Westerfeld Wins Aussie's Aurealis Award For Best YA Novel
RSSBy Rocco Staino -- School Library Journal, 02/05/2010
Scott Westerfeld’s Leviathan (S & S, 2009), a World War I steampunk novel, is winner of the 2009 Aurealis Award in the category of best young adult novel.
The awards are given to works of speculative fiction by authors, editors, and illustrators, who are Australian citizens or permanent residents, first published in English between 1 November 2008 and 31 October 2009.
Established in 1995, the awards specifically focus on Australian speculative fiction in the genres of science fiction, horror, and fantasy. Speculative fiction is considered an umbrella genre of fiction that speculates about worlds that are unlike the real world. Upon winning, Westerfeld tweeted from Brisbane, Australia, to a group of sleepy twitter followers [there is a 15 to 18 hour time difference between the U.S. and Brisbane), including the fashion that was worn by presenters and winners. He described himself as “wearing issey miyake jacket and pants, alexander mcqueen pumas, DL Cherney shirt, and a shit-eating grin” when he went up to accept the award.
The winners were announced at the thirteenth annual Aurealis Awards ceremony at the Judith Wright Centre of Contemporary Arts in Brisbane on Saturday 24 January 2010.
The honorees in the children and youth categories are below:
Best Children’s Illustrated Work/Picture Book
Victor's Challenge, (Walker Books Australia, 2009) by Pamela Freeman, illustrated by Kim Gamble. Prince Victor must prove himself worthy enough to married Princess Valerian, including going to the Dark Forrest of Nevermore to battle a maneating dragon.
Best Children’s Novel
A Ghost in My Suitcase, (Puffin, 2009) by Gabrielle Wang. When Celeste travels to China to visit her grandmother, she uncovers an incredible family secret. And with this secret comes danger and adventure.
Best Young Adult Short Story
Seventeen (CFSG, 2009) by Cat Sparks. This heartbreaking story follows Sheree as she tries to find a loophole out of the rules of turning 17 and being fired from the paying gig of acting as Grandma C's grandchild, getting fed and showered once a month and finding some small respite from life on the streets.
Best Young Adult Novel
Leviathan (S & S, 2009) by Scott Westerfeld. The Austro-Hungarians and Germans have their Clankers, steam-driven iron machines loaded with guns and ammunition. The British Darwinists employ fabricated animals as their weaponry. The Leviathan is a living airship, the most formidable airbeast in the skies of Europe.
Best Illustrated Book/Graphic Novel
Scarygirl (Allen & Unwin, 2009) by Nathan Jurevicius. Abandoned on a deserted peninsula, Scarygirl is on a mission to find the man behind her haunting dreams.
