Westeros

The 'A Song of Ice and Fire' Domain

News

Parris on the Quill Awards

A special message from Parris (George’s partner, Mud Clerk, and maker of the Magic Coffee):

I wanted to let GRRM’s fans know that A Feast for Crows has been nominated for the Quill awards.

Now, the Quill award is not your average hoity- toity literary award, given by literary critics and English Lit profs. Nor is it a ‘members/peers’ award like the Hugos or the Nebulas.

Nope, the Quill award is sponsored by NBC and others:

The Quills, an initiative launched with the support of Reed Business Information, is designed to be an industry qualified "consumers choice" awards program for books, honoring the current titles readers deem most entertaining and enlightening.

You can read about the Quill awards here:

http://www.thequills.org/2005.html

And for fans of GRRM, you can VOTE for the Quill awards here:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/13737551/

A Feast for Crows is eligible in 2 categories, best SF/F and for Book of the Year. There’s a lot of other categories that one can vote in as well, I was delighted to be able to vote for ‘Elizabeth Peters’ in the Mystery category, and cast my vote in several other categories as well, because, guess what, I’d actually read 3 or more of the titles in that category because they were popular titles I was able to find and enjoy in the last year.

What qualifications are needed to vote?

You need to have access to a computer with an internet connection.

That’s it, nothing else, no membership fees, no admittance to a professional organization, no having to attend soirees with literary critics and book publishers all hustling to get their titles on the ballot while devouring the last of crab puffs, just a computer with a internet connection.

Balloting ends on September 30th, so take a couple of minutes today to cruise over to:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/13737551/

and vote for you favorite books of the year.

Do you have a friend who first turned you on to GRRM or Peters or one of the other nominees? Why don’t you forward them this note and urge them to vote too? You have a young reader in your family who loved a YA book this year that’s on the list? Involve them by encouraging them to look at the Quills list, see if there’s other titles they should give a try since their in the same category as a beloved book.

The Quills are only in their second year of existence. If they receive a lot of attention and participation from readers that vote for the awards, they will continue, and perhaps even grow in their importance. Maybe in a few years they’ll have cash awards, a goody basket like the Oscars hand out (Although I think a goody basket for writers would consist of various forms of caffeine and chocolate, a new chair for the writing desk and a big sign that reads "GO AWAY, I’M WRITING’ and not free spa treatments, engraved iPods and Ugg boots).

So go on, do the right thing, and participate in choosing the Quill awards for 2006. You’ll be glad you did. If George wins you’ll see pictures of him in a tux accepting the award, and isn’t that enough to send your browser to:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/13737551/

Thanks, and as we always said in old Baltimore,

vote early! vote often!!!

Comments