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Friday, April 16
 

14:00 UTC

Diane Turnshek - Reading
I'll read shorter and shorter fiction as I walk around to different spots in my very small house until I tell my story with a negative word count. Small is beautiful! Happy to welcome you folks to my tiny house tour and tiny reading.
Speakers
avatar for Diane Turnshek

Diane Turnshek

Carnegie Mellon University
Diane Turnshek is an astronomer at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, PA. She has been on the Board of Directors for both the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America and Parsec, Pittsburgh’s premier science fiction organization. For nine years, she mentored graduate... Read More →

Friday April 16, 2021 14:00 - 14:25 UTC
Courtyard
  Writing, Reading |   Prose, Reading

15:00 UTC

Gregory Wilson - Reading
From my most recent bio--please let me know if you need more information! Gregory A. Wilson is Professor of English at St. John's University in New York City, where he teaches creative writing, speculative fiction, and various other courses in literature. In addition to academic work, he is the author of the epic fantasy The Third Sign, the graphic novel Icarus, the dark fantasy Grayshade, and the D&D adventure/sourcebook Tales and Tomes from the Forbidden Library. He also has short stories in a number of anthologies, and has several projects forthcoming in 2021. He co-hosts the critically acclaimed actual play Speculate! The Podcast for Writers, Readers, and Fans (speculatesf.com) podcast, is a member of the Gen Con Writers' Symposium and co-coordinator of the Origins Library, and is a regular panelist at conferences nationally and internationally. He is the lead vocalist and trumpet player for The Road, a long running progressive rock band with three albums to its credit, and is the lead writer for Chosen Heart, a video game currently in production. Finally, under the moniker Arvan Eleron, he is the host of a successful Twitch channel focused on story and narrative, with many TTRPG (and several sponsored) campaigns. He lives with his family in Riverdale, NY, and his virtual home is gregoryawilson.com.
Speakers
avatar for Gregory Wilson

Gregory Wilson

Gregory A. Wilson is Professor of English at St. John's University in New York City, where he teaches creative writing, speculative fiction, and various other courses in literature. In addition to academic work, he is the author of the epic fantasy The Third Sign, the graphic novel... Read More →

Friday April 16, 2021 15:00 - 15:25 UTC
Courtyard
  Writing, Reading |   Prose, Reading

15:00 UTC

The Art of Arula Ratnakar
Speakers
avatar for Arula Ratnakar

Arula Ratnakar

Attendee
Arula Ratnakar is a scientist, artist and science fiction writer who is currently studying biology, neuroscience and architecture at Carnegie Mellon University (Class of 2021). Her writing can be found in Clarkesworld Magazine and her artwork can be found in the first issue of Dark... Read More →

Friday April 16, 2021 15:00 - 15:30 UTC
Salon
  Art/Illustration, Art Showcase

16:00 UTC

Phong Quan - Reading
Vietnamese-American currently based in Singapore. Have published two sci-fi short stories at Metaphorosis and Cast of Wonders.
Speakers
avatar for Phong Quan

Phong Quan

Phong is a Vietnamese-American lawyer and occasional writer of science fiction. Though he considers himself Californian at heart, he has also called Saigon, New York, Beijing, and Singapore, where he currently resides, home. He enjoys spending his time in Singapore catching no ball... Read More →

Friday April 16, 2021 16:00 - 16:25 UTC
Courtyard
  Writing, Reading |   Prose, Reading

16:00 UTC

Writing Outlines To Sell
Outlining novels are essential if you're going to sell from an outline, as most media tie-in fiction is done. I've sold three novels and numerous short stories from everything from a one-sentence pitch to a two page outline. This is BEFORE the book was ever written. Creating such outlines is different approach from outlining to write an entire novel. Generally pitch outlines need to be very short, very focused, and have a good hook.
Speakers
avatar for Rosemary Jones

Rosemary Jones

Rosemary Jones is the author of several media tie-in novels including Mask of Silver (Arkham Horror), City of the Dead (D&D Forgotten Realms), and Crypt of the Moaning Diamond (D&D Forgotten Realms). Her short fiction has appeared in numerous anthologies and her nonfiction includes... Read More →

Friday April 16, 2021 16:00 - 16:50 UTC
Hoodini
  Writing, Presentation |   Prose, Presentation

17:00 UTC

Should You Get an MFA?: Pros and Cons for Genre Writers
Have you always toyed with the idea of pursuing an MFA, but never been sure if it’s the right choice for you? This presentation will walk you through the pros and cons of studying for an MFA, with a particular eye to working as a genre writer. We’ll explore different programs and consider a host of factors, including application process, cost, program length, and career opportunities.
Speakers
avatar for Mary Berman

