The Australian Shadows are the annual literary awards presented by the Australian Horror Writers Association. They are judged on the overall effect – the skill, delivery, and lasting resonance – of horror fiction written or edited by an Australian.
The award was first presented in 2006 for the year 2005.
The awards are open to any horror fiction published by, or in anthologies edited by an Australian/New Zealand/Oceania resident or citizen in a given calendar year.
Until the 2009 awards (presented in 2010), the award had a single winner, drawn from nominated novels, collections, and short fiction. Winners for these years are included under 'All listed recipients' below.
From 2011, the award was given in five categories:
— Novel
— Long Fiction (novellas and novelettes)
— Short Fiction (short stories)
— Collection (single author collections)
— Edited Publication (anthologies and magazine issues).
Winners for these years are listed under the relevant subcategories.
The award for long fiction was later renamed in honour of Paul Haines, and awards for graphic novels and non-fiction were added in 2015.
The award was set up with sponsorship from Altair Australia, who donated a collection of hand-painted awards created by Brom. The Brom statuettes were used as prizes from 2005 to 2009. As of 2010, all Australian Shadows winners were awarded a trophy and a cash prize. From 2013, no further prize money will be offered.
Sources:
http://www.australianhorror.com/index.php?view=39 (Sighted: 3/12/20130
Source: Australian Horror Writers Association website, http://www.australianhorror.com (Sighted: 12/03/2008; 21/04/2011)
''Claws' takes place in the early days of European colonisation of Western Australia. It's based around a real life event, a slaughter of Aboriginal families by settlers that has become known as 'The Battle of Pinjarra'. Apart from my protagonist, all the human characters in the story are based on real people.'
Source: Interview with Lee Battersby, Graveside Books website, http://gravesidetales.com
Sighted: 17/03/2009
Jamie is plunged into the horrific alternative universe that is the centuries-old Pilo Family Circus, a borderline world between hell and earth from which humankind's greatest tragedies have been perpetrated. Yet in this place peopled by the gruesome, grotesque and monstrous, where violence and savagery are the norm, Jamie finds that his worst enemy is himself - for when he applies the white paint, he is transformed into JJ, the most vicious clown of all. And JJ wants Jamie dead... (back cover)