Huge congratulations to Christchurch poet and author Helen Lowe – her first novel, the fabulous Thornspell, has just picked up not one but TWO Sir Julius Vogel awards at Conscription, the 2009 New Zealand Science Fiction convention!
She took out Best New Talent and Best Young Adult Novel – the latter is all the more impressive when you scan down the list of nominees and see the name of the doyenne of New Zealand YA writers, Margaret Mahey.
(For those of you who have been living in a cave, Thornspell is a brilliant retelling of the Sleeping Beauty myth, this time from the point of view of the Prince who must somehow break the spell. Why don’t you have a copy yet??)
Well done Helen! We’re all looking forward to Yrth and The Wall of Night.
A Dark Feathered Art 
Thanks, Jo. I’m looking forward to seeing The Summer King out there very soon, and knocking ’em all dead!
Thanks Helen!