San Diego Air & Space Museum in Balboa Park

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Over 500 fans, along with NASA astronaut Col (Ret) Rick Searfoss (now a test-pilot for XCOR Aerospace) and actress Marisol Nichols (Fox TV's "24"), attended the 22nd L. Ron Hubbard Achievement Awards ceremony at the San Diego Air & Space Museum on August 18th to honor the 24 winners of the international Writers and Illustrators of the Future Contests and cheer the release of Writers of the Future Volume 22, the book featuring their first professional sale.

Dressed in tuxedos and evening gowns at the ceremony, each of the winners were presented trophies by contest judges. Awards to the winners for the Story of the Year and Illustration of the Year were presented by Rick Searfoss and Marisol Nichols.

(l to r) Gold Award Illustrator winner, Eldar Zakirov, actress Marisol Nichols, Col. Rick Searfoss and Gold Award Writer winner Brandon Sigrist

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WRITERS & ILLUSTRATORS OF THE FUTURE WEEK

The Writers of the Future workshop was held in the resort town of Carlsbad, CA		At the Hilton Garden Inn

Prior to the awards ceremony, the winners were flown in by the Contests from as far away as Australia, Ukraine and Uzbekistan to attend a week long workshop taught by contest judges, each one an experienced professional in the field: Tim Powers and K.D. Wentworth for the writers workshop, and Ron & Val Lindahn for the illustrators workshop. Sound advice based on hard-won experience was additionally given by such science fiction and fantasy greats as Anne McCaffrey (who flew in from Ireland to attend), Kevin J. Anderson, David Brin, Jerry Pournelle, Robert J. Sawyer, Sean Williams and Stephen Hickman (all Contest judges), providing necessary tools for making careers out of writing and illustration.

Contest judges Tim Powers and KD Wentworth led the week-long Writers of the Future workshop

David Brin addressing the Writers of the Future Workshop		Anne McCaffrey at the Writers of the Future Workshop
Kevin J. Anderson on the business of writing		Former winner, now Contest Judge, Sean Williams at the Workshop

Contest judges Stephen Hickman, Ron Lindahn and Val Lakey Lindahn led the week-long Illustrators of the Future workshop

Contest judges lecturing and reviewing the art portfolios of the winners

 

The intensive mentoring process is working—past winners of the Contest have had over 300 novels and more that 3,000 short stories published including New York Times bestsellers. The Contests were initiated by L. Ron Hubbard in 1983 shortly after returning to the field of science fiction with his bestseller Battlefield Earth.

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Enroute to the Prado in San Diego's Balboa Park		After event party and booksigning at the Air & Space Museum

Booksigning at the Mysterious Galaxy bookstore in San Diego

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The Writers and Illustrators of the Future Winners and Judges, 2006

Every quarter, three writers and three illustrators are selected by a panel of leading authors and artists of science fiction and fantasy. With no entry fee and judging done on an anonymous basis, the criterion is strictly merit. Beside first time publication, benefits include over $30,000 in cash prizes and royalties, a week-long workshop with top professionals of the genre as well as book signings, radio and TV interviews organized by the contest administrators to assist the winners to launch their careers.

For more information and a summary of the 22 years of the contests, go to writersofthefuture.com.