Neil Gaiman wins fourth Hugo Award

The Twin Cities author was honored for "The Graveyard Book," which earlier won the Newbery.

By LAURIE HERTZEL, Star Tribune

Last update: August 10, 2009 - 8:58 PM

Twin Cities-area writer Neil Gaiman added to his steadily growing collection of awards, picking up a Hugo Award for best novel for "The Graveyard Book" Sunday night in Montreal. This is Gaiman's fourth Hugo, and the second major award for "The Graveyard Book," which won the Newbery Medal in January.

It is the first time a book has won both the Hugo, awarded for science fiction and fantasy, and the Newbery, which is the highest honor for children's literature.

"It's wonderful seeing two such different worlds embracing the same book," said his publicist, Elyse Marshall of HarperCollins.

Gaiman, at left, had confessed on his blog last winter that when he won the Newbery he had to tell himself not to swear like he did when he got the Hugo. Marshall said he did not swear at the podium Sunday, "although he did swear on Twitter." (His Twitter message from Montreal is just three words. The second and third words are, "It won!")

Gaiman, who started out writing comic books and fantasy, is a prolific author who lately has concentrated on children's books. He has three books out in 2009 -- "Blueberry Girl," published in March; "Crazy Hair," in May, illustrated by Dave McKean, who also worked with Gaiman on "Coraline" and "The Graveyard Book"; and "Odd and the Frost Giants," due in September and already nominated for a World Fantasy Award. (It was published last year in Great Britain.)

"Coraline" was made into a hit movie this year, and "The Graveyard Book" is being made into a movie to be written and directed by Neil Jordan. It is the story of a little boy named Nobody Owens, whose entire family is murdered. Nobody escapes as a baby and makes it to the graveyard, where he is raised by ghosts.

Laurie Hertzel is the Star Tribune books editor. She is at 612-673-7302.

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