Presenting the Leo Awards! Established in 2017 to highlight exceptional works of literature in furry fandom, it joins our other two awards, the Cóyotls and the Ursa Majors.

The Ursa Major Awards, established in 2001, are a recognition of furry media across several categories, only some of which are literary. Anyone in the fandom can nominate and vote. The Cóyotl awards, formed in 2012, are specifically literary, and are selected by members of the Furry Writers' Guild – although winners don't have to be in that group.

The Leo Awards have a different arrangement. It was founded by Furry Book Review, a multi-author blog started by Thurston Howl of Thurston Howl Publications (which is separate from the Awards). Nominations can come from the blog's reviewers, or from published authors with enough credibility. Reviewers aren't required to be writers themselves, so the prolific reader can have a say in nominating the stories they like the best.

On December 11, 2017, Thurston Howl Publications announced the launching of the new annual Leo Awards, to be administered by THP’s Furry Book Review program. They will be furry fandom’s third annual literary award, after the Anthropomorphic Literature and Arts Association’s Ursa Major Awards, presented for works since 2001, and the Furry Writers’ Guild’s Cóyotl Awards, presented for works since 2011.

The Leo Awards are still in the formation stage, but they will first be presented during 2018 for works published during the calendar year 2017. Nominations will be accepted by the Furry Book Review Program through March 1, 2018. The date of the announcement of the winners has not yet been set.

The Leo Awards will be given in the six categories of Novels, Novellas, Anthologies, Nonfiction, Short Stories, and Poems. Nominators must be authors of furry books, two short stories, or three poems, or the editor of an anthology of furry stories, during the past five years. (Or be one of the Furry Book Review’s reviewers. See the Leo Awards nomination list for the full rules.)

Unlike the two prior awards, the winners will be chosen by a FBR panel of five to ten author judges. The winners must be approved by 2/3 of the judges. The nominees will be considered for literary merit. Those that are approved of having such merit will be declared Leo Award winners. Thus it is possible to have multiple award winners in each category. The goal of the Leo Awards is to publicly recommend all of the furry works worth reading in each category every year, not just the single best.

(Say that three times fast we dare ya!) Author Lewis Goldstein is known for creating stories that are religious parables told with a particular wit. Now in his second book, he tells the story of one Finnegan T. Flea in a graphic novel called Of Fleas and Fleadom: A Tale of Two Vermin, illustrated by Arianna Grinager. Finnegan is an ordinary flea, trapped under the thumb (literally) of a brutish flea-circus owner and forced to witness some of humanity at their worst.  He longs to break out and experience his true “fleadom”, and Mr. Goldstein’s adventurous poem shows how the flea tries to do precisely that. Find out more at the official web site of Baable-On Books, the publisher. By the way: This (very) graphic novel is not meant for young readers!

image c. 2015 Baable-On Books

Brian Lee Cook’s Allasso Furry book series/magazine was started in 2011, announcing two volumes per year. (He and I had argued over whether this meant semi-yearly or bi-yearly. He says bi-yearly and I say semi-yearly.) Vol. 1 was published in November 2011 as a 116-page trade paperback with 14 stories and poems [review], and vol. 2 in May 2012 as a 134-page trade paperback with 11 stories and poems [review]. Frequent contributors include Mary E. Lowd, Renee Carter Hall, and Tristan Black Wolf.

Vol. 3 was promised for December 2012, but never appeared, and e-mails to Cook were not answered. It was assumed that this was another “little magazine” that had ceased publication almost as soon as it had started. But vol. 3 has finally appeared without fanfare, dated by Amazon.com as May 13, 2014, in a 140-page trade paperback edition for $8.00 (Amazon.com’s discounted price is $7.20) with 12 stories and poems, all Furry.

Here’s something new that Disney art and story collectors can look forward to this February: Walt Disney’s Mickey Mouse Tales, coming in hardcover from Random House. “Originally published in Good Housekeeping magazine, these legendary one-page features translated Disney’s newest releases into rollicking comic poems illustrated by master Disney painters Tom Wood and Hank Porter. This collection of 50 of the funniest and most fascinating features are presented in a hardcover family-friendly book to Disney fans of all ages. A trip back to Mickey and Minnie’s musical heyday, these beautifully illustrated and condensed re-tellings of some of Disney’s most delightful shorts will entrance fans young and old.” Check it out at Cheap Graphic Novels.

image c. 2012 Random House

Saudade, a Portuguese word, envelops the complex emotions found in loss, solitude, anticipation, and hope. In this volume of Allasso, this forlorn feeling lies prevalent in many characters’ minds. Some may feel it when losing a loved one; others feel it after exhilarating experiences. A few even feel it with completely imagined memories.

After all, this feeling of saudade pervades all of our lives. (publisher’s blurb)

Here is volume 2 of Allasso, the semiannual book/magazine ”dedicated to finding new experiences within anthropomorphic writing and art”. Volume 1 was a promising beginning. Volume 2 is larger; 127 pages versus 110. Is it better?

