveller. He’s also written both Bond and Holmes novels. If you can find a copy, Richard Carpenter’s Robin of Sherwood: The Hooded Man is a very nice fleshing out of that series in literary form.
  • Born April 5, 1965 Deborah Harkness, 58. She’s the author of the All Souls Trilogy, which consists of A Discovery of Witches and its sequels Shadow of Night and The Book of Life. I listened to the Jennifer Ikeda-narrated audiobooks which was an amazing experience. Highly recommended as Harkness tells a remarkable story here. I’m not even fond ’tall of vampires in any form and hers actually are both appealing and make sense.  

(10) EXODUS AND BACK AGAIN. Inverse remembers when the Matt Smith years began: “13 Years Ago, ‘Doctor Who’ Rebooted Itself Again — And Changed Sci-Fi Forever”

There’s a moment during David Tennant’s live announcement of his exit from Doctor Who, made via satellite video at Britain’s National Television Awards, when you can hear a woman scream “No!” over the sounds of shock and disbelief from the audience. That nameless woman unintentionally became the voice of countless fans devastated by the departure of the beloved actor, whose time on Doctor Who had turned him into a geek icon. But change is built into the DNA of Doctor Who, and it was inevitable that Tennant, like the nine actors before him, would leave the show. But at the risk of sounding dramatic, the stakes for this change were never higher….

(11) JEOPARDY! Andrew Porter watched a contestant on tonight’s Jeopardy! run afoul of an sf-themed item.

Category: Literary Bad Day for the Planet

Answer: Arthur C. Clarke’s “The Star” is a sun that went supernova, killing a planet, & is this celestial object from the New Testament.

Wrong question: What is the Star of David?

Right question: What is the Star of Bethlehem?

(12) SOUR NOTES. “Man who made £1.2m from fake vinyl records caught out by Clash fan” reports the Guardian. You can fool some of the people some of the time, but not all of the people all of the time – especially ardent music fans.

A businessman who made more than £1m selling fake vinyl records was caught after a fan of punk band the Clash complained that the sound quality of an LP he had bought was not as sharp as it should have been.

Trading standards officers launched an investigation into Richard Hutter and found that he had been selling thousands of counterfeit records to rock and pop fans over a six-year period.

Hutter, 55, from Ringwood, Hampshire, was given a suspended jail sentence, ordered to do 250 hours unpaid work and told to wear a tag for three months.

He charged up to £35 for albums from bands ranging from the Beatles to Pink Floyd, Nirvana and Amy Winehouse.

He was found out when a Clash fan demanded his money back because of the poor sound quality on the record he had bought online.

When the refund was refused the customer complained to trading standards officers, who bought two sample records – Appetite for Destruction by Guns N’ Roses and Songs for the Deaf by Queens of the Stone Age – from Hutter’s online business and both turned out to be fakes.

Hutter’s home was searched and officers seized his phone and laptop, which led to them uncovering the scale of his operation. As well as selling through his website and a US site, he listed almost 1,200 LPS for sale on eBay in one year.

When questioned, Hutter denied knowing they were counterfeit records and said he had sourced them from Europe and sold them on. He pleaded guilty to 13 counts of selling counterfeit records and one count under the Proceeds of Crime Act (2002).

He was sentenced at Bournemouth crown court and was given a four-month prison sentence, suspended for 24 months. A £373,000 confiscation order was also made.

Martin Thursby, of Dorset Trading Standards, said: “Vinyl sales declined rapidly after CDs were introduced but the resurgence in vinyl started in around 2010.

“Demand is now so great that there are not enough vinyl pressing plants to meet demand. Hutter was aware of the increase in popularity and set up his business to take advantage of that.

“The LPs Hutter was selling were generally good copies that came to light because they were bought by avid fans of the music who could spot the small differences which showed the records were counterfeit.”…

(13) UNDER THE U235. [Item by Mike Kennedy.] A remote-operated underwater vehicle is being used to image the Fukushima nuclear reactors. A 5-minute portion of the first 39-hour video has been released. “New images from inside Fukushima reactor spark safety worry” at AP News. Watch the video at the link.

