Anticipation

Still In The Hunt

One of my short stories has been shortlisted as one of the nine finalists to The Friends of the Merril Short Story Contest. This contest is in support of The Merril Collection of the Toronto Public Library.

The Merril Collection, originally the Spaced Out Library and later renamed for the late Judith Merril, is the foremost North American public assemblage of Speculative, SF and Fantasy Fiction and is an invaluable tool for enthusiasts, researchers and authors.

A Special Collection of the Toronto Public Library system, the Merril Collection houses a comprehensive array of over 72,000 (and growing) items. The reference stacks include hardcover and paperback fiction, first and rare editions, TPB graphic works and comic collections, pulp and later era magazines, fanzines, research material and critical essays/reference works and compendia – as well as donated original manuscripts from authors such as Phyllis Gottlieb and Guy Gavriel Kay.

The prizes include C$350, C$100 and C$50 cash awards and publication on their website. But then there's this cool new addition/edition (grin):

The Friends of the Merril Short Story Contest is adding a very limited edition (5 copies) hand crafted booklet, containing the stories of the 2011-2012 winning authors, to the prize pool. One copy will remain in the Merril Collection as part of the permanent archives. One copy will be retained by the artist producing the booklets, and the others will be distributed, one booklet each, among the winning authors. The details for the production of the booklet are not yet fixed as the design specifics are dependent on the length of the winning works, among other factors.

So good luck to all the nine finalists!

Dr. Phil

PS - a few of you might be able to figure out which story is mine when they list the nine finalist titles later today. Please respect the contest and don't say anything linking my name and the story title together until they have announced the winners. Thanks!