A Load of Ballots

I keep feeling like someone who's turned up for a party just as everyone else is leaving... another late blog means most of you will already know that the final ballot papers have been revealed for both the Ditmar Awards and the Tin Ducks. Some of you will already know that I've scored a couple of nominations on them. First up, a huge thank you to everyone who read this blog and voted for me in the initial round. Without your support, I wouldn't be writing this now. Next, a look at the Ditmars. I've been nominated personally in the Best New Talent category and with Amanda Pillar as editors in Best Collected Work for Scenes from the Second Storey. As with all the awards doing the rounds right now, both are tough fields, with very deserving nominees. My blog has decided not to allow me to cut and paste today, so I can't list everyone here without spending an hour retyping the names. Suffice it to say a large number of those I suggested for nominations in my previous posts did indeed make the final lists - the complete ballots for online voting and physical votes have all the details. As I understand it, members of this year's Swancon and last year's Worldcon are eligible to vote, as are Supporting Members (those who can't make it to Perth for the convention are able to pay $20 to cast their votes in absentia). I'll make sure and get back to you. Meanwhile Swancon will also see the voting for the WA-only Tin Duck awards, and this year I have two nominations, both for Best WA Professional Short Written Work. You probably remember I suggested Signature Walk for this category, as a story of which I'm very proud that's set in WA and published by a WA company - what surprised me was that another story I didn't suggest, Brave Face from ASIM issue 46, has also made the final list. It's a little piece of flash fiction I wrote last year that I didn't think would get much attention, so thanks to those who voted for it - it was a pleasant shock. There are nearly 20 stories in this category, which is going to make it a tight-run thing, if only because the votes are likely to be diluted, so if anyone's a full or supporting member of Swancon and would like to vote, it could be the odd nod that makes the difference. Take a look at the ballot form and see what I mean! And now, back to my boxes. Moving house next week, and the sheer volume of clutter I've accumulated since the last move is terrifying.