British Fantasy Award

BFS Award 2012, Best Novella, Gorel & The Pot-Bellied God

I was unable to attend the ceremony but my agent, John Berlyne, delivered a short acceptance speech on my behalf. It is reproduced below:

In 2007 I was living on a remote island in Vanuatu, and had asked people to send me books to read. The writer Mark Samuels was kind enough to send me three books, one of which was C.L. Moore’s classic collection of short stories featuring Northwest Smith and Jirel of Joiry. I had, of course, read them before. But re-reading them, in my bamboo hut in sight of the volcano, reawakened an old love in me. My sincere thanks, therefore, to both C.L. Moore and Mark Samuels.

I’d like to thank Pete Crowther for first taking a chance on Gorel; to Nicky Crowther, Nick Gevers and Mike Smith at PS, and my fantastic cover artist Pedro Marques. Thanks are due, always, to my friend and agent, John Berlyne, for keeping me on the straight and narrow, and to my wife, Elizabeth, for making it all possible.

The novella is my favourite form. It is an honour to be nominated, let alone win, this award. My sincere thanks to the members of the British Fantasy Society for voting Gorel & The Pot-Bellied God onto the shortlist, and to the judges for selecting it.

Thank you.

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