The Nebula Awards sponsored by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America and celebrating "the writers of the most outstanding speculative fiction," announced this year's winners. There are several titles of note for crime fiction fans among the finalists and winners, including Even Though I Knew the End by C.L. Polk, winner of Best Novella, which is about a magical detective who dives into the affairs of Chicago's divine monsters to secure a future with the love of her life; and "Murder by Pixel: Crime and Responsibility in the Digital Darkness," by S.L. Huang, a finalist in the Best Novelette category. You can check out all the finalists and winners here.
The Chicago Tribune reported that after "more than 30 years of reading books, loving books, selling books, and hosting authors and readers, Centuries & Sleuths Bookstore in Forest Park, Ill., has been put up for sale. Owner Augie Aleksy and his wife are in their 70s and ready for a quieter retirement. He added that the decision was not prompted by any pandemic-related business troubles: "It was surprising, but 2021 was one of the best years we've ever had. A lot of customers bought gift certificates for family and friends. A lot of people were cooped up and doing more reading. There was a real hunger for reading." The bookstore, which has a focus on crime fiction and historical fiction, will remain open while seeking a buyer, with store events scheduled into the summer and beyond.
On May 2, 2023, the Writers Guild of America went on strike, noting that "Writers are facing the most comprehensive assault on compensation and working conditions that they have seen in a generation...The studios have taken advantage of the transition to streaming to underpay entertainment industry workers, including writers in every area of work. Like too many working people across our economy, as corporate profits grow, writers are just not keeping up." Mystery Writers of America released a statement in solidarity with the WGA that they support the right of writers in all genres to be treated as professionals. "We support our many members who are also WGA members. We stand with the WGA."
The Golden Donut submission deadline has been extended to June 24 due to an online technical glitch. The contest, which is sponsored by the Writers' Police Academy conference, is open to all writers who are tasked with creating a micro-fiction story of exactly 200 words, including the title. Stories are judged by the editors at Bookouture, a division of Hachette UK, with the top five stories to be posted in the fall on The Graveyard Shift blog. Entrants may submit up to three stories per submission fee.
This week's crime poem at the 5-2 Weekly is "Secrets" by Charmaine Arjoonlal.
In the Q&A roundup, Author Interviews chatted with Samantha Jayne Allen, author of the Annie McIntyre Mysteries and the latest installment, Hard Rain; Crime Fiction Lover spoke with Elle Marr about her latest psychological thriller, Lovely Bones; and crime fiction writer Dennis Lehane was interviewed by Boston Magazine about his decade in Hollywood and his first new book in six years.
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