The Sunburst Award for Canadian Literature of the Fantastic is a juried award based on excellence of writing in two categories: adult and young adult. The awards are presented annually to Canadian writers with a speculative fiction novel or book-length collection of speculative fiction published any time during the previous calendar year. Named after the first novel by Phyllis Gotlieb, one of the first published authors of contemporary Canadian science fiction, the awards consist of a cash award of Cdn$1,000 and a medallion which incorporates a specially designed "Sunburst" logo. The winners receive their awards in the fall of every year.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA:

The Sunburst Award Administration Committee and its researchers maintain annual reference lists of Canadian literature of the fantastic. We recommend that writers and publishers check the list to ascertain that their work(s) are on the list. If not, please contact peter[at]sunburstaward[dot]org.

• The work must be literature of the fantastic, which includes science fiction, fantasy, horror, magic realism, and surrealism.
• The work must be a novel or novel-length short story collection.
• The author must be Canadian—that is, a Canadian Citizen (native or naturalized; resident in Canada or residing outside Canada) or Landed Immigrant in Canada.
• Translations into English are considered on an equal footing with works written originally in English. Only the first translation of a work is eligible.
• The work must be substantially text-based and have been published in book form.
• If a work is published or released after December 31 in a calendar year, regardless of stated copyright or publication dates, it may be considered the following year. If an eligible book was not considered by the jury in the year in which it was published, it may be considered the following year. However, once a book has been considered, it becomes ineligible.

NOTE TO PUBLISHERS:

For the 2008 award (for books published in 2007), mail six (6) copies of the book before January 31, 2008 to the committee secretary at the address below. Packages from outside Canada must be marked PROMOTIONAL MATERIALS, as the Sunburst Award cannot pay for customs and clearance.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Contact rebecca[at]sunburstaward[dot]org or write to

The Sunburst Award,
2 Farm Greenway,
Toronto, ON CANADA
M3A 3M2.