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Welcome to the Website of the James Tiptree, Jr. Literary Award Council

What is the Tiptree Award?  |  Why the Name Tiptree?  |  What's New

“If you can’t change the world with chocolate chip cookies, how can you change the world?”

— Pat Murphy

  
Pat Murphy and Karen Joy Fowler,
Founding Mothers of the Tiptree Award

What is the Tiptree Award?

In February of 1991 at WisCon (the world's only feminist-oriented science fiction convention), award-winning SF author Pat Murphy announced the creation of the James Tiptree, Jr. Award, an annual literary prize for science fiction or fantasy that expands or explores our understanding of gender. (To read her speech go to PatMurphy.pdf.) Pat created the award in collaboration with author Karen Joy Fowler. The aim of the award is not to look for work that falls into some narrow definition of political correctness, but rather to seek out work that is thought-provoking, imaginative, and perhaps even infuriating. The Tiptree Award is intended to reward those women and men who are bold enough to contemplate shifts and changes in gender roles, a fundamental aspect of any society.

Why the Name “Tiptree”?

The award is named for Alice B. Sheldon, who wrote under the pseudonym James Tiptree, Jr. By her impulsive choice of a masculine pen name, Sheldon helped break down the imaginary barrier between “women’s writing” and “men’s writing.” Her fine stories were eagerly accepted by publishers and won many awards in the field. Many years later, after she had written some other work under the female pen name of Raccoona Sheldon, it was discovered that she was female. The discovery led to a great deal of discussion of what aspects of writing, if any, are essentially gendered. The name “Tiptree” was selected to illustrate the complex role of gender in writing and reading.

       

What's New?

Join the Tiptree BOOKCLUB! Hosted by Karen Joy Fowler.

Annotated list of the 2005 Tiptree winner, short list, and long list posted on-line.

August 8, 2006:
Publication date of James Tiptree, Jr.: The Double Life of Alice B. Sheldon, by Julie Phillips.

January 2007:
Publication date of The James Tiptree Award Anthology 4, edited by Karen Joy Fowler, Pat Murphy, Debbie Notkin and Jeffrey D. Smith.

Plans for cooperation with the Japanese Tiptree Society.

May 2007:
Tiptree Month.

May 2007:
Tiptree Award Ceremony at WisCon 31.

Nippon 2007, August 30–September 3, 2007, 65th World Science Fiction Convention, Yokohama. Tiptree echo ceremony.

Help wanted.