Thursday, April 15, 2010

Shirley Jackson Awards

I just found out that I am nominated for a Shirley Jackson Award. The awards are given for "outstanding achievement in the literature of psychological suspense, horror, and the dark fantastic," and I'm nominated in the category for Single-Author Collection. I'm up against Brian Evenson, Paul Witcover, Robert Shearman, Ludmilla Petrushevskaya, and Otsuichi. What I'm saying is, I'm not going to win.
But I'm really excited because I love Shirley Jackson's work. "The Lottery" was a story I read when I was in sixth grade and it, along with reading "A Good Man is Hard to Find" in fifth grade (a teacher at my Catholic grade school read that story to us. She introduced it by saying, "This is a Catholic writer."), really shaped my idea of short stories long before I ever thought of writing any. I love, love, love We Have Always Lived in the Castle and The Haunting of Hill House. So this is a good day.

11 comments:

Rob Shearman said...

Hi, Kevin!

I'm so proud to be on the same nominee list as you. I was over in the States last Thanksgiving, saw your book in a Borders, bought it, and loved it. :)

Alex said...

Congratulations!

Someone just sent me "The Lottery" in an e-mail today...weird.

Heather said...

Congratulations!

Sybil said...

Great news Kevin, congrats!

Anonymous said...

I read the Lottery in eighth grade and it changed everything.

Congratulations, Kevin.

John Mantooth said...

Congrats. I'm reading Tunneling to the Center of the Earth now, and was so amazed by the stories that I found your blog. When I heard some of the buzz about that book, I thought "no way it can be that good." I'm happy to say, I was completely wrong. Good luck on the award.

Jon Steinhagen said...

Bravo! Anyone who's read your story "The Head's What Keeps Heart and Head Together" should not be surprised by the nomination, just to name one outstanding example.

Keep going.

Jon Steinhagen said...

I meant "The NECK'S What Keeps Heart and Head Together." Zheesh, I need another trough of coffee. Apologies.

Anonymous said...

That's awesome, dude! I have read "The Haunting of Hill House", oh, probably about 15 times. I can't get enough of it. And could that award description get any better? The "dark fantastic"? Wow.

Unknown said...

Kevin I got nominated for that one too a couple years ago- and I got a rock!!! it says shirley jackson award!!! it's awesome and you better get one too. I went to readercon and it was really really fun and I bet you'd have a blast. Love, Lucy

Unknown said...

I followed up on the Shirley Jackson Awards and found the following: SINGLE-AUTHOR COLLECTION
Winners (Two Winners):
Tunneling to the Center of the Earth, Kevin Wilson
(Harper Perennial) &
Love Songs for the Shy and Cynical, Robert Shearman
(Big Finish Productions)
Congratulations!! Well-Deserved!!