Should we abolish the BFS awards?

[Stephen Theaker]

The British Fantasy Awards seem to cause us no end of trouble, but is it more trouble than they are worth? Should we scrap them as has been suggested? Are they helping the BFS achieve its constitutional goals, or getting in the way?

I'm mixed on the issue. They are fun, and as everyone can't help but notice I'm fascinated by examining the ins and outs of the rules. I'd be sad to see them go. But they do seem to take up an uncommon amount of our time (e.g. at the AGM), and get us into trouble every year, and lead to constant arguments and recriminations. Even if the EGM proposals were to fix some of the problems, we're probably still going to get it in the neck over gender representation and ignoring "real" fantasy every year.

I'll be really interested to see how people vote. I expect people to be overwhelmingly in favour of keeping them, but if most people think we shouldn't, we could put it to a proper vote at next autumn's AGM...

[CarolineC]

Funnily enough, I suggested this straight after this year's problems flared up over the awards. I can't recall if it was on the forum or in an email to the committee (I think it was the latter) as my role wasn't a non-committee one at that point, as it is now. No-one answered at the time, so I'm glad to see this getting an airing again. My vote is a definite "yes" - I don't see the value they add to the BFS and they're certainly more trouble than they're worth in my opinion.

(by the way, please don't anyone feel they have to justify their vote here as I've done - it's just that I have strong feelings on this and I'm happy to voice them. Others could vote on Stephen's interesting poll without saying which way they'd voted)
 

[David A. Riley]

Best suggestion made so far. The BFS should concentrate on giving back to its member's value for money - as it already does with its publications and an ever improving website.

[CarolineC]

Err ... in that case, David, if you've just voted as well as me, you've voted NOT to abolish them I think!

[Peter Coleborn]

Of course the BFS should continue to offer awards for Best novel, short story, etc. We've presented the awards for 40 years and we shouldn't stop now just because of current issues. We just need to make the process better -- either with a jury or getting the majority of the membership to actually vote. Achieving the latter will be very difficult so it looks like the jury route is the way to go.

[joshua rainbird]

Yes and no. 

The BFS should host awards if they are to reward writing and artwork that people enjoy and they shouldn't if these are then used as opportunities to humiliate the winners.  The gongs are at risk of becoming poisoned chalices. 

Hosting awards does not discredit a society it's the members' public bickering that does. 

[LeeH]

I'd vote to keep them. No awards system is perfect, and pretty much every set of award results gets criticised, but awards are there to acknowledge the great work created by writers and artists in the genre. God knows, there's all too little financial reward for these people!   

When I vote for a book or an artist or a writer, it's one more way for me to say thank-you. And if we have no BFS awards, then we have no UK-based fantasy/horror awards, at all - a shame when there are two prominent science fiction awards (The BSFA and the Arthur C Clarke). And with fantasy far more popular than SF at the moment, it would be a real shame to find the genre under-represented.

[neilw]

Aren't the Gemmels British-based, Lee?

I voted to keep them too. At their best, the BFS awards have a unique flavour born of the membership's willingness to read deep into the indie presses to find the kind of fiction they love, and as a result the awards have rewarded the efforts of a lot of great writers, artists, editors and publishers whose work is deemed, for whatever reason, not a good commercial prospect by the larger imprints. Arguably, in recent years, perhaps the focus has been two narrow in that direction. I'd love to see the BFS awards short lists reflecting both the macro and the micro side of fantastical publishing. And I'm hopeful that the new approach to the awards will provide that.

[LeeH]

Aren't the Gemmels British-based, Lee?

Oops - you're right, of course, though the Gemmell's are limited to works that are "Traditional, Heroic, Epic, or High Fantasy and/or in the  spirit of David Gemmell’s own work", so that cuts out horror, weird fantasy, urban fantasy, paranormal romance, modern fantasy, and so many other sub-genres. They also don't accept works that are published as eBook-only titles.

[neilw]

They also don't accept works that are published as eBook-only titles.

I didn't know that. That's certainly...Traditional of them.

[jared]

I'd vote to keep them. No awards system is perfect, and pretty much every set of award results gets criticised, but awards are there to acknowledge the great work created by writers and artists in the genre. God knows, there's all too little financial reward for these people!   

When I vote for a book or an artist or a writer, it's one more way for me to say thank-you. And if we have no BFS awards, then we have no UK-based fantasy/horror awards, at all - a shame when there are two prominent science fiction awards (The BSFA and the Arthur C Clarke). And with fantasy far more popular than SF at the moment, it would be a real shame to find the genre under-represented.

Amen.

[Stephen Theaker]

Have to admit I was pretty cheesed off with them yesterday, but today I find myself looking forward to talking about recommendations!

I'd love to see some of the things I've enjoyed this year get some recognition: Ventriloquism by Catherynne Valente blew me away and would be a very credible nominee for best collection. I'd love to see Midnight in Paris in the screenplay category, although I doubt it'll manage to squeeze its way past fourteen episodes of Doctor Who!

[Colin (Black Abyss)]

Has anyone, writer, publisher or BFS member actually benefited from the awards. If not I would say the money could be better spent on supporting struggling writers/ small press publishers etc in other ways. I love Terry Pratchett but suspect he doesn't need the money or the publicity.

[Des Lewis]

Has anyone, writer, publisher or BFS member actually benefited from the awards. If not I would say the money could be better spent on supporting struggling writers/ small press publishers etc in other ways.

Hear! Hear!
Although I remain very proud on receiving the KEW Award in 1998 - but that was not a BFS award for a current book in the year voted by the members. Perhaps just keep the special award?

[Colin (Black Abyss)]

Has anyone, writer, publisher or BFS member actually benefited from the awards. If not I would say the money could be better spent on supporting struggling writers/ small press publishers etc in other ways.

Hear! Hear!
Although I remain very proud on receiving the KEW Award in 1998 - but that was not a BFS award for a current book in the year voted by the members. Perhaps just keep the special award?

If we were to retain the special awards we could tie them in with another award ceremony (thinking genre magazine, or publishers do). Cheaper for the BFS and more publicity all round?