What Is Our Project?
A Hand of Knaves is an anthology of science fiction, fantasy and horror stories featuring characters inhabiting the shadowy corners of speculative fiction. Rogues, thieves, pirates and ne’er-do-wells abound in genre fiction. Sometimes heroic, sometimes villainous, often somewhere in between, rogues are as likely to steal one’s heart as one’s purse, and show little remorse while helping themselves to either.
Australian authors from across the planet have been called to submit their most adventurous stories to this exciting anthology to be published by CSFG Publishing, and edited by Chris Large and Leife Shallcross.
Submissions will be read blind (free of information identifying the author) giving new and emerging writers an equal footing with their more established counterparts. We expect stories to explore the interplay (or lack thereof) between justice and the law, ways in which magic or technology may be used by those with less-than-pure motives, and how far the lure of gold, revenge, or the promise of a stolen kiss may push an impulsive scoundrel toward the brink of what is honourable, and that which lies beyond.
Why Are We Raising Funds?
CSFG publishing has been producing themed speculative fiction anthologies since 2001. We know what it takes to produce an anthology of diverse writers on a tiny budget! The bulk of work that goes into pulling our books together is undertaken by volunteers and the reward has largely been the published article plus a token amount. But this year we would like to reward the artists, writers and editors with a payment that better reflects the value of their work!
We have been working very hard on this project and we are well on our way but we need your help! We are seeking to raise $2500.00 for the following:
a. to pay authors MORE
b. to pay artists MORE
c. to pay editors MORE
d. to help fund the printing
We are also hoping crowd funding will help new readers discover booty-bag of shiny stories and bevy totally upstanding and not-at-all-disreputable authors we'll be showcasing in A Hand of Knaves!
Ways Can You Help?
Your financial contribution is greatly appreciated. Any amount is welcome and will make a difference!
Please share us far and wide!! We’d love to reach new people!
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AHandOfKnaves/
http://www.csfg.org.au/publications/
PERKS! – What you can get!
We’ve pulled together an enormous swag of rewards for those of you who agree that creatives are worth their weight in gold (coins) or possibly precious gemstones and bootleg hard-to-get tech!
Speaking of treasures, that is exactly how we describe the rewards you’ll receive by pledging to the Hand of Knaves Crowdfunding Campaign. Take a look. We know you’ll find something to love in this mammoth swag of loot:
- beautiful artwork, to a deck of cards custom-designed for A Hand of Knaves by Shauna O’meara,
- writing services offered by the likes of Alan Baxter and Georgina Ballantine
- Flash fiction from Kaaron Warren written on discarded playing cards
- a critique and discussion of your writing by previous CSFG anthology editor, Aurealis Awards judge and physicist Dr Rob Porteous,
- and even immortalisation in a forthcoming novel from Nicole Murphy.
We will be rolling out these perks and more, over the next 40 days, so stay tuned…
THANK YOU!
… A bit more about us: CSFG Publishing
We’re proud of our track record in offering opportunities for Australian writers to have their stories read, and especially in taking a chance on never-before-published writers. Our instincts are excellent! Stories in our anthologies have appeared in Year’s Best compilations, won Aurealis and Ditmar Awards and launched careers.
We have worked hard to become a fixture on the Australian speculative fiction writing landscape. This has given us the opportunity to feature some of Australia’s best known authors of fantasy, science fiction and horror, such as: Kaaron Warren, Tansy Rayner Roberts, Cat Sparks, Richard Harland, Alan Baxter, Lee Battersby, Maxine McArthur, Joanne Anderton and Jason Nahrung.
Awards, Nominations and Honourable Mentions
“Dragon Girl”, Cat Sparks, The Never Never Land, Reprinted in Year’s Best Fantasy and Horror 2015, Ed. Liz Gryzb and Talie Helene, Ticonderoga Publications
“The Nexus Tree”, Kimberly Gaal, The Never Never Land, nominated for 2015 Aurealis Best Young Adult Short Story Award
“Girl Finds Key”, Chris Large, Next, honourable mention in Best YA Speculative Fiction 2013, Twelfth Planet Press
“Babel”, Robin Shortt, Winds of Change, honourable mention on Ellen Datlow’s Best Horror of the Year Vol 4 longlist 2011
“Seventeen”, Cat Sparks, Masques, winner of the 2009 Aurealis Best Young Adult Short Story Award
“Woman Train”, Kaaron Warren, The Outcast, nominated for the 2006 Aurealis Best Horror Short Story Award
“Stella’s Transformation” by Kim Westwood was selected for The Year’s Best Fantasy Volume 5, edited by David G. Hartwell and Kathryn Cramer.
“Happy Faces for Happy Families” listed as recommended reading by Ellen Datlow in her Year’s Best Fantasy and Horror collection.
Five of Elsewhere’s stories received honourable mentions in Year’s Best Fantasy and Horror, edited by Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling: “A Stone to Mark My Passing”, “Kidnapping”, “The Devil in the Text”, “The Birdcage”, and “State of Oblivion”.
“State of Oblivion”, Kaaron Warren, Elsewhere, nominated for the 2003 Aurealis Best Science Fiction Short Story Award
“The Trojan Rocks”, Michael Barry, Nor of Human, nominated for the 2001 Aurealis Best Science Fiction Short Story Award
“Happy Birthday To Me”, Alison Venugoben, Nor of Human, nominated for the 2001 Aurealis Best Horror Short Story Award
“Tales From the True Desert”, Matthew Farrer, Nor of Human, nominated for 2001 Aurealis Best Fantasy Short Story Award