Images captured by a robotic probe inside one of the three melted reactors at Japan’s wrecked Fukushima nuclear power plant showed exposed steel bars in the main supporting structure and parts of its thick external concrete wall missing, triggering concerns about its earthquake resistance in case of another major disaster.

The plant’s operator, Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings, has been sending robotic probes inside the Unit 1 primary containment chamber since last year. The new findings released Tuesday were from the latest probe conducted at the end of March.

An underwater remotely operated vehicle named ROV-A2 was sent inside the Unit 1 pedestal, a supporting structure right under the core. It came back with images seen for the first time since an earthquake and tsunami crippled the plant 12 years ago. The area inside the pedestal is where traces of the melted fuel can most likely be found.

An approximately five-minute video — part of 39-hour-long images captured by the robot — showed that the 120-centimeter (3.9-foot) -thick concrete exterior of the pedestal was significantly damaged near its bottom, exposing the steel reinforcement inside.

TEPCO spokesperson Keisuke Matsuo told reporters Tuesday that the steel reinforcement is largely intact but the company plans to further analyze data and images over the next couple of months to find out if and how the reactor’s earthquake resistance can be improved….

(14) IN THE VILLAGE. EV Grieve shared “A new corner of the ‘Star Wars’ galaxy” – a photo of a new mural design going up in the East Village (NYC). See the image at the link.

EVG contributor Stacie Joy spotted local artist-illustrator Rich Miller starting on a new mural on the NE corner of Seventh Street and Avenue C. 

And a sneak preview of what’s to come… a work that includes Grogu, aka Baby Yoda…

(15) SISTERS IN CRIME BENEFIT AUCTION FOR INNOCENCE PROJECT. Vera Stanhope’s iconic hat and coat worn on the TV crime drama Vera will be centerpiece of a charity auction.

Sisters in Crime, an association of authors who specialize in writing stories about justice, are banding together to champion real-life justice. From May 18-21, 2023, the international writing group will host an online auction to support the Innocence Project, a non-profit that works to free the innocent, prevent wrongful convictions, and create fair, compassionate, and equitable systems of justice for everyone.

Sisters in Crime aims to raise $35,000 for the Innocence Project. Writers and agents have donated various items of interest to crime novel fans, including signed books, the chance to name a character in an upcoming book, consultations, and manuscript critiques. 

Fans can bid on the coat worn by Brenda Blethyn, who plays Vera Stanhope on TV in a role created by bestselling mystery author Ann Cleeves. They can also bid on a 50-page critique by Tracy Clark (Hide) or name a character in a future book by bestselling author Michael Connelly, author of the bestselling Harry Bosch series. Potential bidders can visit the site to see all the items and place a bid.  

The Innocence Project is well known for using DNA evidence to overturn wrongful convictions. Their policy work addresses each of the contributing factors to wrongful convictions: eyewitness misidentificationmisapplication of forensic sciencefalse confessionsunreliable jailhouse informant testimony, and inadequate defense.

Stephanie Gayle, the Immediate Past President of Sisters in Crime, created the auction as part of her legacy project for the organization. She was inspired by the work of Mystery Loves Democracy, a coalition of authors who raised funds for Fair Fight Action in 2022. 

(16) BAT SIGNAL. My boss and I used to have a running joke about turning on the “bat light” when she needed a quick answer. I could have sent her one of these for her office: “Metal Earth® Batman v Superman Bat-Signal 3D Metal Model Kit”.

Construct a 3D Metal model of the Bat-Signal used in the iconic movie Batman vs Superman: Dawn of Justice in 2016. High quality with a unique design and laser cut ready to assemble. No glue or solder needed.

[Thanks to Mike Kennedy, Andrew Porter, John King Tarpinian, Mark Kressel, Chris Barkley, Michael Toman, and Cat Eldridge for some of these stories. Title credit belongs to File 770 contributing editor of the day Cliff.]

