Author Services, Inc. and Galaxy Press will present the 36th and 37th Annual L. Ron Hubbard Achievement Awards Gala on Oct. 22 celebrating the winners of the Writers and Illustrators Contests, honoring 26 writers and 24 illustrators from around the world for their excellence in the genres of science fiction and fantasy. The awards show will stream live from 7 p.m. – 9:30 p.m. PDT at www.writersofthefuture.com.

Following the 1982 release of his bestselling science fiction novel “Battlefield Earth,” written in celebration of 50 years as a professional writer, L. Ron Hubbard created the Writers of the Future Contest (www.writersofthefuture.com) in 1983 to provide a means for aspiring writers of speculative fiction to get a much-needed break. Due to the success of the writing contest, the companion Illustrators of the Future Contest was created in 1988.

The annual contests draw entrants from around the globe and are free to enter. Winners retain full rights to their work and each are given cash awards. Grand prizewinners receive an additional $5,000.

In the 37 years of the Writers of the Future Contest, there have been 428 winners and 80 published finalists. The past winners of the Writing Contest have published 1,150 novels and nearly 4,500 short stories. They have produced 33 New York Times bestsellers and their works have sold over 60 million copies. In the 32 years of the Illustrators of the Future Contest, there have been 358 winners who have produced over 6,000 illustrations, 360 comic books, graced 624 books and albums with their art and visually contributed to 68 television shows and 40 major movies.

Since its inception, the Writers and Illustrators of the Future contests have produced 37 anthology volumes and awarded upwards of $1 million in cash prizes and royalties. For more information visit www.writersofthefuture.com and www.galaxypress.com