Mary Berman

Mary Berman writes science fiction, fantasy, and horror. Her work has been published or is forthcoming in Fireside, Cicada, Weird Horror, and elsewhere. She earned her MFA in creative writing from the University of Mississippi, and she has also taught undergraduate fiction workshops... Read More →

Friday April 16, 2021 17:00 - 17:50 UTC
Toast
  Writing, Presentation |   Prose, Presentation

18:00 UTC

Tlotlo Tsamaase - Reading
Tlotlo Tsamaase is a Motswana writer of fiction, poetry, and architectural articles. Her work has appeared in Clarkesworld, The Dark, Terraform, Apex Magazine, Strange Horizons, and other publications. Her poem “I Will Be Your Grave” was a 2017 Rhysling Award nominee. Her short story, “Virtual Snapshots” was longlisted for the 2017 Nommo Awards. Her novella The Silence of the Wilting Skin was published in May 2020 from Pink Narcissus Press.
Speakers
avatar for Tlotlo Tsamaase

Tlotlo Tsamaase

Tlotlo Tsamaase is a Motswana writer of fiction, poetry, and architectural articles. Her work has appeared in Clarkesworld, The Dark, Terraform, Apex Magazine, Strange Horizons, and other publications. Her poem “I Will Be Your Grave” was a 2017 Rhysling Award nominee. Her short... Read More →

Friday April 16, 2021 18:00 - 18:25 UTC
Courtyard
  Writing, Reading |   Poetry, Reading

18:00 UTC

Narrative Poetry
Join these speculative poets for a fun discussion about poems that tell a story. Narrative poetry isn't just epics of old, and today's poets are playing with form, voice, and content. But why tell a story with a poem instead of prose? Hear the answer to that question and many more as these poetic panelists discuss tricks of the trade for telling tales in verse, favored topics for narrative poetry, and some must-read narrative poems and poets.
Moderators
WD

Woodrow Dismukes

Woody Dismukes is a Brazilian-American poet, author, and social advocate living in Los Angeles, California. He attended Clarion West in 2018 and was awarded an inaugural Ignyte Award in 2020. His work is featured in or forthcoming from Lightspeed, Nightmare, FIYAH, Strange Horizons... Read More →

Speakers
TJ
JJ

John Johnson

John Philip Johnson is a Pushcart Prize-winning SF poet and writer, His work has appeared in Rattle, Asimov's, F&SF, Strange Horizons, and many others. The Book of Fly, his latest graphic poetry comic book, won the Elgin Award. He would live on Mars if he could, but only if his wife... Read More →
avatar for Holly Lyn Walrath

Holly Lyn Walrath

Managing Editor, Interstellar Flight Press
Holly Lyn Walrath’s poetry and short fiction has appeared in Strange Horizons, Fireside Fiction, Daily Science Fiction, Luna Station Quarterly, and Analog. She is the author of the chapbooks Glimmerglass Girl (Finishing Line Press, 2018), Numinose Lapidi (in Italian, Kipple Press... Read More →

Sponsors
JP

Friday April 16, 2021 18:00 - 18:50 UTC
Swooperton
  Writing, Panel |   Poetry, Panel

19:00 UTC

[FULL] Kaffeeklatsch led by Jules Premus
The seats for this interactive session have been distributed by lottery. Adding this session to your schedule does not grant you access.

Increasing accessibility for all to learn skills needed to become successful character designers and workers in the animation industry.
Speakers
JP

Jules Premus

Character Designer at Bento Box Animation Studios. Previous credits include Marvel, Netflix, and Hulu. Pronouns are he/him.

Friday April 16, 2021 19:00 - 19:30 UTC
Keep
  Limited Access, Kaffeeklatsch

19:00 UTC

So you Want to Make a Webcomic?
How do you start? Where do you post? What do you do to get readers? How do you even webcomic? This awesome panel of experts with decades of combined experience is here to give you a crash course in making your comic series a reality.
Moderators
avatar for Nathan Lueth

Nathan Lueth

Author/Illustrator/Comics Commander, Nathan Lueth Illustration LLC

Speakers
avatar for Monica Marier

Monica Marier

Lead Artist/Writer, Tangent Artists
IN A WORLD… where brother fought brother, elf fought dwarf, narwhal fought robot, teacup piglet fought guy with a horse mask, one webcomic company rose above the sea of internet memes to form a single unit—a unit that called themselves… The Avengers. But as it turns out “The... Read More →
HA

Friday April 16, 2021 19:00 - 19:50 UTC
Swooperton
  Art/Illustration, Panel |   Comics, Panel

20:00 UTC

Tyler Hayes - Reading
Tyler is a science fiction and fantasy writer from Rhode Island. He writes stories he hopes will show people that not only are they not alone, but we might just make things better. Tyler’s debut novel, The Imaginary Corpse, is out now from Angry Robot Books.
Speakers
avatar for Tyler Hayes

Tyler Hayes

Author
Tyler is a science fiction and fantasy writer from Rhode Island. He writes stories he hopes will show people that not only are they not alone, but we might just make things better. Tyler’s debut novel, The Imaginary Corpse, is out now from Angry Robot Books.

