Dwarf Stars Award

Dwarf Stars Award

The Dwarf Stars Award is an annual accolade bestowed by the Science Fiction Poetry Association (SFPA) to recognize excellence in the field of speculative poetry. Established in 2006, the award honors the best speculative poem of 1–10 lines published in the previous year, celebrating the art of short-form poetry in genres such as science fiction, fantasy, and horror. The Dwarf Stars Award, alongside the Rhysling Award, highlights the SFPA's commitment to acknowledging outstanding achievements in speculative poetry.

Overview

The Dwarf Stars Award is open to poems from both genre and mainstream publications, reflecting the SFPA's inclusive approach to speculative poetry. Poems nominated for the award must be ten lines or fewer, a constraint that encourages brevity and precision in conveying speculative themes. The award is determined by a vote of the SFPA membership, with the winner announced annually.

Criteria and Selection Process

Nominations for the Dwarf Stars Award are gathered from the members of the SFPA and from the wider public, ensuring a diverse pool of entries. A selection committee, comprised of SFPA volunteers, reviews the nominations to compile the Dwarf Stars anthology, which serves both as a ballot and a showcase of the year's finest short speculative poetry. SFPA members receive the anthology and vote for their preferred poem, with the poem receiving the highest number of votes being declared the winner.

Significance

The Dwarf Stars Award plays a crucial role in promoting short-form speculative poetry, a niche yet vibrant component of speculative literature. By recognizing and celebrating the creativity and impact of poems of ten lines or fewer, the award brings attention to the power of brevity in storytelling. Winners of the Dwarf Stars Award gain recognition within the speculative literature community, encouraging poets to explore and innovate within the constraints of short-form poetry.

Past Winners

Notable past winners of the Dwarf Stars Award include acclaimed poets such as Jane Yolen, known for her contributions to children's literature and speculative poetry, and Geoffrey A. Landis, a scientist and author whose work bridges the gap between science and art. The diversity of winners underscores the award's openness to a wide range of voices and themes within speculative poetry.

See Also

• Science Fiction Poetry Association
• Rhysling Award
• Speculative poetry
• Science fiction and fantasy awards