Crime Fiction News for November 2022

Here are several updates about crime fiction awards.

THE PETRONA AWARD

The Petrona Award 2022 Longlist has been announced. Twelve outstanding crime novels from Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden will vie for recognition as the Best Scandinavian Crime Novel of the Year.

  • Fatal Isles by Maria Adolfsson. Translated by Agnes Broomé (Sweden, Zaffre)
  • The Assistant by Kjell Ola Dahl. Translated by Don Bartlett (Norway, Orenda Books)
  • The Butterfly House by Katrine Engberg. Translated by Tara Chace (Denmark, Hodder & Stoughton)
  • The Therapist by Helene Flood. Translated by Alison McCullough (Norway, MacLehose Press)
  • The Commandments by Óskar Guðmundsson. Translated by Quentin Bates (Iceland, Corylus Books Ltd)
  • Smoke Screen by Jørn Lier Horst & Thomas Enger. Translated by Megan Turney (Norway, Orenda Books)
  • Everything Is Mine by Ruth Lillegraven. Translated by  Diane Oatley (Norway, AmazonCrossing)
  • Silenced by Sólveig Pálsdóttir. Translated by Quentin Bates (Iceland, Corylus Books Ltd)
  • Knock Knock by Anders Roslund. Translated by Elizabeth Clark Wessel (Sweden, Harvill Secker)
  • Cold as Hell by Lilja Sigurðardóttir. Translated by Quentin Bates (Iceland, Orenda Books)
  • Geiger by Gustaf Skördeman. Translated by Ian Giles (Sweden, Zaffre)
  • The Rabbit Factor by Antti Tuomainen. Translated by David Hackston (Finland, Orenda Books)

These twelve titles will be reduced to a shortlist that will be announced on November 16.

SISTERS IN CRIME PRIDE AWARD FOR EMERGING LGBTQ+ WRITERS

Sisters in Crime have announced the winner of their 2022 Pride Award for Emerging LGBTQ+ Writers, Sarah St. Asaph (she/hers) of London, England.

Her winning novel-in-progress is a contemporary medical-legal crime mystery where a young lawyer is given the chance to re-examine the evidence against a former hospital doctor that has been convicted as Britain’s worst ever female serial killer. The novel explores how women are treated within the criminal justice system and plays with the prejudices and preconceptions they face as perpetrators of crimes.

Asaph will receive a $2,000 grant intended for a beginning crime writer to support activities related to career development.

Five runners-up will also be paired with an established Sisters in Crime member author to receive a manuscript critique. They are: C. Jean Downer of White Rock, British Columbia (paired with Cheryl Head), Diane Carmony of La Quinta, CA (Jeffrey Marks), Roy Udeh-Ubaka of Gainesville, FL (Anne Laughlin), Marle Redfern of New England (John Copenhaver) and Elaine Westnott-O’Brien of Tramore, Co. Waterford, Ireland (Catherine Maiorisi).

BRITISH ACADEMY BOOK PRIZE

The winner of the 2022 British Academy Book Prize has been announced and it’s a non-fiction crime book: 

  • When Women Kill: Four Crimes Retold by Alia Trabucco Zerán. Translated by Sophie Hughes. (And Other Stories)

The Chilean author will receive a £25,000 purse (US$29,074).

Publishing Perspectives adds:

Zerán and Hughes’ work becomes the 10th recipient of the prize which, of course, began its life as the Nayef Al-Rodhan Prize for Global Cultural Understanding. Zerán’s debut novel, The Remainder, was shortlisted in 2019 for the International Booker Prize. The author is trained as an attorney and, according to the prize regime’s organizers, “expertly blends true-crime writing with the art of the critical essay and investigative memoir” in When Women Kill.”

[Thanks to Cora Buhlert and Todd Mason for these stories.]

2022 Davitt Awards

Sisters in Crime Australia has announced the winners of the 2022 Davitt Awards, recognizing the best crime and mystery books by Australian women.

