In recognition of the legacy of Shirley Jackson’s writing (which includes the classic The Haunting of Hill House), The Shirley Jackson Awards “recognise outstanding achievement in the literature of psychological suspense, horror, and the dark fantastic”. The Awards are given for the best work published in the preceding calendar year, and the nominees for the 2011 Shirley Jackson Awards have now been announced.

Nominees include: two nominations for Reggie Oliver (Best Novel and Best Novella), three nominations for Stephen Jones‘ A Book of Horrors from Jo Fletcher Books (nominations for two of its stories in the Novella category, along with a nomination for Best Edited Anthology), and two nominations for PS Publishing titles in the Single-Author category.

The Awards will be presented on 15 July 2012 at Readercon 23, the Conference on Imaginative Literature, in Burlington, Massachusetts, US, hosted by Guests of Honour, Peter Straub and Caitlin R. Kiernan.

The first BFS London Open Night for 2012 has been booked for 2 March 2012 at The Mug House – just under London Bridge, opposite the London Dungeon.

Doors officially open Friday night from 6pm onwards. Festivities planned so far include a book launch for author/editor Allen Ashley‘s new anthology Where Are We Going from Eibonvale Press. Also, Quercus Books will be hosting a charity auction – Nicola Budd, Editorial Assitant at Quercus Books, explains:

“As part of the BFS open night on 2nd March 2012, we will be hosting a silent auction to raise money for the charity Have A Heart, supporting children’s hospices in the UK.

The auction, in conjunction with Jo Fletcher Books, will include signed first editions from across the SF, Fantasy and Horror genres, as well as some signed original artworks.

All the money contributed will be going to help build a better future for children who are vulnerable, face adversity or live with a disability or illness, so prepare to dig deep! For more information on the charity go to www.heart.co.uk/have-a-heart/ “

Jo Fletcher Books has acquired World English rights for Seoul Survivor, a futuristic satirical thriller and the debut novel from Zeno Agency client Naomi Foyle.

“The world balances upon the edge of a knife. A meteor known as Lucifer’s Hammer is about to wreak a terrible destruction on the earth and terrorists have annihilated the City of London, covering it in a blanket of nuclear poison.

Rumours of war abound in every continent, but if the end of the world is imminent, there is only one safe place to be.

American-Korean bio-engineer Dr Kim Da Mi thinks she has found the perfect solution in the mountains above Seoul, but her methods are strange and her business partner, Johnny Sandman, is not exactly the type of person anyone would want to mix with. Sydney, a Canadian model trying to escape an unhappy past, is drawn in by their smiles and pretty promises – until she realises that the quest for perfection, comes at an impossible price …”

A second untitled novel has also been acquired as part of the deal. Seoul Survivor is currently scheduled for release in February 2013, with the untitled second novel following in 2014.

Alison Littlewood‘s debut novel A Cold Season (Jo Fletcher Books) has been chosen as one of eight books to feature in the Richard & Judy Spring Book Club 2012 (run in association with WH Smith). This promotion involves additional content for reading groups, extra digital content for readers, including podcasts featuring author interviews, and free downloads of the first chapter of each of the chosen books. Readers can also post their reviews online at www.whsmith.co.uk/richardandjudy.

Here’s the book information for A Cold Season:

“Cass is building a new life for herself and her young son Ben after the death of her soldier husband Pete, returning to the village where she lived as a child. But their idyllic new home is not what she expected: the other flats are all empty, there’s strange graffiti on the walls, and the villagers are a bit odd. And when an unexpectedly heavy snowstorm maroons the village, things get even harder. Ben is changing, he’s surly and aggressive and Cass’s only confidant is the smooth, charming Theodore Remick, the stand-in headmaster. Not everyone approves of Cass’s growing closeness to Mr Remick, and it soon becomes obvious he’s not all he appears to be either. If she is to protect her beloved son, Cass is going to have to fight back. Cass realises this is not the first time her family have been targeted by Theodore Remick. But this time, the stakes are immeasurably higher…”

Alison is currently undertaking a book signing tour of her native Yorkshire – see our events calendar for details.

The second volume in Rod Rees’ Demi-Monde quartet, Spring, will be available in hardcover in January 2012 from Jo Fletcher Books.

Spring continues the story of Vanka, Ella, Burlesque et al as they fight the forces of evil in the artificial environment that is the Demi-Monde, battling against such villains as Heydrich and Robespierre. Having escaped from the FourthRight, our heroes are in another sector, one that includes Paris and Venice – along with a range of new characters.

Rees plays merrily with terminology (FourthRight, CitiZen, ImPuritanism); he creates a rollercoaster of a ride; and it’s easy to become sucked into the world of Demi-Monde.