Friday April 16, 2021 20:00 - 20:25 UTC
Courtyard
  Writing, Reading |   Prose, Reading

20:00 UTC

Tips for Character Designers
An iconic character design is a thing of beauty. In this panel, character designers discuss how to effectively design characters, how to create characters whose identities differ from your own, how to develop a portfolio, tips and tricks they wish they'd known sooner, and more.
Moderators
avatar for Izzy Wasserstein

Izzy Wasserstein

Author
Izzy Wasserstein is a queer, trans woman. She teaches writing and literature at a public university in the American Midwest, writes fiction and poetry, and shares a house with a variety of animal companions and the writer Nora E. Derrington. Her fiction has appeared in Clarkesworld... Read More →

Speakers
avatar for Monica Marier

Monica Marier

Lead Artist/Writer, Tangent Artists
IN A WORLD… where brother fought brother, elf fought dwarf, narwhal fought robot, teacup piglet fought guy with a horse mask, one webcomic company rose above the sea of internet memes to form a single unit—a unit that called themselves… The Avengers. But as it turns out “The... Read More →
JP

Jules Premus

Character Designer at Bento Box Animation Studios. Previous credits include Marvel, Netflix, and Hulu. Pronouns are he/him.
HA

Sponsors
NL

Friday April 16, 2021 20:00 - 20:50 UTC
Swooperton
  Art/Illustration, Panel |   Comics, Panel

20:00 UTC

Visual Worldbuilding in Comics and Illustration
Moderators
avatar for Sloane Leong

Sloane Leong

Attendee
Sloane Leong is a mixed indigenous cartoonist, artist, and writer. She is currently working on the sequel to her sci-fi adventure comic Prism Stalker and has a new graphic novel out from First Second called A Map to the Sun. She is currently living in Chinook Territory near Portland... Read More →

Speakers
BB

Bruce Brenneise

Game artist and illustration professional of six years, best known for work on games like Slay the Spire and Numenera. Awards: Illustrators of the Future vol 34, Chesley Award 2020 nominee. Annuals: Spectrum (vol 26 & vol 27), Infected by Art (vol 5, 6, 7, 8, 9).
avatar for Madeleine Holly-Rosing

Madeleine Holly-Rosing

Writer/Creator, Boston Metaphysical Society Comic
Madeleine Holly-Rosing is the writer/creator of the award-winning Boston Metaphysical Society graphic novel series, previously self-published, but is now published by Source Point Press. The series also includes the award winning prequel novel, A Storm of Secrets, and an anthology... Read More →
avatar for Charis Loke

Charis Loke

Illustrator, mapmaker and comics editor
Charis Loke (she/dia) is an illustrator and comics editor based in Penang, Malaysia. Her art draws upon literature and visual culture, exploring both real and fictional worlds; she's illustrated maps for fantasy novels like The Bone Shard Daughter and Queen of the Conquered, made... Read More →
TF

Trivia Fox

Trivia Fox (they/them/no pronoun) is a nonbinary creative currently living in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They've been gaming since the early 2000's as a teen where they began experimenting with gender identity and presentation. These experiences led them to their focus in the game industry... Read More →

Sponsors
KE

Friday April 16, 2021 20:00 - 20:50 UTC
Hoodini
  Art/Illustration, Panel |   Comics, Panel

21:00 UTC

[FULL] Kaffeeklatsch led by Curtis Chen
The seats for this interactive session have been distributed by lottery. Adding this session to your schedule does not grant you access.
Speakers
avatar for Curtis Chen

Curtis Chen

Secretary, SFWA
Once a Silicon Valley software engineer, Curtis C. Chen (陳致宇) now writes stories and runs puzzle games near Portland, Oregon. He's the author of the Kangaroo series of funny science fiction spy thrillers and has written for the Realm originals Ninth Step Station, Machina, and... Read More →

