Since a Certain Bug from outer space or wherever stopped last year’s national Swedish con, the year 2020 was added to the 2021 Swecon. The event took place in Dieselverk­stan, Stockholm, November 19-21 with guests of honor Peadar Ó Guilín (Ireland), Adrian Tchaikovsky (UK), Eva Holmquist (local writer), and Maria Nilsson (local scholar). But we were lucky! Despite having Europe’s lowest virus curves – with cases dropping – our ever-so-wise ...Read More

Orlando has announced its bid for the 2023 North American Science Fiction Convention (NASFiC), a convention held in years when Worldcon takes place outside North America. (Chengdu, China won the bid for the 2023 Worldcon.)

The organizers say, “We’re focusing on the same area the 1992 Orlando Worldcon, MagiCon, used. There are multiple hotels there that can hold a larger-than-average NASFIC, and the Orange County Convention Center.”

For more information, ...Read More

Chengdu, China’s bid to host the 2023 Worldcon was successful, with 2,006 votes received in favor out of 2,915 valid votes. The opposing bid for Winnipeg, Canada received 807 votes. Other votes included seven for the withdrawn Memphis TN bid, 75 “no preference,” and various write-in choices. There was a discussion during the WSFS Business Meeting and a non-binding resolution passed regarding ballot requirements, which will be covered in our ...Read More

The 47th World Fantasy Convention was held as a hybrid event November 4-7, 2021, with the Hôtel Bonaventure in Montréal, Canada hosting the in-person portion. Guests of honor were Nisi Shawl, John Picacio, and André-François Ruaud, with special guests Owl Goingback, Yves Meynard, Brandon O’Brien, and Julie E. Czerneda; Christine Taylor-Butler was toastmaster. Life Achievement Awards winners were Megan Lindholm and Howard Waldrop.

In-person attendance was fraught with the challenges ...Read More

DisCon III has announced the first World Science Fiction Convention program stream devoted to speculative fiction by Africans. Organized by Oghenechovwe Donald Ekpeki and Nick Wood, the virtual track will allow 22 African panelists to speak on topics including “gender roles, climate change, publishing, and traditional beliefs and science… all from African perspectives.” The full list of events can be found here.

As previously announced, the Nommo Awards ceremony ...Read More

DisCon III, the 79th World Science Fiction Convention, to be held December 15-19, 2021 in Washington DC, has announced that author Andrea Hairston will join Sheree Renée Thomas as co-host of the 2021 Hugo Awards Ceremony.

Hairston replaces special guest Malka Older, who “had originally been scheduled to co-host, but because her children are too young to be vaccinated, she made the difficult decision to withdraw from in-person events.” Her ...Read More

The Horror Writers As­sociation (HWA) has announced author Jennifer McMahon as StokerCon2022’s sixth guest of honor, joining previously announced guests Ernest Roscoe Dickerson A.S.C., Gemma Files, Brian Keene, John Edward Lawson, and Sheree Renée Thomas.

StokerCon2022 will be held May 12-15, 2022 in Denver CO

For more see their website.

While you are here, please take a moment to support Locus with a one-time or recurring donation. We rely on ...Read More

OryCon, “Oregon’s Premier Science Fiction/Fantasy Convention”, has announced that the con will be going on hiatus.

They announced on Twitter:

For over 40 years, OryCon has worked to bring you some of your favorite writers, artists, and creators in the science fiction and fantasy fandoms… We had to postpone OryCon in 2020 due to the pandemic. That means that all of our staff have been planning OryCon42 for two years; ...Read More

DisCon III has opened site selection voting for the 2023 World Science Fiction Convention. The two active bids are Chengdu, China and Winnipeg, Canada. Memphis TN had planned a bid, but withdrew earlier this month, citing uncertainties surrounding the pandemic.

Voting is open only to attending, supporting, or virtual members of DisCon III, and requires an additional $50 fee, “called the Advance Supporting Membership… which automatically gives the voter a ...Read More

Dublin 2019 has announced there are 18 recipients of scholarships to attend SMOFcon 39, to be held December 3-5, 2021 at the VIP Executive Art’s Hotel in Lisboa, Portugal.

CanSMOF has also announced Joro Penchev of Sofia, Bulgaria, as the winner of its SMOFcon scholarship, open to “anyone involved in running conventions, regardless of their place of residence or citizenship”.

For more information, see the SMOFcon website.

[via File 770] ...Read More

Ernest R. Dickerson, Gemma Files, Brian Keene, John Edward Lawson, and Sheree Renée Thomas have been announced as the StokerCon 2022 Guests of Honor.

The event will be held May 12-15, 2022 at the Curtis Hotel in Denver CO, and will include the Bram Stoker Awards banquet.

For more information, see the official website.

While you are here, please take a moment to support Locus with a one-time or recurring ...Read More

Readercon 31 was held online August 13-15, 2021. Guests of honor were Jeffrey Ford and Ursula Vernon; Vonda N. McIntyre was the memorial guest of honor. Of 556 individuals registered, 528 people attended. Merryl Gross, head of registration, reported that while most members were from the US and Canada, ‘‘This year saw a larger contingent from Great Britain, the European Union, Mexico and South Africa.’’ The focus of Readercon is ...Read More

The Baltimore-Washington Area Worldcon Association (BWAWA) has announced Mary Robinette Kowal as the new chairperson of DisCon III, the 79th World Science Fiction Convention, following Bill Lawhorn’s resignation in June.

Because Kowal is a finalist in two categories, DisCon III intends to keep a full firewall between the chair (and any other Hugo finalists working on the convention) and the voting and administration of the 2021 Hugo Awards. One of ...Read More