Kirstin Morrell for the Aurora

Nominating is now open for the Aurora Awards. For the first time ever, you can nominate online. All Canadians are eligible to do so, and there's no cost to nominate.

And although the Canadian SF Works Database that Marcel Gagné and I founded provides a wiki list of professional works that are eligible for the Auroras (and other awards), there's no central place on line that gathers info about potential nominees for Auroras in the three fan categories, and so I'm going to make a recommendation here.

The heart of fandom, in my view, is science-fiction conventions. Canada has fine ones in Vancouver, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Toronto, Montreal, and other places, but one of my very favourites is Con-Version in Calgary, and last year, when there was doubt about whether the convention would continue at all, the wonderful Kirstin Morrell stepped up to the plate, and chaired what was, by all reports, one of the best Con-Versions ever. She's going to be one of my nominees for the Aurora this year, and I urge you to consider making her one of yours.

Kirstin is eligible in the category "Fan Achievement (Organizational) - 2007" as "Kirstin Morrell, chair, Con-Version 23."

Pictured: Kirstin Morrell. If you look carefully in the background, you will see two of her favourite things: the starship Enterprise and bottles of wine ... ;)

The Robert J. Sawyer Web Site