Friday April 16, 2021 21:00 - 21:30 UTC
Keep
  Limited Access, Kaffeeklatsch

21:00 UTC

Introduction to Illuminated Manuscripts
This is a fun, friendly introduction to a medium that shaped the world over a thousand years, only to quietly disappear. Whether you write about the Middle Ages or have an interest in medieval art, you will learn something new!
Speakers
avatar for Hannah Charlton

Hannah Charlton

Hannah Charlton grew up in Eastern Washington. She studied art at Whitworth University, where she first became interested in medieval art history. This was encouraged by an internship at the Grünewald Guild, an arts retreat center that held classes in stained glass, calligraphy... Read More →

Sponsors
PM

Friday April 16, 2021 21:00 - 21:50 UTC
Toast
  Art/Illustration, Presentation

21:30 UTC

[FULL] Kaffeeklatsch led by Woody Dismukes
The seats for this interactive session have been distributed by lottery. Adding this session to your schedule does not grant you access.

Afro-Brazilian Culture, homelessness or housing, speculative poetry
Speakers
WD

Woodrow Dismukes

Woody Dismukes is a Brazilian-American poet, author, and social advocate living in Los Angeles, California. He attended Clarion West in 2018 and was awarded an inaugural Ignyte Award in 2020. His work is featured in or forthcoming from Lightspeed, Nightmare, FIYAH, Strange Horizons... Read More →

Friday April 16, 2021 21:30 - 22:00 UTC
Keep
  Limited Access, Kaffeeklatsch

22:00 UTC

The Art and Music of Juho Saari
Speakers
avatar for Juho Saari

Juho Saari

Melancholic Zombie
Dark artist, melancholic musician & indie author.Art showcase: https://www.melancholiczombie.com/flightsoffoundry

Friday April 16, 2021 22:00 - 22:30 UTC
Salon
  Art/Illustration, Art Showcase |   Audio/Podcasting, Art Showcase

22:00 UTC

Storytelling in Comics and Graphic Novels
With the rising popularity of anime & their manga source materials, movies adapted from comics smashing box-office records, and webcomics sprouting fun animation series, memes, & podcasts; comics & graphic novels are always getting compared to other media. Sonny Liew, Sloane Leong, Devaki Neogi, and Murewa Ayodele will be discussing, not only the differences and similarities comics share with other media, but how to take advantage of the medium to tell a powerful story in ways no other media can.
Welcome to the Storytelling in Comics and Graphic Novels panel.
Moderators
avatar for Murewa Ayodele

Murewa Ayodele

Comic Book Writer, Collectible Comics NG
Murewa Ayodele is a Nigerian comic book creator who has always had a passion for animation and all things illustrated from a very young age, even though as a kid in Nigeria, he barely had access to any. He didn't buy his own print copy of a comic book till he was in college and at... Read More →

Speakers
SL

Sonny Liew

Sonny Liew's multi-Eisner winning The Art of Charlie Chan Hock Chye was a New York Times and Amazon bestseller, and the first graphic novel to win the Singapore Literature Prize. Other works include The Shadow Hero (with Gene Luen Yang), Doctor Fate (with Paul Levitz) and Malinky... Read More →
avatar for Sloane Leong

Sloane Leong

Attendee
Sloane Leong is a mixed indigenous cartoonist, artist, and writer. She is currently working on the sequel to her sci-fi adventure comic Prism Stalker and has a new graphic novel out from First Second called A Map to the Sun. She is currently living in Chinook Territory near Portland... Read More →
avatar for Devaki Neogi

Devaki Neogi

Comic Book Artist
I am Devaki Neogi, a comic book artist from Bengaluru, India. I have been working as a sequential artist for comics in the American Industry for the past six years for Comics mini-series like Archie Comics - 'Josie and The Pussycats in Space' (2019-2020), 'Sweet Valley High' Graphic... Read More →

Sponsors
KE

Friday April 16, 2021 22:00 - 22:50 UTC
Hoodini
  Comics, Panel |   Writing, Panel

22:00 UTC

Constelación - Founding a Bilingual Magazine
An interview with Coral Alejandra Moore and Eliana González Ugarte, editors of Constelación magazine, on their backgrounds as readers and writers of fiction across multiple languages and continents, and their experiences in creating a home for bilingual speculative fiction in English and Spanish.
Moderators
avatar for Valerie Valdes

Valerie Valdes

Valerie Valdes’s short fiction and poetry have been featured in Uncanny Magazine, Time Travel Short Stories and Nightmare Magazine. Her debut novel Chilling Effect was shortlisted for the 2021 Arthur C. Clarke Award and was named one of Library Journal’s best SF/fantasy novels... Read More →

