HM Waugh’s The Lost Stone of SkyCity is in the running for an Aurealis Award for Best Children’s Fiction
The Lost Stone of SkyCity has been shortlisted in the 2019 Aurealis Awards for speculative fiction. The awards, which accept novels, novellas, anthologies, graphic novels and short stories, are given for works of outstanding literary merit and originality that make a significant contribution to the genre of speculative fiction.
HM Waugh said being a finalist in the Aurealis Awards was beyond amazing. She said, ‘In this strange new reality of social distancing, the news came through as I was grabbing a few moments to catch up on emails, with a half-completed game of monopoly beside me (the eight-year-old winning), before we started the next “homeschool” activity. It was entirely unexpected, wholly awesome, and immediately deserving of chocolatey celebrations and happy dances!’
Described by Magpies as ‘A wonderful fantasy perfect to be read aloud to a middle-grade class or savoured alone with a nice hot cup of tea’ and by Junior Books+Publishing as ‘perfect for fantasy lovers looking for a sophisticated bridge between middle-grade and YA’, The Lost Stone of SkyCity follows the adventures of Sunaya, whose peaceful village life is turned upside down when a simple mountain mission turns into a death-defying quest for survival.
Waugh said, ‘Thank you Aurealis Awards and Fremantle Press for believing in my snow-filled adventure!! My book is sitting alongside books I’ve loved, and authors I adore!’ The other books shortlisted with HM Waugh in the Best Children’s Fiction category are: Scorch Dragons by Amie Kaufman, The Race for the Red Dragon by Rebecca Lim, The Dog Runner by Bren MacDibble, Jinxed!: The Curious Curse of Cora Bell by Rebecca McRitchie (author) and Sharon O’Connor (illustrator) and The Glimme by Emily Rodda (author) and Marc McBride (illustrator).
The Aurealis Awards were established in 1995 by Chimaera Publications, the publishers of Aurealis magazine, to recognise the achievements of Australian science fiction, fantasy and horror writers. In their email announcement, the Aurealis Awards administrators said, ‘Congratulations to all the finalists, and a huge thanks to our panelists who have persevered through fire, flood and plague to deliver these shortlists, which contain a glorious diversity of work for your delectation. It’s a really important time to support your local creators, so if you are able, go hunt down some great reads today!’
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