The British Fantasy Award for Best Novel, also known as the August Derleth Award, was a literary award given annually as part of the British Fantasy Awards. It was first awarded in 1972. Beginning in 2012, the award was split into fantasy and horror categories.
History
In 1971, Ramsey Campbell suggested that the British Fantasy Society should present an award in honor of August Derleth, who died the same year. In 1972, Michael Moorcock received the inaugural August Derleth Fantasy Award for his novel The Knight of the Swords. In later years, the number of award categories increased. In 1976, the BFS renamed the awards from the August Derleth Fantasy Awards to the British Fantasy Awards, maintaining that the Best Novel category would retain the August Derleth award title.
2011 controversy and reorganization In 2011, Sam Stone won the award. After the ceremony, editor and anthologist Stephen Jones posted a blog entry pointing out that several of the winning entries were published by Telos Publishing, a company owned by David Howe. At the time, Howe was also chair of the British Fantasy Society and romantic partner of Stone. Three days later, Stone returned the award, stating: "I do not wish to be seen as the winner that tore the British Fantasy Society in two... Therefore, I am returning the award for Best Novel."
After Stone returned her award, the other nominees declined to accept it, resulting in an announcement of "no award". From 2012 onward, the awards were reorganized. The awards were previous awarded via a popular vote from BFS members and convention attendees. After the reorganization, the power to select awards from the shortlist was given to a jury. The best novel category, then known as the August Derleth Award, was divided. The new awards included the British Fantasy Award for Best Horror Novel, retaining the title of August Derleth Award, and the British Fantasy Award for Best Fantasy Novel, the Robert Holdstock Award.
Winners and shortlist
* Winners § Award returned
Year Author Work Publisher 1972 * 1973 * 1974 * Hrolf Kraki's Saga Ballantine Books 1975 * Shardik 1976 * Bloodstone Warner Books Arkham House Marauders of Gor Ballantine Books Zebra Books 1977 * Camber of Culdi Interview with the Vampire 1978 * My Lord Barbarian Ballantine Books Our Lady of Darkness Berkley Books / Putnam 1979 * Holt, Rinehart & Winston Dying of the Light Gollancz Gloriana Allison & Busby DAW Books Gollancz 1980 * Death's Master Harpist in the Wind Atheneum Books Sorcerer's Son 1981 * To Wake the Dead Millington Firestarter MacDonald Futura Kill the Dead DAW Books Sphere Books Sidgwick & Jackson 1982 * Cujo Camber the Heretic Del Rey Books Delusion's Master DAW Books Macmillan Publishers 1983 * Timescape Books In Viriconium Psycho II 1984 * Floating Dragon 1985 * Incarnate Macmillan Publishers Lyonesse Panther Books Nights at the Circus Chatto & Windus 1986 * Viking Press 1987 * It Viking Press Necroscope Voyager Strangers Putnam 1988 * 1989 * 1990 * Carrion Comfort Dark Harvest 1991 * Midnight Sun 1992 * Outside the Dog Museum MacDonald Summer of Night Putnam 1993 * Dark Sister 1994 * Headline Publishing Group 1995 * Only Forward HarperCollins UK Blood Wars Nocturne Pasquale's Angel Gollancz 1996 * Requiem Signet Creed Blood Crazy Hodder & Stoughton Dead of Light HarperCollins UK HarperCollins UK 1997 * Signet UK Assassin's Apprentice Bantam Spectra / Orbit Books Excession Bantam Spectra / Orbit Books Random House / HarperCollins Hogfather Gollancz Sacrament HarperCollins Scenting Hallowed Blood Signet Spares HarperCollins UK / Bantam Books 1998 * Light Errant Mesmer Polgara the Sorceress Signs of Life 1999 * Bag of Bones Hodder & Stoughton Chasm Hodder & Stoughton Gate of Ivory, Gate of Horn Roc Books / Harper Voyager Kissing The Beehive Gollancz One of Us HarperCollins UK Someplace to be Flying Tor Books / Macmillan Publishers Penguin UK Vampyrrhic Hodder & Stoughton 2000 * Indigo Michael Joseph Earthlight Gollancz Shelter Hodder & Stoughton World's End Gollancz 2001 * Perdido Street Station Macmillan Publishers Hush Razorblade Press Mr. X HarperCollins Razorblade Press Silent Children Tor Books / Forge 2002 * Hodder & Stoughton Always Forever Gollancz American Gods Headline Feature Bold as Love Gollancz Smoking Poppy Gollancz 2003 * Macmillan Publishers PS Publishing Gollancz Gollancz White Apples Tor Books 2004 * Full Dark House Doubleday UK Felaheen: The Third Arabesk Earthlight lost boy, lost girl HarperCollins UK Nobody True Macmillan Publishers Tor UK Vampyrrhic Rites Hodder & Stoughton 2005 * Hodder & Stoughton Abarat: Days of Magic, Nights of War Voyager Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell Bloomsbury Publishing Gollancz Doubleday 2006 * Anansi Boys Headline Publishing Group Voyager Gollancz Nowhere Near an Angel PS Publishing Secret Stories PS Publishing Vellum Pan Macmillan 2007 * Dusk Bantam Spectra Breeding Ground Leisure Books Bridge of Dreams Ace Books Orbit Books PS Publishing Jack of Ravens Gollancz Gollancz Nova Swing Gollancz Earthling 2008 * PS Publishing Heart-Shaped Gollancz HarperCollins Earthling Dorchester Publishing Little, Brown and Company 2009 * Memoirs of a Master Forger Gollancz Midnight Man Severn House Publishers Rain Dogs Humdrumming Bloomsbury Publishing Little, Brown and Company Thieving Fear PS Publishing 2010 * One Virgin Books Best Served Cold Gollancz Orbit Books Under the Dome Hodder & Stoughton Futile Flame House of Murky Depths 2011 § Demon Dance The House of Murky Depths Apartment 16 Pan Macmillan Quercus Pretty Little Dead Things Angry Robot Gollancz
References