Speakers
EG

Eliana González Ugarte

Born and raised in Asunción, Paraguay. Eliana wrote her first and only picture book fanfiction in 1995, titled Frog and Toad go to the Zoo, as a second-grade class assignment. Spoiler: everyone gets eaten in the end. She has won over ten short story awards in Paraguay, and one for... Read More →
avatar for Coral Moore

Coral Moore

co-Editor and Mermaid-in-Chief, Constelación Magazine
Coral Alejandra Moore is a writer, a genetics nerd, and the co-editor and co-publisher of Constelación Magazine. She believes the best thing in life is a well-made cup of coffee. Coral lives near Seattle with a dangerously smart Catahoula Leopard Dog, a small flock of chickens, and... Read More →

Sponsors
LP

Friday April 16, 2021 22:00 - 22:50 UTC
Toast
  Translation, Presentation |   Writing, Presentation |   Prose, Presentation |   Guest of Honor, Presentation |   Industry Biz, Presentation

23:00 UTC

Jacob Baugher - Reading
I have several short stories published on a small Australian press. I created & co-host a writing podcast titled "The Archetypist," wherein we dissect bestselling novels and distill them down to their basic elements in order to create tools for writers. I also taught 400 level creative writing at the university level. I graduated in 2017 with my MFA in Writing Popular fiction from Seton Hill University and I currently read slush for The Overcast Podcast
Speakers
avatar for Jacob Baugher

Jacob Baugher

Prof. of Creative Writing, Franciscan University of Steubenville
I have several short stories published on a small Australian press. I created & co-host a writing podcast titled "The Archetypist," wherein we dissect bestselling novels and distill them down to their basic elements in order to create tools for writers. I also taught 400 level creative... Read More →

Friday April 16, 2021 23:00 - 23:25 UTC
Courtyard
  Writing, Reading |   Prose, Reading

23:00 UTC

Editing in the speculative fiction magazine industry
Ever wondered about editing in the speculative fiction magazine industry, or just wanted to know more about how they operate? In this panel we will be discussing what editing in the speculative fiction magazine industry is like with editors from different speculative fiction magazines. We will discuss what trials or struggles might be involved, how they choose the best stories, what tools they might use for the job, and more.
Moderators
avatar for Angelica Fyfe

Angelica Fyfe

Editor, Luna Station Quarterly
Angelica Fyfe is an editor for Luna Station Quarterly, a speculative fiction zine. In addition to this, she is a freelance proofreader, editor and has several of her own short stories and poems published in some small-time anthologies, with several longer novels in the works. With... Read More →

Speakers
avatar for Wendy Nikel

Wendy Nikel

Editor-in-Chief, Flash Fiction Online
Wendy Nikel is a speculative fiction author whose short stories can be found in Analog, Beneath Ceaseless Skies, Nature: Futures, Podcastle, and various anthologies and e-zines. She is editor-in-chief at Flash Fiction Online and a member of Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America... Read More →
avatar for Julia Rios

Julia Rios

Mermaids Monthly
Julia Rios (they/them) is a queer, Latinx writer, editor, podcaster, and narrator whose fiction, non-fiction, and poetry have appeared in Latin American Literature Today, Lightspeed, and Goblin Fruit, among other places. Their editing work has won multiple awards including the Hugo... Read More →
avatar for Zelda Knight

Zelda Knight

Owner-Operator, Aurelia Book Café
Zelda Knight is a romance author by day, and the publisher and editor-in-chief of AURELIA LEO, an independent, Nebula Award-nominated indie press based in Louisville, Kentucky by night. She has published over one hundred authors, artists, and poets from around the world. She is also... Read More →
avatar for Aimee Ogden

Aimee Ogden

Aimee Ogden is a former science teacher and software tester; now she writes stories about sad astronauts and angry princesses. Her short fiction has appeared in venues such as Clarkesworld, Analog, Fireside, and Beneath Ceaseless Skies, and her novellas "Sun-Daughters, Sea-Daughters... Read More →

Sponsors
AB

Friday April 16, 2021 23:00 - 23:50 UTC
Hoodini
  Writing, Panel |   Industry Biz, Panel

23:00 UTC

Female Characters in Speculative Fiction: Beyond the Stereotypes
Depictions of women in fantasy were long predicated on their relationship to men: the princess, the bait, the evil temptress, the object of desire. And these were generally women who were attractive by American standards, not a sagging breast or a gray hair or even a pimple to be found. Recent years have brought some epic and amazing changes to depictions of women in fantasy: strong, complicated characters, women who are strong in different cultural traditions, women who are older or have disabilities, women who are mothers, grandmothers, different flavors of queer. Let’s talk about some of the things that we like seeing in these depictions, the things we don’t and what we want to see next.
Moderators
avatar for Catherine Lundoff

