The Magic Circle is certainly a magical place, if not very circular. Set back in a cosy side street behind busy Euston Road, this venue feels a world away from central London, filled with the posters, trinkets and props of many a famous magician.
It was, then, the perfect location for the intimate award ceremony that took place on Friday 19th June – the very first David Gemmell Legend Award.
Organised and presented by the vivacious Deborah Miller, and sponsored by the French publishing company Bragelonne, everything about the evening was spot on. From the warmth of the venue to the adlibbing on stage, it was a night of celebration, not just for the debut of a fantastic new award, but also the life of a fabulous author.
David Gemmell’s death in 2006 came as a blow to all those involved in the world of fantasy literature. A talented author and, as articulated by Anne Nicholls in a touching tribute, an extraordinary man, Gemmell’s loss was difficult to accept.
To immortalise his life beyond the books he wrote, Deborah put together the David Gemmell Legend Award, which aims to acknowledge those authors whose writing is ‘in the spirit’ of his work. It’s the first fantasy-only British book award, acknowledging fantasy in its own right rather than as a sub-category of sci-fi or horror.
With an impressive 10,963 votes cast from across 74 countries, news of the award travelled far and wide, uniting fans on a global scale. Surprisingly (and disappointingly), only around 500 of these votes came from the UK.
The short-listed nominees originated from all over - America, Australia, Poland and England - making up a global array of fantastical talent. Of the five nominees only Joe Abercrombie made it to the ceremony on the night, and his presence proved a beacon of excitement. Other famous faces who contributed to the fun were Stan Nicholls (who co-hosted), James Barclay, Robert Holdstock, Stephen Deas and David Devereux.
Although the pre-award auction was perhaps not the financial success the organisers hoped for, it was one of the most entertaining parts of the evening. Superbly hosted by James Barclay (who, if he ever tires of writing, should really consider stand-up comedy), it was great to see so many fabulous prizes on offer, including a signed first-edition of Gemmell’s first book Legend (kindly donated by David’s wife), the chance to own a Jaguar for a weekend, and a cameo in Stan Nicholls’ next Orc book. These were but a few of the prizes, all raising money toward Gemmell’s favoured charity Medicin Sans Frontier. It would, perhaps, have been nice if a representative from the charity had showed up, but in the name of goodwill onlookers did a sterling job in giving what they could.
All too soon it came time for the announcement everyone had been waiting for. Each nominee received a ‘Baby Snaga’, forged beautifully by Raven Armouries, while the winner nabbed a rather larger version of the infamous weapon.
In the face of tough competition, Andrzej Sapkowski stole the award with his recently translated Blood of Elves, proving that, with its extensive folkloric background, Polish fantasy works just as well in the rest of the world as it does in its homeland. Sapkowski’s Gollancz representative Jo Fletcher was there to accept the award on his behalf, and did a good job in expressing both his surprise and gratitude.
Accompanying the rather tasty canapés and champagne that followed was the mingling of glamorous guests. The fact that most of these were close friends of David Gemmell himself made the gathering feel more like a social reunion than the grip-and-grin of many award after-parties.
Recognising the ever-growing talent in an ever-growing genre, this will hopefully be the first in a long line of Legend Awards. It might not be enough to stop bookshops lumping sci-fi and fantasy together, but at least it’s one night of the year when fantasy literature gets the spotlight all to itself. Alice Wybrew
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