Well, World Fantasy Con 2009 is coming up, and the Clarion class of 2009 will make a showing in force. Before the event hits San Jose, I’d just like to give a heads-up that my Clarionmate Shauna Roberts will be on a Friday morning panel
10:00 AM Gold Room Writing Human Characters, Whether or Not They’re Human
Our panelists will discuss the challenges of writing relatable non-human characters in heroic and mythic fantasy that are both alien enough to be something more than funny-looking people but also human enough for readers to relate to.
David B Coe (moderator), Kate Elliott, Kay Kenyon, Shauna Roberts, Laurel Anne Hill
and, for her recent novel Like Mayflies in a Stream from Hadley Rille Books, be part of the
8:30 PM Regency Ballroom Group Autographing
Our traditional group signing is for all the authors and editors attending the convention. Everyone is welcome to participate, and there will be a no-host bar. If you’re planning on signing, it’s a very informal event. There will be tent-cards, alphabetical by last name, on a table at the door. Just grab your card, find a seat, and make yourself comfortable.
I’d also like to point out the following panel, which I am most excited to see and will certainly be attending:
2:00 PM Crystal Room Fantasy in Translation
While English continues to dominate the world’s market for fantastic fiction, much fine work is also produced in other languages. Indeed, many classic works have been produced in other languages. Writers such as Verne, Lem, Borges and Calvino, as well as newcomers such as Sapkowski and Živković, have delighted us with their work. But these writers are only the tip of an iceberg. Very little of this material is ever translated, and consequently the English-speaking world is presumably missing out on a lot of good reading. So what exactly are we missing out on, and how can we get more of it?
Cheryl Myfanwy Morgan (moderator), Rani Graff, Nick Mamatas, Ann VanderMeer, Zoran Živković
I’ll tell you what you’re missing out on…
Thanks for listing my panel and booksigning, Edward.
I thought that fantasy in transition panel looked good too. (In fact, most of the panels looked good—no trouble filling time at this con!) I know I’d read more translated fantasy if I knew about it.
Look forward to your report. You’re very fortunate in USA to have such a wealth of such festivals and conventions.
I live in Ireland and we are lucky if we have two or three a year of the size and quality of those in the US.
Chris Warren
Author and Freelance Writer
Randolph’s Challenge Book One – The Pendulum Swings