If you aren’t reading The Briefing – “A Weekly Threat Assessment of the Diplomacy Community” – the question is: Why not?

I’ve been meaning to do a blog post on The Briefing and now, it seems, I’ll have to. After all, I’ve been nominated for an award: Diplomacy Literati of the Year.

I was nominated for my article in 34 called “We’re Doomed”, which is now on this blog. However, you can read it in its original form through the link here. It was part of a series of articles on the past, past and future of the Hobby. (You can read the second and third articles at those links.)

“We’re Doomed” was written for the first issue of 34 way back in August last year. Well, I say ‘way’ back… six months ago. I didn’t expect it to make any impact; it was just a consideration of an article written by Richard Egan in his zine Vienna (and republished here). My article was also something of a comment on the doomsayers of the Dip Hobby, who seem to find new ways of condemning the Hobby to death regularly.

Anyway, I’m honoured. But I should also shout out for my companion nominees and there articles:

• Mikalis Kamaritis: “A Tornado Induces a Whirlwind“. This is, ostensibly, an account of Mikalis taking part in 2023’s Whipping tournament, however it’s more a celebration of how the Hobby community made it possible for Mikalis to attend the tournament. (By the way, when searching for the even,t don’t put ‘whipping convention, San Francisco’ into a search engine…)
• Robert Schuppe: “Controlling Conversations“. Robert gives some great advice on communicating in an FTF (and vFTF) game here. He calls “little tricks”; they’re not – they’re strategy tips. The only thing I have against his article is him implying that time isn’t of the essence in XD Dip. Try telling that to those suckers who signed up for a Blitz Diplomacy game (although, statistically speaking, there is a high probability that they were the one’s born in that minute).
• Seren Kwok: “Champion’s Corner – Summer Classic“. A clever use of analogy, analysing the play in the Top Board of the VWDC’s Summer Classic to Taylor Swift songs (along with links to said songs to which I refuse to listen). Funny stuff.
• Stephen Agar: “How Not to Be a Turkey“. An analysis on how to play Turkey. In Diplomacy World #164 I was lamenting the lack of modern strategy articles – and here’s Stephen with one under a year previously. I’m a sucker for a strategy article.

So, who do you vote? Well, I mean… >cough<… me, of course. I wouldn’t but you should. I know who I’m voting for (it isn’t me) but I’m telling you (apart from it not being me).

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By the way, I’m surprised to learn that literati is also a style of bonsai. I guess the winner’s yell of triumph is sealed in.