Ashton Wylie Awards

As many of you know, I was shortlisted for the Ashton Wylie Award for an unpublished manuscript in the "mind, body, spirit" genre. The ceremony was last night.

I didn't win - the award went to Robyn Speed's "visionary fiction" The Key - but it was an honour to be in the four finalists, especially considering that apparently 70 manuscripts were submitted this year.
I was also pleased to detect some evidence of maturity emerging in the "New Age" zone  (which is basically what "mind, body, spirit" tends to mean).  I saw this in two ways:

1. The brief on the entry form makes it clear that they are specifically looking for books which promote love. Not just spiritual experiences with lots of flashing lights, or “self-development”, but love – something outwardly, communally focussed. The exact phrasing is: "It has human relationships as its focus and its main intent being to assist all people to become more perfectly loving." Which is New Age grammar, but never mind.
2. They shortlisted someone who is entirely upfront about being a Christian and (he claims) a reasonably orthodox one. Namely, me.

I think both of these are hopeful signs. All too often, the New Age has been very individualistic and has had a kneejerk reaction against anything Christian.

Incidentally, the winner of the published book award was a book based on the works of Theresa of Avila.

So, where to from here? I'm planning to check out the publishers of the published-book finalists (especially the Theresa one), and a few more publishers, and see if putting "Finalist in the 2006 Ashton Wylie Unpublished Manuscript Award" in my query letter gets me anywhere. If it doesn't - which is reasonably likely, to be honest - I will self-publish.

Further bulletins as events warrant.