Woods Cross, UT, Pink Fox Publications/North Charleston, SC, CreateSpace, May 2012, trade paperback $7.99 (127 pages), Kindle $3.99.

Bringing together writers and artists from both within and outside the furry fandom, Allasso aims to discover humanity by embodying it in the familiar as well as the foreign. Through exploring our emotions in the wordless world around us, we may discover what truly makes us human.

The first volume of the series, Shame, probes past comfortable feelings in search of hidden actions and taboo desires. While people may wear masks of complacency, everyone has something they wish could never be discovered. (publisher’s blurb)

Allasso appears to be a cross between a book and a magazine. “A bi-annual [they mean semiannual; twice a year in May and November, not once every two years] online publication dedicated to finding new experiences within anthropomorphic writing and art. Publications will be released as an online journal” in the form of a trade paperback book through CreateSpace.

The title is a Greek word meaning “to change, to exchange one thing for another, to transform”; it appears in the King James version of the New Testament. This first volume presents seven short stories mixed with seven poems. There are also six illustrations.

Woods Cross, UT, Pink Fox Publications/North Charleston, SC, CreateSpace, November 2011, trade paperback $7.99 (110 pages). Illustrated.

There is still time to enter the Furtopia Art and Poetry contests which ends (9-7-04)! A link to the winning entries will be posted on the Furtopia main page! You can find information and submit entries here: http://artcontest.furtopia.org & http://poetrycontest.furtopia.org .

For information contact admin@furtopia.org (http://www.furtopia.org)

I would like to officially announce Furtopia’s forth furry Poetry Contest! Any fur may enter into this writing contest.

There is a limit of 2 posts per writer. Poetry submitted cannot be of a content rating greater than PG. Poetry submitted should express some relationship or feeling to Furrydom. Furtopia staff reserves the right to reject any post they deem disruptive.

On January the 15th, Furtopia admins will all cast their vote. The selected poetry (and some runners up) will be linked up in the web (main Furtopia page) world light with some selected reviews on the writing. Staff may post poems if they wish but will not be in the contest.

Our last contest winners with comments can be found here.

This is a great way to get comments back on your poems. :) So good luck and start writing!

Hello this is WhiteShepherd announcing a third Furtopia art and poetry contest. The art contest can be found here: http://artcontest.furtopia.org and the poetry contest can be found here: http://poetrycontest.furtopia.org :) Any fur is welcome to participate in these contests. It’s a nice chance to have your furry artwork/writing reviewed for comments and judging. You will be able to show your work and explain with your post to your public “what” makes this art special to you. Winners in the contest will get their work put up in lights with comments to the work on a link off of Furtopia’s main page.

A happy Valentine’s day to everyone!

I would like to officialy announce Furtopia’s next “Poetry Contest”! :) Any fur may apply and does not have to be a Furtopia member. Users may post there submissions or comments here in the poetry corner: On March the 15th, Furtopia admins will all cast their vote. The selected poetry (and some runners up) will be linked up in the web world light with some selected reviews on the writing.

Poetry submitted cannot be of a content rating greater than PG. Poetry submitted should express some relationship or feeling to Furrydom. Furtopia staff will have final say in any question of suitability.

A poetry contest was held on Furtopia’s “Poetry Corner” forums that was open to all furs. The contest ran from Nov 30 to Dec10.

This is WhiteShepherd, admin of Furtopia. I would first like to thank all the great and gifted furs who posted in our contest. It is furs like you, who are willing to contribute a piece of yourselves to this fandom, that make our furry world such a wonderful place to live. Part of furry is the treasures from the dreams we all share. All the poems we got had good points. It was very hard to narrow such a good list of writing. So here now is a link with the final results of the judging including comments:

Contest results:
http://www.furtopia.org/choice_of_the_week/poetry_contest/index.html

I highly recommend you read all the poems submitted here at this link:

http://cgi.furtopia.org/cgi-bin/ib311/ikonboard.cgi?act=ST;f=14;t=20

As reward the winning poems will linked up in large for all to see on Furtopia’s main page:
http://www.furtopia.org
The link will remain up for 3 months until Furtopia’s next contest.

Combining a love of poetry and quantum mechanics, a British writer is using sheep to create a living form of "random" poetry.

The members of a flock of sheep had words spray painted on their backs. As the sheep move around and come to rest again, they form poems. The quantum physics aspect refers to the uncertainty of how the sheep will arrange themselves.

A New York performance artist is doing a similar project using cows.

So would you like your furry poetry to be read? I would like to announce a new Furtopia Poetry Contest.
Any fur may apply and does not have to be a Furtopia member. Users may post there submissions or comments here: http://cgi.furtopia.org/cgi-bin/ib311/ikonboard.cgi?act=SF;f=14 under "poerty corner".