The Spinetingler Awards are with us again, people, and all very democratic it is too – if you can click a mouse, you can vote. The good news is that neither yours truly nor THE BIG O have been nominated, although the bad news is that Crime Always Pays has been, in the ‘Special Services to the Industry’ category. A couple of things about that. (1) Much as I appreciate the nod, and at the risk of sounding ungracious, I’m not doing the little I do for the industry, and I suspect that very few bloggers and / or webnauts are either. If I win, I’ll have to hand the gong back. (2) Of which happening there being very little chance, given that (a) there’s no actual gong and (b) the other nominees include Ruth and Jon Jordan, J. Kingston Pierce, Barbara Franchi, and the man with the biggest brain in the universe, Peter Rozovsky (pictured, top right). (3) In my not-so-humble opinion, and off the top of my head, I can think of Sarah Weinman, Karen Meek, Maxine Clarke and the Spinetingler crew themselves as more deserving nominees than your humble host (Glenn Harper, Karen Chisholm and Ali Karim are nominated in the ‘Review’ category), mainly because, as far as I can make out, they all do it as a labour of love, whereas I’m only in it for the money. (4) Go Rozovsky!
Of the other categories, I’ll be keeping a close eye on the ‘Rising Star’, which pits Allan Guthrie against his old nemesis Ray Banks. Anyone else willing to pay to see those two beasts going at it in a cage-fight? And ‘New Voice’ should be interesting too, given that John McFetridge, Declan Hughes and Brian McGilloway are all jostling for position as you read. Fine writers and good blokes to a man, although, on the basis that I’ve spent 10 days sharing bathroom space with the man, and didn’t want to kill him afterwards, McFetridge gets my nod.
To vote, clickety-click here …
10 comments:
You bad-tempered wee shite, you are so doing a fair bit for the industry.
What a lot of waffle! I'll just do eeny, meeny, m...
I have to disagree on one thing Dec, Peter's head is not that large as we squeezed him into a Nissan Micra when we took him up to Dartmoor. He didn't get out of the car but that was more to do with me reading him The Hound of the Baskervilles, the night before as his bedtime story, and the heavy menacing mist than a Mekon like head. ;o)
I can't take seriously any award for special services to the "industry" that does not include in the nominations Karen Meek of Euro Crime and Maxine Clarke of Petrona and Friend Feed crime and mystery room.
Declan, while I suppose it's noble to admit your motives, I think all of us walk that line. Whether you realize it or not, this is a highly valued site where you do a lot of work talking about other authors. You're also consistent with the material. And there aren't kickbacks involved.
Truth is, the award would be better called 'special services to the community' I think, but the name originally came from a pre-existing award and so there you go. Whether you like it or not, what you do here has value to the community!
And certainly, everyone's entitled to their opinions about who should be nominated. There's always a narrowing-down process. Some people mentioned were nominated last year, though certainly not the Spinetingler people. I'm not in it for the money. I'm in it for the power. ;)
I heard Peter had shaved. I didnlt realize he included his head. HE really needs to get more sun.
Your nomination is well earned, regardless of your motivation. Your tireless efforts to bring attention to crime fiction, especially of the irish geneology, is entertaining and well written. Kudos and good luck.
Hear, hear! What Mr. Rozovsky said!
HE really needs to get more sun
Maybe Peter looks so sickly green because he has seen too many Banana slugs in his Santa Cruz vacation.
The good vibes are hugely appreciated, folks. I think Sandra hits it on the head with her 'community' idea ... Being a struggling writer myself, I just like the idea of giving struggling and/or Irish writers a bit of oxygen, for whatever it's worth - and if enough blogs do the same, then it is worth it.
But I do it despite the industry, not because of it, or to support it.
Apologies for splitting hairs, by the way. I'm delighted for the mention. It's true what they, it really is nice just to be nominated.
There are no kickbacks involved at Petrona or Euro Crime.
And who is this Bill Crider guy (see below)? ;-)
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