Margrét Helgadóttir's Blog, page 6
March 5, 2018
Indigenous speculative fiction
[image error]I am very proud to have so many different author voices in the monster books. Not only do I wish to scare people with monsters they probably have never heard about. I also want the books to give the readers an realistic insight into the continents we cover—it is a journey after all.
So, one of the things I also do, is to actively seek out authors with an indigenous and First Nations background to contribute to the books. I think it’s important because I think their folklore and history is oft...
February 17, 2018
Sir Julius Vogel Awards shortlisting
[image error]Wow, what a great month this is for Pacific Monsters. Third shortlisting to an award in a very short time.
I am thrilled to tell you that AJ Fitzwater is shortlisted to New Zealand’s Sir Julius Vogel Awards 2018 in the category Best Short Story for her story «From the Womb of the Land, Our Bones Entwined» in Pacific Monsters, a very special story about the battle with earthquakes.
AJ builds her story on the New Zealand Maori myth of Papatūānuku, the earth mother, and her son Rūamoko. Rūamoko...
February 15, 2018
Shortlisting Aurealis Awards
[image error]Just a quick and happy note to tell you the good news that Michael Grey’ story in Pacific Monsters is shortlisted to the 2017 Aurealis Awards, in the category Best Horror Novella!
Michael’s story «Grind» is a grim and dark tale about the struggles of a whaling boat crew when their boat is stuck in the ice in Antartica.
Congratulations, Michael! I am a very proud editor.
The award is organized by The Western Australian Science Fiction Foundation (WASFF), and is Australia’s premier speculative...
February 12, 2018
Classical monsters & Making Monsters
[image error]Futurefire.net Publishing and the Institute of Classical Studies are currently working on a mixed fiction and nonfiction anthology titled Making Monsters, with a focus on classical monsters in fantasy, horror or science fiction. They have a call for fiction submissions out now with deadline February 28th.
The book will be published in the middle of 2018, and edited by Emma Bridges and Djibril al-Ayad. To celebrate the monsters I have interviewed Djibril al-Ayad about the background for the Ma...
February 11, 2018
Women in Horror & Making Monsters
Check out my interview over at Fox Spirit Books with Emma Bridges, one of the editors behind forthcoming anthology Making Monsters, where I will have an essay about the world’s monsters.
Futurefire.net Publishing and the Institute of Classical Studies are currently working on a mixed fiction and nonfiction anthology titled Making Monsters, with a focus on classical monsters in fantasy, horror or science fiction short stories. They currently have…
The Future Fire interviews Iona Winter
This week it was awesome to be interviewed by The Future Fire, where we discussed the stunning Pacific Monsters book, my childhood fear of the dark, and a new doorway into the world of PhD’s in Creative Writing. http://press.futurefire.net/2018/02/i...
February 5, 2018
Shortlisted to Brave New Words Award
[image error]I am so thrilled to tell you that I am shortlisted to Starburst Magazine’s Brave New Words Award.
Starburst’s literary editor, Ed Fortune, writes in their call for entries in December that the award is for someone who produces break-out literature that is new and bold. The award goes to an individual, not a specific work, and is across genres and formats.
I am shortlisted for my editor-work on Pacific Monsters from Fox Spirit Books. And wow!, it is a great honour. Thank you so very much!
The...
January 28, 2018
Making Monsters
[image error]Happy to announce that I will have an essay about the monsters of the world in the forthcoming book Making Monsters from The Future Fire and Institute of Classical Studies, the University of London’s School of Advanced Study.
The book will combine a series of articles written by scholars with an anthology of new short stories and poems inspired by ancient monsters. See the open call for contributions from writers of fiction and poetry here. Deadline is February 28th.
I am very happy to be a p...
December 31, 2017
SFSF Awards 2017
What a great way to end the year. Pacific Monsters receive an award from the lovely people at Sheffield FSF. Thank you!
Sheffield Fantasy & Science Fiction Social Club
Again, it’s been something of a quiet year for SFSF. We’ve been hibernating and plotting, and working on lots of other things, and fitting the Socials in with everything else on the calendar proved to be one step too far – our apologies for that, but we will be back in the new year, promise!
Meanwhile, it’s time for the annual...
December 29, 2017
My bookish 2017
[image error]As the year is ending, here is a short take on my bookish 2017.
Fictional writing
Sadly it has been a year when not much has happened when it comes to my fictional writing. Though I have written some, including starting on a novel and several shorts, I haven’t finished anything for publication. I blame it on being a very tough year getting adjusted to both a new dayjob and being back in Norway. Moving between countries is not for the faint-hearted, I’ll say.
Anyhow, hopefully 2018 will be a m...
