Donna Maree Hanson, Author, Phd in Creative Writing

As per my previous post, I was in Perth to visit the awesome Glenda Larke and go to the 40th Swancon SF convention. Swancon was a national convention this year and thereby host to the Ditmar awards and a few other awards, including the A. Bertram Chandler Award.

Here is a little about the award from the Australian Science Fiction Foundation’s website:

The A. Bertram Chandler Award is given by the Australian Science Fiction Foundation.

It is Australia’s premier award for lifetime achievement in science fiction.

The first Chandler was presented in 1992 to Van Ikin at the National Science Fiction Convention, SynCon ‘92. Subsequent winners have been Mervyn Binns, George Turner, Wynne Whiteford, Grant Stone, Susan Batho (Smith-Clarke), Graham Stone, John Bangsund, John Foyster, Lucy Sussex, Lee Harding, Bruce Gillespie, Rosaleen Love, Damien Broderick, Paul Collins, Richard Harland, Russell B. Farr and Danny Danger Oz.

The 2015 Chandler Award was presented to Donna Maree Hanson at Swancon 40, the 54th Australian National Science Fiction Convention in Perth, Western Australia, on 5th April 2015.

I didn’t know anyone was watching me and noting what I was doing all these years. I was so surprised to be selected. I had fun doing all those things listed in my citation, except maybe the Conflux accounts last year. That was difficult. What a pleasure and an honour to receive the award. I have to thank the Australian Science Fiction Foundation again for the award. I’m flabbergasted and thoroughly pleased to receive it and can’t believe it’s happened.

When the citation was read out at the ceremony, I did sound like I had done an awful lot but that has been over the last 15 years.

Here is a few shots…also included are shots of Glenda Larke who tied with Trudi Canavan for best novel in the Ditmars. I gave Trudi’s acceptance speech as she is in Europe. It was an ideal outcome because both Trudi and Glenda are dear friends. John Scalzi presented the award and he was a little tricky and a bit of a tease. They way he announced it, it looked like Trudi had won by herself. When I sat down with the award, he said to the crowd, ‘Wait there’s more.’. I got so excited because I knew it was Glenda and that there had been a tie. Glenda didn’t suspect. She’d won her first award just before with the WA Tin Ducks. But it was exactly that. It was in good fun, but someone chided John Scalzi and I have a shot of him begging for forgiveness (not seriously but it was funny).

A. Bertram Chandler Award bowl and plaque close up

This is the whole package, with the framed citation. The citation was written by Nicole Murphy!

Award package.

Here is Glenda with her first award ‘Tin Duck’ for longer work for The Lascar’s Dagger (a really awesome book).

Glenda Larke with her Tin Duck. Juliet Marillier sitting next to her.

Here is a shot of us with the Ditmars, me holding Trudi’s award.

Holding the best novel Ditmars

Here is Scalzi after the award.

Glenda Larke and John Scalzi, Ditmar Awards Perth 2015

Glenda with John Scalzi, asking for forgiveness. Lol.

Later we were celebrating the wins.

Glenda Larke and Donna Maree Hanson

Here is us later in the bar in a three stooges shot with Cat Sparks. Cat won for best short story.

Cat Sparks, Glenda Larke and me.

When we got home to Glenda’s place on Monday, the celebrating continued.

A writer drinking champagne

The link to the citation for the A. Bertram Chandler Award is here.

The Wikipedia Entry to the Award is here. A wonderful list of previous winners.

Again, thank you!