2024 CanopuS AWARDS
The 2024 100 Year Starship (100YSS) Canopus Award for Excellence in Interstellar Writing, a prize recognizing the finest fiction and non-fiction works that expand our understanding of the challenges, opportunities, pitfalls, and rewards of interstellar space exploration, is now open for submissions and nominations.
100 YEAR STARSHIP® ANNOUNCES FOURTH CANOPUS AWARD TO HONOR EXCELLENCE IN INTERSTELLAR WRITING
HOUSTON, November 9, 2023 — The 2024 100 Year Starship (100YSS) Canopus Award for Excellence in Interstellar Writing, this prestigious award recognizes outstanding fiction and non-fiction works that contribute to our understanding of the challenges, opportunities, pitfalls, and rewards of interstellar space exploration.
A key initiative of 100YSS, an independent, long-term global initiative working to ensure that the capabilities for human interstellar travel, beyond our solar system to another star, exist within the next 100 years, the Canopus Award invites writers and journalists to join the adventure. Led by former astronaut, engineer, physician, and entrepreneur, Dr. Mae Jemison, 100YSS is building a global community capable of mounting this audacious journey.
“Storytelling is essential to communicating and concretizing a vision. A story well told—fictional or non-fictional—pushes us to consider how, where, who, and why we advance, stagnate or regress,” said Dr. Jemison.
This year’s theme, “Show Me the Money!” delves into the uncharted financial landscapes of space, inviting speculation on the economic models that will underpin stellar and interstellar ventures. It urges us to envision the monetary mechanisms supporting life among the stars. How will currencies evolve to accommodate trade across the vast expanse of space? What economic frameworks will govern the exchange of goods and services in a society that spans solar systems? As humanity stands on the cusp of becoming an interplanetary species, this theme challenges us to forecast the emerging financial systems, and confront the challenges of distance, value, and connectivity. It calls for a bold reimagination of economic principles, transcending Earth-bound limitations to foster a thriving commerce that spans the cosmos, ensuring that the final frontier opens opportunities for wealth and progress on a galactic scale.
The Canopus Awards will be presented during the 100-Year Starship Nexus 2024 event, scheduled to take place in Nairobi, Kenya during March 2024. The Nexus 2024 theme is “When Space, Purpose, and Culture Collide.” This event aims to unite diverse perspectives and expertise to envision and create an extraordinary future.
This year’s Canopus Award will be made in eight categories. The first five categories are for Published Works with awards made for Long Form Fiction (including novels, novellas, and graphic novels), Short Form Fiction, Long Form Non-Fiction, Short-Form Non-Fiction, and Digital Presentation (including video games and interactive experiences).
The categories for Original Works are based on this year’s Canopus theme “Show Me the Money.” Awards will be given for Original Short Form Fiction (1,000-6,000 words), Original Short Form Non-Fiction (1,000-6,000 words), and Original Local Short-Form Fiction (open for any resident of Africa to submit).
In addition, one new award is being introduced this year: Original Visual Art. The “Original Visual Art” category honors outstanding visual interpretations that engage with this year’s provocative theme, “Show Me the Money!”
Prizes include a prestigious crystal award, publication, and sponsorship to 100YSS special events and programs.
100YSS is currently accepting nominations for previously published works until December 15, 2023 and submissions for the original categories until January 15, 2024. Winners will be announced and honored during a special award ceremony at 100YSS’s global public event, Nexus 2024 in Nairobi, Kenya.