‘Raptor’ nominated for World Fantasy Award

Last night I discovered that my story, ‘Raptor’, which was published in the Heartwood anthology, edited by Dan Coxon and published by PS Publishing, has been nominated for a World Fantasy Award in the Best Short Fiction Category. The volume was also nominated in the Best Anthology category.

This nomination was a total surprise, and I’m still absorbing the information, but I’m incredibly honoured to be among the five nominees from an international field of writing.

The World Fantasy Awards one of the most prestigious prizes in the field of fantasy literature. Established in 1975, the awards are presented annually at the World Fantasy Convention to recognise outstanding achievements in fantasy fiction and art published during the previous calendar year.

The awards will be announced at the World Fantasy Awards ceremony, at the World Fantasy Convention, which will be taking place this year in Brighton, UK. Thankfully, I already have a ticket!

For those of you who like a beautiful book, I’ll note that there is a signed slipcased hardcover of Heartwood, but since it was a limited edition I don’t know if any copies remain available.

The anthology was a tribute to the multiple award-winning fantasy author, Robert Holdstock, and in particular his innovative and lyrical Mythago Wood series. Rob was also a friend of mine, so I put a lot of thought and love into the story, and I worked hard to create a tribute to his legacy and his imagination. So this nomination means a great deal to me.

Rob and I shared a love of exploring the deep woods, and experiencing the mysterious time-slips that can occur in their primal hearts.

I believe that in the mythic, imaginal forest, Rob is raising a horn of beer in celebration today.