by A.L Hargreaves

Staff members at the Fish Creek Library in Calgary recently enjoyed an impromptu visit by noted author H.A. Hargreaves, who was inducted into the Canadian Science Fiction and Fantasy Association Hall of Fame in 2015, with fellow honourees Dave Duncan and Michael Coney, for outstanding achievements of Canadians that have contributed to the stature of Science Fiction and Fantasy.

Staff members Jordan Blasetti and his colleagues expressed delight at the surprise visit, gave an appreciative welcome to Hargreaves, and congratulated him on his Hall of Fame award. Hargreaves discussed his long writing career, and the joys libraries have given him throughout his life. He and his wife Lee, who accompanied him, commented that it was wonderful to be able to visit and see the CSFFA Hall of Fame Trophy in person.

Created by Vancouver artist Gideon Hay, the trophy features on one side a male face that represents Janus, the Roman God of doorways, beginnings and endings; on the other side, a female face pays homage to the time travel sub-genre, with a nod also to steam punk and alternate histories. Engraved with the names of the 2015 honorees, the trophy was on temporary display at the library as part of its trip across the country, before a stop at Canvention, hosted by the When Words Collide festival in Calgary, and its eventual return to the Merrill Collection in Toronto.

It has been an eventful year for Hargreaves, who is recovering from a stroke, and was pleased to be able to make the trip, hopefully one of many to come!