The Davitts are named after Ellen Davitt, the author of Australia’s first mystery novel, Force and Fraud, in 1865.

ADULT CRIME NOVEL                

  • Once There Were Wolves by Charlotte McConaghy (Hamish Hamilton)

YOUNG ADULT CRIME NOVEL

  • The Gaps by Leanne Hall (Text)

CHILDREN’S CRIME NOVEL

  • The Detective’s Guide to Ocean Travel by Nicki Greenberg (Affirm)

NONFICTION CRIME BOOK

  • The Winter Road: A story of legacy, land and a killing at Croppa Creek by Kate Holden (Black Inc.)

DEBUT CRIME BOOKS

  • Before You Knew My Name by Jacqueline Bublitz (A&U)

The judging panel for 2022 comprised Philomena Horsley, winner of the 2018 Scarlet Stiletto Award and medical autopsy expert; Joy Lawn, YA expert, and reviewer; Janice Simpson, author and academic; Emily Webb, true crime author, and podcaster; Jacquie Byron, business journalist, and novelist, and Moraig Kisler, Sisters in Crime’s President, and review editor.

Crime Fiction Awards News for June

2022 ELEANOR TAYLOR BLAND EMERGING CRIME FICTION WRITER OF COLOR AWARD

The winner of the 2022 Eleanor Taylor Bland Crime Fiction Writers of Color Award was announced by Sisters in Crime on June 9.

  • Shizuka Otake

Her submission, Murder in Tokyo, is a story of a Japanese American teen’s life which is shattered when her boyfriend is arrested as the prime suspect in a classmate’s murder. “I lived in Tokyo as an adult and found it painful to be viewed as different,” said Otake. “I expected to fit in and wondered how much harder that experience would have been if I was a vulnerable teen.” 

Sisters in Crime has also awarded five runners-up:

  • Danielle Arceneaux
  • Amber Boothe
  • Jennifer K. Morita
  • Valerie Kemp
  • Kathy A. Norris

The winner receives a $2,000 grant intended to support the recipient in crime fiction writing and career development activities. The grant may be used for activities that include workshops, seminars, conferences, and retreats, online courses, and research activities required for completion of the work. Otake said, “With this generous grant, I plan to either visit Japan to do more research for my manuscript or attend a mystery writing class at Moniack Mhor in Scotland.”

MCILVANNEY PRIZE LONGLIST 

The McIlvanney Prize recognizes excellence in Scottish crime writing, and includes a prize of £1,000 and nationwide promotion in Waterstones. Here is the McIlvanney Prize 2022 longlist which was announced June 8:

  • May God Forgive by Alan Parks (Canongate)
  • The Second Cut by Louise Welsh (Canongate)
  • A Rattle of Bones by Douglas Skelton (Polygon)
  • From the Ashes by Deborah Masson (Transworld)
  • A Matter of Time by Claire Askew (Hodder)
  • A Corruption of Blood by Ambrose Parry (Canongate)
  • The Heretic by Liam McIlvanney (Harpercollins)
  • Rizzio by Denise Mina (Polygon)
  • The Sound of Sirens by Ewan Gault (Leamington Books)
  • The Blood Tide by Neil Lancaster (Harpercollins)

Finalists for the McIlvanney Prize will be revealed at the beginning of September. The winner will be announced on September 15.

[Thanks to Cora Buhlert for these stories.]

Crime Fiction Award News

RADIO BREMEN KRIMIPREIS

The 2021 Radio Bremen Krimipreis, a German crime fiction award, has been awarded to Anne Holt.

The article is in German, so here is a summary:

The winner of the 2021 Radio Bremen Krimipreis is Norwegian crime writer Anne Holt. Anne Holt is one of the most successful Scandinavian crime writers with more than seven million books sold worldwide. In her non-writing career, she has been a journalist, police superintendent and even Norwegian secretary of justice. She has been writing full time for 25 years now.

