The British Fantasy Award for Best Novel, also known as the August Derleth Award, was a literary award given annually as part of the British Fantasy Awards. It was first awarded in 1972. Beginning in 2012, the award was split into fantasy and horror categories.
In 1971, Ramsey Campbell suggested that the British Fantasy Society should present an award in honor of August Derleth, who died the same year. In 1972, Michael Moorcock received the inaugural August Derleth Fantasy Award for his novel The Knight of the Swords. In later years, the number of award categories increased. In 1976, the BFS renamed the awards from the August Derleth Fantasy Awards to the British Fantasy Awards, maintaining that the Best Novel category would retain the August Derleth award title.
In 2011, Sam Stone won the award. After the ceremony, editor and anthologist Stephen Jones posted a blog entry pointing out that several of the winning entries were published by Telos Publishing, a company owned by David Howe. At the time, Howe was also chair of the British Fantasy Society and romantic partner of Stone. Three days later, Stone returned the award, stating: "I do not wish to be seen as the winner that tore the British Fantasy Society in two... Therefore, I am returning the award for Best Novel."
After Stone returned her award, the other nominees declined to accept it, resulting in an announcement of "no award". From 2012 onward, the awards were reorganized. The awards were previous awarded via a popular vote from BFS members and convention attendees. After the reorganization, the power to select awards from the shortlist was given to a jury. The best novel category, then known as the August Derleth Award, was divided. The new awards included the British Fantasy Award for Best Horror Novel, retaining the title of August Derleth Award, and the British Fantasy Award for Best Fantasy Novel, the Robert Holdstock Award.
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