Established in 1995 by Chimaera Publications, publishers of the Aurealis magazine, the Aurealis Awards recognise the achievements of Australian science fiction, fantasy and horror writers.
These awards complement the Ditmar Awards and the ACBCA’s, neither of which distinguish between categories of speculative fiction. The awards originally comprised of four categories: science fiction, fantasy, horror and young adult with children’s fiction (ages 8-12) being addd in 2001. The later two categories cover works in all three speculative fiction genres.
This years awards were announced on the 21st of May and the event was hosted by Garth Nix. Finalists and winners in the children’s and YA categories are:
Children’s Fiction (told primarily through words)
Grimsdon – Deborah Abela, Random House
Ranger’s Apprentice #9 : Halt’s Peril – John Flanagan, Random House
The Vulture of Sommerset – Stephen M Giles, Pan Macmillan
The Keepers – Lian Tanner, Allen and Unwin (winner)
Haggis MacGregor and the Night of the Skull – Jen Storer & Gus Gordon, Aussie Nibbles (Penguin)
Children’s Fiction (told primarily through pictures)
Night School – Isobelle Carmody (writer) Anne Spudvilas (illustrator), Penguin Viking
Magpie – Luke Davies (writer) & Inari Kiuru (illustrator), ABC Books, (HarperCollins
The Boy and the Toy – Sonya Hartnett (writer) & Lucia Masciullo (illustrator), Penguin Viking (winner)
Precious Little – Julie Hunt & Sue Moss (writers) & Gaye Chapman (illustrator), Allen & Unwin
The Cloudchasers – David Richaradson (writer) & Steven Hunt (illustrator), ABC Books (HarperCollins)
Young Adult Short Story
Inksucker – Aidan Doyle, Worlds Next Door, Fablecroft Publishing
One Story, No refunds – Dirk Flinthart, Shiny #6, Twlefth Planet Press
A Thousand Flowers – Margo Lanagan, Zombies vs Unicorns, Allen & Unwin (winner)
Nine Times – Kaia Landelius & Tansy Rayner Roberts, Worlds Next Door, Fablecroft Publishing
An Ordinary Boy – Jen White, The Tangled Bank, Tangled Bank Press
Young Adult Novel
Merrow – Ananda Braxton-Smith, black dog books
Guardian of the Dead – Karen Healey, Allen & Unwin (winner)
The Midnight Zoo – Sonya Hartnett, Penguin
The Life of a Teenage Body-Snatcher – Doug MacLeod, Penguin
Behemoth (Leviathan Trilogy book 2) – Scott Westerfeld, Penguin
The press releases announcing the nominees from all categories can be found here and the winners here.
Congratulations to all nominees and winners.
TheKylieVerse 
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