The jury was impressed by how Ms. Holt incorporates current social issues such as nationalism, rightwing terrorism, climate change or corruption and doping in professional sports into her crime novels. Furthermore, Anne Holt’s novels featured diverse characters before “diversity” was a buzzword. In the 1990s, she created Hanne Willhelmsen, a lesbian police officer who is shot in a later book in the series and becomes a wheelchair user. Her latest novel features a new character, Selma Falck, a lawyer with a gambling addiction.

Since 2001, Radio Bremen has been awarding the Radio Bremen Crime Prize to outstanding crime writers. The prize is endowed with 2,500 Euros and is considered one of the most prestigious crime fiction prizes in Germany. The award honors German-speaking and international authors. The jury is composed annually of Bremen crime fiction professionals and, if necessary, supplemented by guest jurors.

SCARLET STILETTO AWARDS

Sisters in Crime Australia has announced the names of the writers on the 28th Scarlet Stiletto Awards Shortlist, but not which the various awards each is a finalist for, so there’s not much more to offer here than the link.

LOUIE AWARD

The Australian Crime Writers Association (ACWA) has announced a new flash fiction prize, the Louie Award.

Sponsored by ACT president of the Australian Medical Association Antonio Di Dio, the annual award celebrates his late father Luigi who was an avid crime fiction reader.

The award is open to Australian crime writers and will seek short story submissions of up to 500 words. The winner will receive $750.

Entries for the inaugural award is expected to open this month. For more information, see the ACWA website.

[Thanks to Cora Buhlert for these stories.]

#DisneyMustPay Task Force Expands Focus to All Comic Book Creators

The #DisneyMustPay Joint Task Force is expanding its focus and reaching out to all comic book and graphic novel creators who may be missing royalty statements and payments from Disney and its companies. 

“Writers, artists, illustrators, letterers, and other artists are valued members of the creative teams that produce art and literature that is enjoyed by millions,” said Mary Robinette Kowal, Task Force Chair. “We are inviting these talented artists to share their stories and we will fight for them to receive the money that is owed to them.”

All potentially affected writers and artists should contact the Task Force to share their stories. Creators who are missing royalties or royalty statements may fill out this form hosted by SFWA. Anonymity is guaranteed.

Lee Goldberg, Task Force member and founder of the International Association of Media Tie-In Writers (IAMTW), adds his thoughts about the need for the #DisneyMustPay Task Force to expand its reach to all creators:

“Novelists and illustrators provide a rich, all-encompassing story-telling experience, their words creating fully flesh-out characters and detailed images, if not entire worlds and universes, in the readers’ minds. The authors and artists honored their obligation to write and create their books. Now Disney should have the decency and integrity to honor their obligation to pay them. It’s that simple.”

Sandra Wong, National President of Sisters in Crime, states:

“Sisters in Crime believes that writers and creators should be paid what they’re legally owed for their work, no matter the media or genre. We joined the Task Force to help spread the word to potentially affected authors, since Disney has placed the onus to be paid on writers and creators, and to lend our voice to an issue which has potential consequences for all creators.”

The Task Force’s goals are to ensure that all writers and creators who are owed royalties and/or statements for their media-tie in work are identified and that Disney and other companies honor their contractual obligations to those writers and creators after acquiring the companies that originally hired them. 

Fans, fellow writers, and the creative community need to continue to post on social media showing their support, so the #DisneyMustPay Joint Task Force can help writers. The Task Force says, “Thanks to their support, the message is reaching Disney and related organizations, to alert them to the work they need to do to honor their contractual obligations.”

Progress has been made, most notably ensuring that three well-known media tie-in authors have been paid and attaining the cooperation of BOOM! Studios in identifying affected authors. However, over a dozen additional authors are still in negotiations with Disney. Many of them, especially ones with lesser-known names, find communications with Disney repeatedly stalled until pressure is again applied by the Task Force and its supporters. 

