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AustLit

Australian Fanzine
Subcategory of Ditmar Awards
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History

Awarded from the inception of the Ditmars, this award eventually became 'Best Fan Website/Zine' and then 'Best Fan Production'.

In 1978 alone, it was called 'Australian Amateur Production'.

In 1987, an anonymous 'zine called Motional was shortlisted for this award: it is not listed here, because its publication details have not been traced.

This award was not presented between 1999 and 2003.

Latest Winners / Recipients

Year: 2006

winner y separately published work icon TiconderogaOnline Ticon4 Lyn Triffitt (editor), Russell B. Farr (editor), Liz Grzyb (editor), 1999 Narrogin : Ticonderoga Publications , Z1249487 1999 periodical science fiction fantasy (12 issues)

Australia's longest-running semi-professional science-fiction webzine, TiconderogaOnline was established in 1999 by Russell B. Farr, the founder and editor of Ticonderoga Publications (TP). Farr had founded TP as a traditional publishing house, but saw the potential in online publishing, and subsequently closed down its operations to focus on the webzine. A shortage of time and available funds meant that TiconderogaOnline only published four short stories in its first year. In 2000, Farr published a further two stories before personal circumstances forced him to temporarily suspend the webzine.

In late 2003, a collective comprising Lee Battersby, Liz Grzyb, Lyn Triffitt, and Farr re-established TiconderogaOnline. The revamped website went public in 2004 with a new volume/issue edition format: volume 1, no. 1 was published in March. The website went on to win Best Website at the prestigious Ditmar Awards in 2006, in addition to having one of its authors nominated for Best Short Story. Late the following year, however, the webzine was again temporarily suspended, following a number of incidents, including moving the operations from Bentley to Greenwood, the ill-health of one of the editors, a month's delay in publishing issue #12, and the loss of the entire previous issue (#11) due to technical problems. The site was operating again by February 2008 with the publication of a double issue (to make up for the previous year's lapses). Later that same year, Farr and his editorial team decided to create a fourth incarnation of TiconderogaOnline, relaunching the site with a new name: Ticon4. Problems with maintaining Ticon4 have continued to plague the editors, however, with the site being trashed by a hacker in October 2009. This was followed shortly afterwards by the accidental deletion of the entire site by the webhost. Despite these setbacks, Ticon4 was again operating in early 2010.

Year: 2004

winner Edwina Harvey With Ted Scribner for the Australian Science Fiction Bullsheet.

Year: 2003

winner y separately published work icon Fables and Reflections Lily Chrywenstrom (editor), 2001 Claremont : Fables and Reflections , 2001- Z1118363 2001 periodical (8 issues) An Australian fanzine publishing fiction and non-fiction in the genres of science fiction, fantasy and magic realism, Fables and Reflections was established in Perth in May 2001, with its first issue being published in November that year. Covering an array of forms, including short fiction, poetry, critical essays, art, cartoons, interviews, reviews and articles focusing on Australian writing, the magazine was cconceved by its founding editor as a forum for specualtive fiction that was "a bit different." It was initially published as a fanzine, paying contributor copies only, but by issue 8 had become a more professional-looking publication.

Among the artists to contribute covers to Fables and Reflections were Cat Sparks, Daryl Lindquist and Judy Canavan.

Year: 1999

winner y separately published work icon The Metaphysical Review Bruce Gillespie (editor), Collingwood : Bruce Gillespie , 1984 Z1761298 1984 periodical (3 issues)

Bruce Gillespie started the science fiction and fantasy fanzine, The Metaphysical Review, in 1984 as a means of providing news and comment in the related areas of music, film, books, travel and chatter.

Year: 1997

winner y separately published work icon Thyme Andrew Brown (editor), Irwin Hirsh (editor), Roger Weddall (editor), Peter Burns (editor), South Yarra : Andrew Brown Irwin Hirsh , 1981-2003 7466701 1981 periodical science fiction

Melbourne-based science-fiction fanzine.

winner y separately published work icon Eidolon : The Journal of Australian Science Fiction and Fantasy Jonathan Strahan (editor), Jeremy G. Byrne (editor), Robin Pen (editor), Richard Scriven (editor), Keira McKenzie (editor), Chris Stronach (editor), 1990 Perth : Eidolon Publications , 1990-2000 Z965832 1990 periodical (26 issues)

Taking its name from the tiny winged creature found on ancient Greek vases, Eidolon: The Journal of Australian Science Fiction and Fantasy was conceived by a group of individuals who came together for the first time during Swancon XV, the fifteenth annual Western Australian Science Fiction and Fantasy Convention. Published out of North Perth, Western Australia by Eidolon Publications, itself founded by Jonathan Strahan and Jeremy G. Byrne, a total of 26 issues were published between 1990 and 2000.

Issues 1-4 were edited by the Eidolon Editorial Committee comprising Byrne, Strahan, Robin Pen, Richard Scriven, Strahan, Keira McKenzie and Chris Stronach. Issues 5-24 were jointly edited by Scriven, Strahan and Byrne. Strahan and Byrne continued as editorial partners through issues 25/26-28, and Byrne was the sole editor of the final issue 25/26.

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