Clarke Award

[major_clanger]

The Clarke Award ceremony last night all seemed to go very well; somehow, although we seemed to have more people in the actual presentation than last year, the reception area felt slightly less crowded. (Think mere neutronium density rather than nascent black hole.) Perhaps the less intrusive music helped, or the generous and never-ending supply of snacks. Regarding the latter, I was slightly disappointed that the full-costume Imperial Stormtroopers laid on for us - yes, I can't get away from them at the moment! - weren't employed to hand out the canapés. After all, logically there must have been a catering and steward branch to staff the canteens on the Death Star, right?

Congratulations to Richard Morgan for winning with Black Man; commiserations to the other contenders, especially Stephen Baxter, who had the double disappointment of Liverpool losing to Chelsea on penalties.

Comments

[purplecthulhu.livejournal.com]

Last year at least the music desk took up quite a bit of room so if they lost that it would help.

Any idea what the head count for the event is? The venue seems to be the limiting factor these days so maybe its time to move if a bigger place can be found.

Yes - I'm still annoyed about not getting an invite, but frankly the way things are at the moment I couldn't have come even if I had one. But it's the thought that counts.

[the-magician.livejournal.com]

Same here :-(

It sounds like a fabulous evening, but without both of us, it can't really be described as complete, can it? :-)

[purplecthulhu.livejournal.com]

It would be interesting to know who was subtracted from the list and who added. My worry is that it's moving more to being an industry junket with the actual readers being excised, though the venue's size makes this even more of a problem.

[owlfish]

By reader, do you mean reviewer? (Because otherwise, how are the random SF-reading masses ever to be identified as Readers, rather than just readers?)

Also, some people go to both festival and lurk around the Clarkes.

[purplecthulhu.livejournal.com]

By reader I don't mean reviewer. There used to be a good link with conrunners, panelists and pundits, but since the current administrator doesn't go to cons much (as far as I can tell) that's slipping.

I know others who lurk, but they're working not invited.

[owlfish]

Panelists and pundits are reviewers - or at least critics - too, just not necessarily in print. That makes sense.

[despotliz.livejournal.com]

There were enough attendees to fill the largest screen at the Apollo cinema with a few extras standing, so I would guess around 175 people. To move somewhere larger would presumably mean not having the Clarkes as the opening of SF London any more, and I think they work quite nicely as part of the festival. All up to the Clarke administrators and their purse strings, I guess.

[purplecthulhu.livejournal.com]

The perception, as I understand it, of the Clarkes by the festival is that people turn up, drink beer, and go away. There doesn't seem to be much interaction with the festival at all.

I'd be prepared to look into another possible venue with a strong SFnal link, but as you say that's up to the administrators and the finances. I can't say I'm happy with what I perceive as a disconnection developing with the readers, but If the administrators are, that's their choice.

[despotliz.livejournal.com]

They've got the books on sale at the Festival this year, and I presume they provide the venue for us, as well as volunteers to work at the drinks beforehand, and they certainly plug the Clarke awards on their website. I'm not sure what else they could do for it?

I can see that there's a perceived disconnection with the readers, but I personally don't see it. Obviously I got an invite this year which makes me biased, but there were lots of people from the SFF and BSFA committees, other fans, and a number of blogging/reviewing/book reading types (eg James from Big Dumb Object, Paul from Velcro City, Jonathan M of SF Diplomat). So while I can see that there's a problem with it being invite-only and meaning that not everyone can go, and not inviting everyone from previous years, from where I'm standing it doesn't seem like a big shift from fans to industry types.

[purplecthulhu.livejournal.com]

I don't know much about the level of sponsorship but at the minimum the venue would be part of it. I don't know about the booze and food.

Having the books on sale is certainly a good step.

As said in my reply to owlfish there used to be a pretty good connection to congoing fandom. Maybe that's now moving to blogging fandom, but why not look into a venue that can cover both? There was a time when eastercon committees were invited as a matter of course. That no longer seems the case.

[timill]

Extra Time, but not penalties, AFAICS

[del-c.livejournal.com]

Catering staff in the Death Star Canteen.