I was at the Paul Harland Day yesterday and it was good to finally meet people whom I’d only talked to and met online. I was very happy to meet Martijn Lindeboom who has been organizing this competition and the Paul Harland Day for a couple of years now. I know what a lot of work goes into putting together affairs like these, and that he managed to get a team of first readers as well as an end jury is a huge accomplishment in itself.

On the Paul Harland Site, there is a listing of winners (in Dutch).

Thomas Olde Heuvelt’s Vis in de Fles won first place

Linda Mulders took second with a time travel story Een Seconde Wijzer

Jurgen Snoeren’s Zoek Mij Tussen de Sterren took third place

Jurgen’s story also took the prize for best Science Fiction story.

A special prize called the W.J. Maryson award was given to Sander de Leuuw for his story, Corvus Ultimus

And another special prize called the Fenexprijs was given to a writer named Jen Minkman.

The W.J. Maryson award is given to authors younger than 30 years old and the Fenexprijs is given to authors who have pressed on and improved in comparison to the previous year.

All in all an interesting event that provides some insight into how people get published in the Netherlands and what the Dutch SFF scene looks like.

I believe it has to be said that it takes a lot of courage to send in your work and to open yourself up for judging. The ability to take criticism, to accept your imperfections and the drive to improve are part of what makes a writer grow from being just any writer to becoming The Writer. Write on.