In today’s lineup of surprising news, prolific fanfiction website Archive of Our Own (widely known as AO3) just received a nomination for a prestigious literary award, the Hugo Award.
The Hugo Awards, instituted in 1953, are given each year to the best in science fiction and fantasy stories. This year, they have considered Archive of Our Own for the Hugo Award for “Best Related Work” or work that is “either non-fiction or, if fictional, is noteworthy primarily for aspects other than the fictional text, and which is not eligible in any other category.”
Many writers who have contributed their stories to the platform have expressed their thoughts on the nomination.
losing my mind that the entirety of Ao3 is nominated for a Hugo Award. the WHOLE THING. ALL OF IT. pic.twitter.com/0QVEIRMj7L
— Becca ? WORK CRUNCH (@rfarrowster) April 2, 2019
if AO3 wins the Hugo Award can we all write “Hugo Award Winner 2019” on our resumes
— mag ? (@chonideno) April 2, 2019
fic writers, if anyone ever tries to talk shit to you now just shrug and say “that’s alright, i was nominated for a hugo award. what have you done with your life?”
— gin appreciation hours ? (@lovingnikiforov) April 2, 2019
Archive of Our Own has been a home for writers around the world to share original and creative stories about different fandoms and characters—from television shows and movies like Game of Thrones and Harry Potter to anime series like Naruto and My Hero Academia. Since its debut in 2009, it has continued to be a “fan-created, fan-run, non-profit, non-commercial” website which crowdfunds from its immense pool of creators to cover its maintenance costs.
If anything, this Hugo nomination is a step towards fully acknowledging fanfiction as a valid and respectable form of literature.
Yes, the AO3 is up for a Hugo Award! Look out for our blog post about this in a few hours’ time! https://t.co/vclDM0ufeS
— Transformative Works (@OTW_News) April 2, 2019
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