DUNE 7 BLOG

Saturday, August 19, 2006

Writers of the Future

Brian and I are both judges for the Writers of the Future contest, now in its 22nd year of encouraging and training new writers and illustrators. Each year we help select the most promising talent from among many entries, and then I deliver a guest lecture in the week-long writing workshop that all winners get to attend. I usually split the lecture with my wife Rebecca, but this year because we're starting the long HUNTERS OF DUNE tour, Rebecca won't be joining us until Tuesday, when the book is actually released.

The main instructors of the workshop are Tim Powers and KD Wentworth. This year, other guest speakers included Dr. Jerry Pournelle, Dr. Yoji Kondo from NASA, Sean Williams, and Anne McCaffrey. The awards gala was held at San Diego's Air and Space Museum, with other judges including Rob Sawyer, Larry Niven, Nina Kiriki Hoffman, and Frederik Pohl. The following day, we held a large mass signing at San Diego's Mysterious Galaxy Bookstore (where Brian and I will be launching HUNTERS OF DUNE on Tuesday).

We are on the road now, about to drive up to LA, where we have 17 TV interviews tonight, between 3 AM and 7 AM. Then the following day, we'll release HUNTERS OF DUNE. We hope to see many of you on our booksigning tour.

-- KJA

More information about Writers of the Future can be found at www.writersofthefuture.com.

All of the judges and winners