Organizers of the 15th Chinese Nebula Awards convened at a meeting on Nov. 16 and decided to hold the event, which is China's top sci-fi awards for worldwide Chinese-speaking sci-fi writers, in May next year in Chengdu at the same venue where this year's Worldcon was held.

Aerial photo taken on Oct. 16, 2023, shows a night view of the Chengdu Science Museum in Chengdu, southwest China's Sichuan province. [Photo/Xinhua]

The awards, part of the 2024 Nebula Celebration, are scheduled for May 17-19, 2024, at the Chengdu Science Museum, the former main location for the 81st World Science Fiction Convention held in October in Chengdu, Sichuan province, according to the announcement following the meeting. The meeting was attended in person and online by key figures in the Chinese sci-fi circle, including Liu Cixin, Yao Haijun, and Wu Yan.

Besides the award ceremony on May 18, 2024, Dong Renwei, the chair of the executive committee of the 2024 Nebula Celebration, highlighted that the festival will feature three major events. First, it will promote Chinese children's sci-fi achievements and establish an international children's sci-fi association. Second, it will host the 2024 International Sci-Fi Summit Forum to commemorate 120 years of Chinese sci-fi and gather stories to complete the "Moon Colony Novel," the earliest yet unfinished Chinese sci-fi story, written in 1904. Finally, it will celebrate the 15th anniversary of the Chinese Nebula Awards, recognizing its accomplishments over the years.

Dong also emphasized the urgent need to restart interrupted international exchanges and award initiatives disrupted by various obstacles like the COVID-19 pandemic. He stressed the importance of persisting in promoting mutual prosperity through diverse intercultural exchanges in science fiction, enhancing the cohesion of the Chinese Nebula Awards' global brand, and strengthening its influence. His remarks were met with agreement and appreciation by the meeting attendees.

The celebration fest will include a children's sci-fi conference and award ceremony, an after-party banquet, and field trips to the new venue of the Sanxingdui Museum and the ancient city ruins in Chengdu's Pidu district. Plans also include creating a book gathering recollections of creating, holding, and participating in the awards by founders, award-winning writers, workers, and other participants.

Founded in 2010 by Chinese sci-fi heavyweights Dong Renwei, Yao Haijun, and Wu Yan, the Chinese Nebula Awards recognize the best in sci-fi works, writers, translators, critics, publishers, and other industry participants. By conducting an annual review of Chinese-language sci-fi, the award organizers aim to inspire innovation among Chinese sci-fi talents, drive the revitalization of the Chinese sci-fi cultural industry, highlight achievements in Chinese sci-fi literature development, and promote Chinese sci-fi. The awards continue to evolve by appointing young leaders, considering non-fiction and translated works, emerging writers, and sci-fi movies. They also plan to enhance the awards' international appeal and engage in global exchanges.

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