2023 • Volume 39

On the evening of Friday, April 28, 2023, glamour and elegance were in full display at the 39th Annual L. Ron Hubbard Achievement Awards Gala for Writers and Illustrators of the Future Contests in the genres of Science Fiction and Fantasy were held at the Taglyan Cultural Complex in Hollywood, CA, with a crowd of 335 people attending the black-tie event.

The cover artwork illustrated by Illustrators of the Future Contest Judge Tom Wood, entitled Wyvern Crucible, inspired the story “Fire in the Hole,” written by  Writers of the Future Contest Judge Kevin J. Anderson. Voice actors Jim, Tamra, and Taylor Meskimen recorded the audiobook for Volume 39.

United Public Radio Network broadcast this year’s awards show to 340,000 viewers on Roku and over 1.1 million listeners on the live broadcast.

The Writers and Illustrators of the Future workshops were held at the Loews Hollywood Hotel.

To see the full list of winners click here.

Writers-Illustrators-of-the-Future-Day-8-Blog

Writers & Illustrators of the Future Workshop Week
2023 – Day 8

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Writers and illustrators combined to learn about promoting their work, themselves, and each other.
Writers-Illustrators-of-the-Future-Day-7-Blog

Writers & Illustrators of the Future Workshop Week
2023 – Day 7

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A gala celebration of the winners of the Writers & Illustrators of the Future Contests took place on April 28, 2023 in Hollywood, California.
Writers-Illustrators-of-the-Future-Day-6-Blog

Writers & Illustrators of the Future Workshop Week
2023 – Day 6

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Workshop attendees heard from Dr. Beatrice Kondo, Dr. Nnedi Okorafor, Bill Fawcett, Scot and Jane Noel, and Brian C. Hailes. The illustrator winners received portfolio reviews from the Contest judges.
Writers-Illustrators-of-the-Future-Day-5-Blog

Writers & Illustrators of the Future Workshop Week
2023 – Day 5

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Guest writer instructors Kevin J. Anderson, Dean Wesley Smith, S.M. Stirling, Nancy Cartwright and illustrator instructors Brittany Jackson, Dan dos Santos, Larry Elmore. Followed by a live radio performance of Hubbard’s “If I Were You” and a tour of Author Services, Inc.
Writers & Illustrators of the Future Workshop Week 2023 Day 4

Writers & Illustrators of the Future Workshop Week
2023 – Day 4

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The writers submitted their 24-hour stories and learned about professionalism, while the artists learned the basics of commercial art.
Writers-Illustrators-of-the-Future-Day-3-Blog

Writers & Illustrators of the Future Workshop Week
2023 – Day 3

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Monday opened with a video play of L. Ron Hubbard in His Own Voice. Then the illustrators met Coordinating Judge Echo Chernik, while the writers learned about conventions and traditional vs. self-publishing.
Writers-Illustrators-of-the-Future-Day-2-Blog

Writers & Illustrators of the Future Workshop Week
2023 – Day 2

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Winners in L. Ron Hubbard’s Illustrators of the Future contest arrive in Hollywood, while the writers learn about story elements.
Writers-Illustrators-of-the-Future-Day-1-Blog

Writers & Illustrators of the Future Workshop Week
2023 – Day 1

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Winners in L. Ron Hubbard’s Writers of the Future contest arrive at the Loews Hotel in Los Angeles to begin a week-long workshop.