2024 International Conference on the Fantastic in the Arts

The 45th International Conference on the Fantastic in the Arts (ICFA) took place March 13-16, 2024 at the Marriott Orlando Airport Hotel Lakeside, with a theme of “Whimsy.” Academics, writers, publishers, editors, artists, students, independent scholars, and more participated, with 327 people attending (comparable to last year’s count, though still down significantly from 2019’s pre-COVID levels) with 239 presenters on the academic track and 89 invited cre­ative guests. Guests of honor were Mary Turzillo and C.E. Murphy, and guest scholars were Woppa Diallo and Mame Bougouma Diene.

In and amongst the academics were a number of authors, editors, and others, including featured artist Lauren Brown, Greg Bechtel, John Chu, Neil Clarke, Ellen Datlow, Stephen R. Donaldson, Owl Goingback, A.T. Greenblatt, Eileen Gunn, Regina M. Hansen, José Pablo Iriarte, Emily Jiang, James Patrick Kelly, Isabel J. Kim, Sharon King, David C. Kopaska-Merkel, Geoffrey A. Landis, Sam J. Miller, Mary Anne Mohanraj, Ian Muneshwar, C.E. Murphy, Ray Nayler, Mari Ness, Shingai Njeri Kagunda, Leslye Penelope, Marisca Pichette, Sarah Pinsker, Cat Rambo, Arula Ratnakar, Julia Rios, dave ring, Madeleine E. Robins, Robert J. Sawyer, Elizabeth Schechter, Nisi Shawl, Alan Smale, Michael Swanwick, K.M. Szpara, Cecilia Tan, Emma Törzs, Cadwell Turnbull, Sheila Williams, Walter Jon Williams, and more.

Many of the scheduled panels and papers related directly to the theme, such as section “Witches and Völva and Demons, Oh My! Whimsical Interventions into Feminine Liminality” with Jeana Jor­gensen, Julie Koehler, Kelsey Olesen, and Maiya Xirinachs; “Break­ing All the Rules Now: Intense Interventions in the Conventions of Whimsical Fantasy” with Amanda Barrera, Julia DaSilva, Maxine Donnelly, and Lillian Martinez; and “The Serious Side of Whimsy” with Trinna S. Frever, A. Keith Kelly, Alayne Peterson, and Rikke Schubart. Others covered a range of subjects, from “Teach the Chil­dren Well” with Danielle Bienvenue Bray, Sarah E. Gibbons, Eugene Giddens, Emily Midkiff, and Courtney Stevens Warren to “The State of Science Fiction and Fantasy Television,” with Jason Brown, Eric Heisserer, Georgia Lee, Josh Pearson, and Ida Yoshinaga. One well-received presentation was delivered bilingually. Papers included “New Audiences for Old Ghosts: Tradition and Terror in Horror Stories for Young Thais”, “Comfy Being Gay: Cozy Fantasy for Children and YA”, and “Fairyland Goes Dark: Anti-Whimsy and Postcolonial Critique in Irish YA Fantasy”.

IAFA First Vice President Novella Brooks de Vita said, “Mark Wingenfeld expanded last year’s successful Book Voucher program to cover two books this year per voucher recipient: a trade paperback and a mass market edition!… Young women on the elevators and in the hallways between programs stopped the BIPOC Caucus Representa­tive to share their excitement that they felt this was a conference for what tends to be seen as women’s interests; they said they felt catered to and comfortable with the theme and with every talk they attended (several of them immediately referenced finally being able to talk about Alice in Wonderland and still feel like they’re on theme). They hoped that future programming would continue to take what are considered women’s interests into consideration for upcoming themes and Guests. The fall VICFA offers people the opportunity to attend an IAFA conference fully virtually each year.”

Highlights included the Distinguished Scholar Luncheon, which was fully attended and which featured speeches from the guest scholars (Diene spoke in person and Diallo delivered her speech virtually), the annual Flash Play Festival, and the In Memoriam events, during which a list of creatives who passed away during the past year was read and attendees contributed to a book of shared memories. Saturday night featured a wine-and-beer reception before the awards banquet. The event honored works, authors, and more, after a banquet meal pre­ceded by the reading of the menu by Andy Duncan. The William L. Crawford Award for first fantasy book was presented by to The Saint of Bright Doors by Vajra Chandrasekera. The David G. Hartwell Emerging Scholars Award went to Sasha Bailyn and Liz Busby. The BIPOC Caucus honored 15 recipients for Uplifter and Exemplary Ally Awards. This year’s Dell Award winner was “Lolo’s Last Run” by Emma Kerkman, and the first runner-up was “The Waves of Light” by Liam Betts. Amanda Firestone presented the Lord Ruthven Award to The Last Voyage of the Demeter, Interview with the Vampire, Simon Bacon, Violet Fenn, S.T. Gibson, and Jacqueline Holland.

The 46th annual conference will be held at the Marriott Orlando Airport Hotel Lakeside. The theme, guests of honor and guest scholars are yet to be announced. VICFA, a related virtual conference, will be held in October 2024. For more information, go to their website: <iaftfita.wildapricot.org>.

–Simon Herz

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Photographers: Liza Groen Trombi, James Patrick Kelly, Alexis Brooks de Vita, Amelia Beamer, Rina A. Weisman, and Alfonso Arteaga

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