New crime anthologies and Ned Kelly Awards

An interesting trend that seems to be occurring parallel with the rise of e-publishing is the growing popularity of short story anthologies.

I’m told by people who know about these things, that anthologies are not popular with mainstream publishers. Well, e-publishing is now allowing small niche publishers to get their product out there.

Exhibits A and B are two upcoming crime anthologies, both of which I have stories in.

In September, the first Crime Factory anthology will be available through US indie crime publisher, New Pulp Press.

Crime Factory: The First Shift contains 28 noir stories from established and emerging authors in the US, UK, South Africa and Australia. There’s names Australian crime readers may be familiar with, including Ken Bruen (author of The White Trilogy and London Boulevard), Adrian McKinty (Falling Glass), and local writer, Leigh Redhead (Thrill City).

First Shift is also a chance for Australian audiences to check out several members of the new wave of noir writers in the United States who are relatively unknown here, including Hilary Davidson, Dave Zeltserman, Scott Wolven and Dennis Tafoya. South African writer, Roger Smith, whose upcoming book Dust Devils is on my to read list, also contributed a story.

You can pre-order Crime Factory: The First Shift here at Barns and Noble and Amazon.

The second anthology is by a new Australian publisher, Dark Prints Press. Titled The One That Got Away, it features crime stories by Australian, UK and American writers, including Lawrence Block. It will be released in early 2012. Pre-orders are available through the Dark Prints Press website from September 1.

And while I’m on the subject on anthos, check out D*cked23 tales of dark fiction inspired by former US conservative Vice President, Dick Cheney.

I reckon this is just inspired and am really looking forward to the next instalment. Maybe featuring Sarah Pailin?

The annual Ned Kelly awards were held last night at Melbourne bar the Toff in Town. Well done to the organisers on the new venue and the slimmed down format. For the first time since I’ve been attending, the awards didn’t feel like I was sitting in a sociology lecture.

There was a decent turn out, including a big contingent from the Sisters in Crime. In addition to finally getting to meet David Whish Wilson (shortlisted for best first book), I got to hang out with Leigh Redhead and partner Michael Lynch, home after several years in Vietnam, and my editorial colleagues from Crime Factory’s Melbourne editorial team, Cameron Ashley and Liam Jose. Cameron claims he’s no good a working a room, although he seemed to be doing a pretty good job last night, from what I could see.

Congratulations to Geoffrey McGeachin, whose work The Diggers Rest Hotel took home best book (among a shortlist that included my partner Angela Savage’s wonderful book, The Half Child) and Alan Carter whose novel Prime Cut won best first book.

I’m never going to get to the end of that to-read list.

 

 

 

 

 

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3 Responses

  1. Pingback: Ned Kelly Awards winners & grinners | Angela Savage

  2. I’ve never really been much of a shortbstory reader but now that I have an eReader and an iPad I’m more intersted. I usually have one or other device with me and so can more easily squeeze in a story here or there when I don’t fancy hunkering down for a novel

  3. Ditto, Bernadette, I have not been a major consumer of short stories in the past, but I’ve found myself really getting into them lately. Having now written a few of them myself, I’ve also found myself developing a real appreciation of the art of doing a good piece of short fiction. I have not got an eReader yet, but I’m planning to get one soon. The amount of high quality short and long crime fiction that is available for eReaders, particularly from the US, is amazing.

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