Missed Matches

With so much prize-related news of late (including announcements of nominees for this year’s Petrona and Ned Kelly awards), is it any wonder that we overlooked a couple of things?

There are six nominees for the inaugural SpyMasters Book Prize, sponsored by the British SpyMasters podcast and its hostess, writer-journalist Antonia Senior. Pared down from a longlist of 21 espionage thrillers, the following remain in contention:

• The Peacock and the Sparrow, by I.S. Berry (No Exit Press)
• Gabriel’s Moon, by William Boyd (Viking)
• Spy Hunter, by H.B. Lyle (Hodder Paperbacks)
• Honour Among Spies, by Merle Nygate (No Exit Press)
• Midnight in Vienna, by Jane Thynne (Quercus)
• Shadow of Poison, by Peter Tonkin (Independently published)

The winner is to be revealed during a special event on the evening of September 3. He or she will receive a cash prize of £500.

And I wasn’t even aware that Australia had an annual Bad Sydney Crime Writers Festival. Yet In Reference to Murder brings word that festival organizers have released their “2025 Danger Awards Shortlist in the categories of Crime Fiction, Debut Crime Fiction and Crime Non-fiction, for books … featuring Australia as a setting for stories about crime and justice. Plus, the People’s Choice Award is back, with all titles across the three categories eligible. Fans can vote for their favorite before the poll closes on Monday, September 1.”

All of the latest Danger Award winners are to be declared at the festival on its final day, Saturday, September 13.