The #DisneyMustPay Joint Task Force, formed by SFWA, includes the Authors GuildHorror Writers AssociationInternational Association of Media Tie-In Writers (IAMTW), International Thriller WritersMystery Writers of America National Writers UnionNovelists, Inc., Romance Writers of America, and Sisters in Crime (SinC). Individual writers on the Task Force include Neil Gaiman, Lee Goldberg, Mary Robinette Kowal, Chuck Wendig, and Tess Garritsen. The Task Force identifies and guides authors and creators who might be owed money. Disney is refusing to cooperate with the task force to identify affected authors. 

The #DisneyMustPay Joint Task Force notes they are working to make sure creators’ contracts are honored, but individual negotiations are rightly between the creators, their agents, and the rights holder. The Disney Task Force is working to address structural and systemic concerns. 

Additional updates and information are available at www.writersmustbepaid.org.

Crime Fiction Award Winners and Shortlists

SHAMUS AWARDS

The Private Eye Writers of America have announced winners of the 2021 Shamus Awards.

The juried award is given for private eye novels and short stories first published in the United States in 2020.

BEST PI HARDCOVER

  • Blind Vigil by Matt Coyle (Oceanview)

BEST ORIGINAL PI PAPERBACK

  • Brittle Karma by Richard Helms (Black Arch Books)

BEST PI SHORT STORY

  •  “Mustang Sally” by John M. Floyd in Black Cat Mystery Magazine

BEST FIRST  PI NOVEL 

  • The Missing American by Kwei Quartey (Soho)

THE EYE, the PWA Life Achievement Award

  • Michael Z. Lewin

DASHIELL HAMMETT AWARD

The 2019 Dashiell Hammett Award for Literary Excellence in Crime Writing winner has been named by the International Association of Crime Writers (North American Branch).

  • When These Mountains Burn by David Joy (Putnam) 

 DAVITT AWARDS

The shortlist for the 2021 Davitt Awards, given out by Sisters in Crime Australia, has also been unveiled. The awards highlight “the best crime and mystery books by Australian women.”

ADULT CRIME NOVELS 

  • B M Allsopp, Death Beyond the Limit (Fiji Islands Mysteries #3) (Coconut Press)
  • Sarah Barrie, Deadman’s Track (Calico Mountain #3) (HQ Fiction, an imprint of Harlequin Australia)
  • Candice Fox, Gathering Dark (Penguin Random House Australia)
  • Sulari Gentill, A Testament of Character (Rowland Sinclair #10) (Pantera Press)
  • Sally Hepworth, The Good Sister (Pan Macmillan Australia)
  • Karina Kilmore, Where the Truth Lies (Simon & Schuster Australia) 
  • Suzanne Leal, The Deceptions (Allen & Unwin) 
  • Mirandi Riwoe, Stone Sky Gold Mountain (University of Queensland Press)
  • Kimberley Starr, Torched (Pantera Press)

YOUNG ADULT CRIME NOVELS 

  • Davina Bell, The End of the World Is Bigger than Love (Text Publishing) 
  • Sarah Epstein, Deep Water (Allen & Unwin Children’s)
  • Ellie Marney, None Shall Sleep (Allen & Unwin Children’s)
  • Christie Nieman, Where We Begin (Pan Macmillan Australia) 
  • Lisa Walker, The Girl with the Gold Bikini (Wakefield Press) 

 CHILDREN’S CRIME NOVELS 

  • Jackie French, The Ghost of Howlers Beach (Butter O’Bryan Mysteries #1) (HarperCollins Publishers Australia)
  • Amelia Mellor, The Grandest Bookshop in the World (Affirm Press) 
  • Julianne Negri, The Secret Library of Hummingbird House (Affirm Press) 
  • Pamela Rushby, The Mummy Smugglers of Crumblin Castle (Walker Books Australia)
  • Lian Tanner, A Clue for Clara (Allen & Unwin Children’s) 
  • Sue Whiting, The Book of Chance (Walker Books Australia)