Catherine Lundoff

Publisher, Queen of Swords Press
Catherine Lundoff is a Minneapolis-based award-winning writer, editor and publisher. Her books include the novels Silver Moon and Blood Moon and the single author collections Out of This World: Queer Speculative Fiction Stories and Unfinished Business: Tales of the Dark Fantastic... Read More →

Speakers
ML

Monica Louzon

Monica Louzon (she/her) is a writer, editor, and translator. Constelación Magazine published her translation of Vania T. Curtidor's story, "Imilla in January 2021. Her short fiction has appeared in The Dread Machine and The Internet Is Where The Robots Live now, and her poetry has... Read More →
avatar for Saida Agostini

Saida Agostini

Poet & Activist
Saida Agostini is a queer Afro-Guyanese poet whose work explores the ways Black folks harness mythology to enter the fantastic. She is the author of Stunt (Neon Hemlock, 2020), a chapbook reimagining the life of Nellie Jackson, a Black madam and FBI spy from Natchez, Mississippi... Read More →
avatar for Kat Clay

Kat Clay

Kat Clay is a crime and horror author from Melbourne, Australia. She is the author of novella Double Exposure, and her short story ‘Lady Loveday Investigates’ won three prizes at the 2018 Scarlet Stiletto Awards, including the Kerry Greenwood Prize for Best Malice Domestic.Kat’s... Read More →

Sponsors
FN

Friday April 16, 2021 23:00 - 23:50 UTC
Swooperton
  Writing, Panel |   Prose, Panel

23:00 UTC

If This Goes On (Don’t Panic)- Live!
If This Goes On (Don't Panic) is a podcast about hope, science fiction, fantasy, politics, and those that create our community. In this special live episode, co-hosts Alan Bailey and Diane Morrison interview Oghenechovwe Donald Ekpek about his work, life, politics, and everything in-between. If you're interested in a far ranging, casual conversation, this is the session for you.
Speakers
avatar for Alan Bailey

Alan Bailey

cohost/creator/editor, If This Goes On (Don't Panic)
Alan Bailey is the co-creator, cohost, ad editor of the If This Goes On (Don’t Panic) podcast. In the past he also created, edited, and cohosted, the Alan & Jeremy VS Science Fiction podcast. He has been an educator for most of his life, starting in the Pittsburgh Public Schools... Read More →
avatar for Oghenechovwe Donald Ekpeki

Oghenechovwe Donald Ekpeki

Jembefola Press
Oghenechovwe Donald Ekpeki is an African speculative fiction writer and editor in Nigeria. He won the Nebula award and is a multiple Hugo award finalist. He has also won the Otherwise, Nommo, and British Fantasy awards and has been a finalist in the WFA, Locus, BSFA, BFA & Sturgeon... Read More →
avatar for Diane Morrison

Diane Morrison

Co-host, If This Goes On (Don't Panic)
Diane Morrison (she/they) a.k.a. Sable Aradia, is a SFF writer, a Twitch streamer, and a podcaster. They use their various platforms to promote and celebrate other writers and community leaders within the broader science fiction / fantasy community. She is the author of the Wyrd West... Read More →

Friday April 16, 2021 23:00 - 23:50 UTC
Salon
  Writing, Live Episode |   Audio/Podcasting, Live Episode

23:00 UTC

Rein It In: How to write more realistically about horses
Mount up as we celebrate the majesty, beauty, and dangers of working with horses. First, we will explore equine anatomy, conformation, breeds, disposition, color, and movement. Next, we will analyze characterization with emphasis on some of their more unusual personality traits. Then we move beyond description to evaluate the intricacies of each horse's individual history. Finally, we evaluate the complicated and ever changing relationships they form. Virtual handouts and games will be plentiful and all questions are encouraged.
Speakers
avatar for Morrigan Puhr

Morrigan Puhr

Co-Creator, Semi-Sages of the Pages
Morrigan is an award winning teacher, writer, and perpetual student of life! She enjoys embracing novelty through original experiences and developing a variety of skills. When she is not writing or teaching her amazing students, she hangs around with friends, works on the family ranch... Read More →

Friday April 16, 2021 23:00 - 23:50 UTC
Toast
  Writing, Presentation |   Prose, Presentation
 
