So what’s even better than The Raw Shark Texts making the shortlist for the Borders Original Voices Award for fiction?

Well, winning it, which is what's happened! I know, I can’t quite believe it either.

One of the reasons I’m so excited to have won this is the way the winners are selected: Borders take two hundred debut, or near-debut books that they feel represent the very best new work of the year and the books go on rotation on special Original Voices tables in their stores. During this time, every Borders employee has the opportunity to read the Original Voices books and register a vote for their favourite. Which means that The Raw Shark Texts was selected by the booksellers on the shop floors as their favourite debut novel of the year - how great is that!?

A MASSIVE thank you to everyone out there at Borders who voted for Raw Shark, your support in this really means so much to me. It’s so very rewarding to know that so many people whose business is books loved my novel enough to push it, not just into the top six, but to first place. Thank you thank you thank you :)

As a result of the win I’m going to be coming back to the US, to collect the award and also to do a bit of a mini-tour to coincide with the paperback launch. The exact dates and locations aren’t set yet (I post them up here as soon as I have them) but it’ll looking like it’ll be the second or third week in April with possible events in - Long Beach, CA., San Diego, CA, Sacramento CA, Boston and Portland, Maine. And Atlanta hopefully (I’m really pushing for this one BGB folks, I really am!).

I’m also looking at having a limited edition booklet of extra Raw Shark content (yep, that’s a new negative for people out there who’s keeping track of them:) available to give away at readings on the US mini tour. I’m working hard to get it finished in time and then we’re going to run through costings. The plan is for it to work in a similar way to the to the Canadian Aquarium Fragment limited edition booklet. This one is called The Torch Bulb Fragment. Hopefully it’ll happen, I’ll do what I can and keep you posted.

That’s all for now – future book/project news and a film update soon!

S
www.myspace.com/stevenhallbooks