 NON-FICTION CRIME BOOKS 

  • Stephanie Convery, After the Count: The death of Davey Browne (Viking, an imprint of Penguin Random House Australia) 
  • Melissa Davey, The Case of George Pell: Reckoning with child sexual abuse (Scribe Publications) 
  • Louise Milligan, Witness: An investigation into the brutal cost of seeking justice (Hachette Australia)
  • Caroline Overington, Missing William Tyrrell (HarperCollins Publishers Australia)
  • Angela Williams, Snakes and Ladders: A memoir (Affirm Press) 
  • Sonya Bates, Inheritance of Secrets (HarperCollins Publishers Australia)
  • Davina Bell, The End of the World Is Bigger than Love (Text Publishing)
  • Melissa Davey, The Case of George Pell: Reckoning with child sexual abuse (Scribe Publications)
  • Anna Downes, The Safe Place (Affirm Press)
  • Mary Jones, Troubled Waters (Green Olive Press)
  • Karina Kilmore, Where the Truth Lies (Simon & Schuster Australia)
  • Amelia Mellor, The Grandest Bookshop in the World (Affirm Press)
  • Kate Mildenhall, The Mother Fault (Simon & Schuster Australia)
  • Julianne Negri, The Secret Library of Hummingbird House (Affirm Press)
  • Leah Swann, Sheerwater (4th Estate, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers Australia)
  • Lian Tanner, A Clue for Clara (Allen & Unwin Children’s)
  • Lisa Walker, The Girl with the Gold Bikini (Wakefield Press)

Sisters in Crime Australia was set up 29 years ago and has chapters in Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia and Western Australia. The Davitts are named after Ellen Davitt, the author of Australia’s first mystery novel, Force and Fraud, in 1865.

[Thanks to Cora Buhlert for the story.]

#DisneyMustPay Task Force Updates

The #DisneyMustPay Joint Task Force has reported its progress towards its goal that all WritersMustBePaid.org.

“Lee Goldberg, IAMTW, International Thriller Writers, and Mystery Writers of America bring valuable experience to the Disney Task Force,” said Mary Robinette Kowal, President, SFWA. “Their support demonstrates that writers stand with each other.” 

John Palisano, President, Horror Writers Association (HWA), said, “The HWA is proud to be part of the Disney Task Force alongside SFWA, RWA, MWA, and many other organizations focused on writers. We believe writers must be paid and should not have to jump through hoops for that to happen. We’re hoping Disney will come to the table and cooperate with author organizations that are providing support to authors and agents so that there is a clear path going forward. We are all wishing for a resolution that will continue the great creative relationships that have been built over many decades.”

“Since we launched the Task Force, progress has been made; we are pleased that a few writers have been paid,” said Kowal. “However, we do notice the difference in how the lower profile writers are being treated. We should not still be having the discussion about honoring their contracts.”

Fans, fellow writers, and the creative community have taken to social media to support the authors being helped by the #DisneyMustPay Joint Task Force. Because of their passion, the message is being delivered. 

For writers to be paid, people need to continue to buy their books and watch their movies and programs. The Task Force strongly feels that a boycott will only hurt writers. 

There are ways fans and supporters can help.

  • Do not boycott, as this will disproportionately affect those authors who are being paid. 
  • Use #DisneyMustPay on social media. Help is needed to bring the task force’s five action items to the attention of Disney’s decision-makers.
  • Visit WritersMustBePaid.org, a new website set up by our new task force, and share it.
  • Do purchase the works of affected authors for which they are receiving royalties.

Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA) formed the #DisneyMustPay Joint Task Force, which now includes the Authors GuildHorror Writers Association, International Association of Media Tie-In Writers (IAMTW), International Thriller WritersMystery Writers of America National Writers UnionNovelists, Inc., Romance Writers of America, and Sisters in Crime to identify and guide authors who might be owed money. Disney is refusing to cooperate with the task force in identifying affected authors. 

The #DisneyMustPay Joint Task Force is making sure writers’ working conditions are fair and safe, but individual negotiations are, rightly, between the authors, their agents, and the rights holder. The Disney Task Force is working to address structural and systemic concerns. 

Additional updates and information will be available at www.writersmustbepaid.org.

[Based on a press release.]