Saturday, April 17
 

00:00 UTC

A.C. Wise - Reading
A.C. Wise's fiction has appeared in Clarkesworld, Apex, and several Year's Best anthologies, among other places. Her work has won the Sunburst Award for Excellence in Canadian Literature of the Fantastic, as well as twice being a finalist for the Sunburst Award, twice being a finalist for the Nebula Award, and being a finalist for the Lambda Literary Award. She has two collections published with Lethe Press, and a novella published with Broken Eye Books. Her debut novel, Wendy, Darling, will be published by Titan Books in June 2021, and a new collection, the Ghost Sequences, will be published by Undertow Books in Fall 2021. In addition to her fiction, she contributes review columns to Apex Magazine and The Book Smugglers.
Speakers
AW

A.C. Wise

A.C. Wise's fiction has appeared in Clarkesworld, Apex, and several Year's Best anthologies, among other places. Her work has won the Sunburst Award for Excellence in Canadian Literature of the Fantastic, as well as twice being a finalist for the Sunburst Award, twice being a finalist... Read More →

Saturday April 17, 2021 00:00 - 00:25 UTC
Courtyard
  Writing, Reading |   Prose, Reading

00:00 UTC

Physical vs. Digital Media - Why bother with all the messy paint?
A panel on the unique benefits of working in traditional media. Why should artists consider using physical media like ink, watercolors, oil paints, etc. over doing digital art?
Moderators
avatar for Hannah Charlton

Hannah Charlton

Hannah Charlton grew up in Eastern Washington. She studied art at Whitworth University, where she first became interested in medieval art history. This was encouraged by an internship at the Grünewald Guild, an arts retreat center that held classes in stained glass, calligraphy... Read More →

Speakers
avatar for Liana Stadelmann

Liana Stadelmann

Owner, Aquabun LLC
I am professional watercolor artist specializing in whimsical, fantasy animal paintings. I am completely self taught having been drawing since the age of 3 consistently throughout my life and my passion for watercolor started about 5 years ago. I've always had a huge love of all things... Read More →
avatar for Ingrid Kallick

Ingrid Kallick

Ingrid Kallick is an artist and writer specializing in fantasy and children’s illustration. Ingrid’s art has appeared in Cricket Magazine, Communication Arts, Spectrum, Scientific American, the cover of Science, in murals, stage sets, scientific visualization and print. Her... Read More →
avatar for Dianita

Dianita

I'm a fantasy artist from Mexico, currently living in Texas. My work can be found in Every Day Original, and soon in The Woven Path Tarot with the Changeling Artist Collective (invited artist) and Mermaids Monthly April 2021. Former member of the Mexicanx Initiative (2018). My work... Read More →

Saturday April 17, 2021 00:00 - 00:50 UTC
Toast
  Art/Illustration, Panel

00:00 UTC

The Archetypist: The Best Ever (and Worst Ever!) Writing Advice
Speakers
avatar for K. R. Monin

K. R. Monin

K. R. Monin is a speculative fiction author whose muses include human potential, everyday surrealism, and evolving technology. Her work has been published by Write Ahead/The Future Looms and Black Hare Press. In the spare time that exists between worlds, she co-hosts the analytics-based... Read More →
avatar for Jacob Baugher

Jacob Baugher

Prof. of Creative Writing, Franciscan University of Steubenville
I have several short stories published on a small Australian press. I created & co-host a writing podcast titled "The Archetypist," wherein we dissect bestselling novels and distill them down to their basic elements in order to create tools for writers. I also taught 400 level creative... Read More →

Saturday April 17, 2021 00:00 - 00:50 UTC
Salon
  Audio/Podcasting, Live Episode |   Writing, Live Episode

00:00 UTC

[FULL] Portfolio Critique led by Sloane Leong
The seats for this interactive session have been distributed by lottery. Adding this session to your schedule does not grant you access.
Speakers
avatar for Sloane Leong

Sloane Leong

Attendee
Sloane Leong is a mixed indigenous cartoonist, artist, and writer. She is currently working on the sequel to her sci-fi adventure comic Prism Stalker and has a new graphic novel out from First Second called A Map to the Sun. She is currently living in Chinook Territory near Portland... Read More →

Saturday April 17, 2021 00:00 - 00:50 UTC
Keep
  Limited Access, Workshop

00:00 UTC

Creating with the Tarot
Tarot card reading is the practice of using tarot cards to gain insight into the past, present or future by formulating a question, then drawing and interpreting cards. They have also been adapted by writers as story generators, added insight into character motivations, and ways to navigate plot snafus. Panelists will discuss their personal connections to tarot, share exercises that they’ve found helpful, and highlight decks that they’ve worked with.
Moderators
avatar for Dave Ring

Dave Ring

Managing Editor/Publisher, Neon Hemlock Press
dave ring is a queer editor and writer of speculative fiction living in Washington, DC.  He is the publisher and managing editor of Neon Hemlock Press, as well as editor of the anthology Glitter + Ashes: Queer Tales of a World That Wouldn’t Die. His short fiction has been featured... Read More →

