The merits of awards and awarding merit

[seajules]

Awards are a very fraught topic in the speculative poetry community, but this is why they could matter. This is why workable awards with useful categories, including categories for collections, could matter. This is why representation in awards matters. This is why awards that are more than popularity contests for a non-representational non-

Comments

[nekonexus]

Thanks for the link. I think awards - workable awards, as you put it - definitely can, and should, matter. And it's why I get so fed up with the Auroras, even more than the Hugos. Seriously. How many Auroras does Sawyer or Doctorow or GGK need?

There's a dire need for fresh names, fresh work. And you'd think it could happen, since the only requirement for nominating and voting is being Canadian and a $5 membership fee. But no. It's the same group of writers, year after year after year.