Paper Road Press Pukapuka Honoured As Award Finalists

Paper Road Press Pukapuka Honoured As Award Finalists
on Apr 20, 2021

Wellington-based whare perehi (publishing house) Paper Road Press is proud to announce that several of its pukapuka (books) and kaituhi (authors) have been honoured in the list of Sir Julius Vogel Award finalists published today. The Sir Julius Vogel Awards recognise excellence in science fiction, fantasy, or horror works created by New Zealanders. They are named for the eighth Premier of New Zealand, who in 1889 wrote what was probably the first sci-fi novel by a New Zealander, Anno Domini 2000 – A Woman’s Destiny. This pukapuka promotes a utopian view of the future in which women would hold many positions of authority.

This year Paper Road Press has the following finalists, all of which were published in 2020. Award winners will be announced next month.

• The Stone Wētā by Octavia Cade is a finalist for Best Novel
• No Man’s Land by AJ Fitzwater is a finalist for Best Novella
• Year's Best Aotearoa New Zealand Science Fiction & Fantasy Volume 2 edited by Marie Hodgkinson is a finalist for Best Collected Work
• Cover art for No Man’s Land and Year's Best… by Laya Rose are finalists for Best Professional Artwork
• Cover art for The Stone Wētā by Emma Weakley is also a finalist for Best Professional Artwork

Paper Road Press publisher Marie Hodgkinson says: “Publishing is often like walking a tightrope, but in 2020 it was more like walking a tightrope blindfolded through a maze. At the same time, though, local support for local speculative fiction writing soared. The Stone Wētā came out while Octavia was Massey University's author in residence under lockdown; the launch party for No Man's Land was rescheduled several times due to level vagaries; and the Year's Best Aotearoa New Zealand Science Fiction & Fantasy launched via a grid of Zoom faces. “But despite authors being locked in arts centres, calendar changes, and most of us never wanting to open a Zoom meeting ever again, people showed up. And nowhere is that more evident than in our three 2020 titles being finalists in the Sir Julius Vogel Awards this year. I am so grateful to all the readers who found something to love in Octavia and AJ's books and in the Year's Best anthology.” In addition, Paper Road Press kaituhi Andi Buchanan’s “Alone Together at the Edge of the World” and AJ Fitzwater’s “Queer Speculative Aotearoa New Zealand” are both finalists for Best Fan Writing. Fitzwater’s The Voyages of Cinrak the Dapper from Queen of Swords Press in the US is also up for Best Collected Work. Source: scoop.co