Speakers
AD

Anya DeNiro

Anya Johanna DeNiro writes stories that centers the experience of trans women. She's the author of City of a Thousand Feelings (Aqueduct Press), and her fiction has appeared in Catapult, Strange Horizons, Asimov's, One Teen Story, and other places. Her work has been a finalist for... Read More →
avatar for Vida Cruz

Vida Cruz

Vida Cruz is a Filipina fantasy and science fiction writer, editor, artist, and tarot reader. Her short fiction has been published or is forthcoming from Strange Horizons, PodCastle, Expanded Horizons, and various anthologies. She is a 2018 Tiptree Fellow and in 2019, she published... Read More →
avatar for Iori Kusano

Iori Kusano

Iori Kusano is an Asian American writer and Extremely Ordinary Office Gremlin living in Tokyo. They are a graduate of Clarion West 2017 and their fiction has previously appeared in Apex Magazine. Find them on Twitter @IoriKusano, or at kusanoiori.com.Pronouns she/they, name is pronounced ee-oh-ree... Read More →

Sponsors
GM

Saturday April 17, 2021 00:00 - 00:50 UTC
Hoodini
  Writing, Panel |   Interactive Fiction, Panel |   Prose, Panel |   TTRPG, Panel

00:00 UTC

Where to Start and How to Navigate Developmental Editing
Writing is rarely a one-and-done process; most of us instead look forward to multiple rewrites and file names like “Final_FINAL_seriouslyFINAL.doc”. How do writers and editors navigate this process? How do you translate feedback to the page? What do you do with criticism that misses its mark? And how do you know when you’re really done? This panel of writers and editors will discuss tools and strategies for breaking a narrative down and building it back up, all while maintaining the integrity of the story you wanted to write in the first place.
Moderators
NC

Nino Cipri

Nino Cipri is a queer and trans/nonbinary writer, editor, and educator. They are a graduate of the 2014 Clarion Writers’ Workshop, and earned their MFA in fiction from the University of Kansas in 2019. A multidisciplinary artist, Nino has also written plays, screenplays, and radio... Read More →

Speakers
avatar for LaShawn Wanak

LaShawn Wanak

Writer, Book Reviewer, GigaNotoSaurus Editor
LaShawn M. Wanak lives in Wisconsin with her husband and son. She writes science fiction, fantasy, and a little bit of horror. Her works have been published in Fireside Magazine, FIYAH, Uncanny Magazine, and many others. She is the editor of the online magazine GigaNotoSaurus and... Read More →
avatar for Jordan Ifueko

Jordan Ifueko

Jordan Ifueko is the New York Times Bestselling author of the YA fantasy RAYBEARER series. She's a fan of fairy tales with lots of shea butter and 4c curls, and takes payment in plates of fried plantain.
avatar for Mike Allen

Mike Allen

Author/Editor/Publisher, Mythic Delirium Books
Mike Allen edits and publishes Mythic Delirium Books in Roanoke, Virginia, with his wife Anita and not-so-troublesome cat Pandora. His short stories have been gathered in three collections: UNSEAMING; THE SPIDER TAPESTRIES; and AFTERMATH OF AN INDUSTRIAL ACCIDENT; with a fourth, SLOW BURN, now in the... Read More →
avatar for Kate Maruyama

Kate Maruyama

Kate Maruyama (she/her) writes, teaches, cooks, and eats in Los Angeles, where she lives.She is the author of Harrowgate(47North 2013) and Halloween Beyond: A Gentleman's Suit (Crystal Lake, 2022) and her novella Family Solstice (Omnium Gatherum) was named Best Fiction Book of... Read More →

Sponsors
AB

Saturday April 17, 2021 00:00 - 00:50 UTC
Swooperton
  Writing, Panel |   Prose, Panel

00:00 UTC

Australian SFF Hour
Curious about Australian science fiction and fantasy? Want to know what a drop bear is? Isn't that the place in the Terry Pratchett book? Come along and listen to four Aussie spec fic writers talk about their writing, find out what's happening in the Australian SFF scene, and hear recommendations of books you should be reading. Should be grouse mate.
Moderators
avatar for Kat Clay

Kat Clay

Kat Clay is a crime and horror author from Melbourne, Australia. She is the author of novella Double Exposure, and her short story ‘Lady Loveday Investigates’ won three prizes at the 2018 Scarlet Stiletto Awards, including the Kerry Greenwood Prize for Best Malice Domestic.Kat’s... Read More →

Speakers
avatar for Corey J. White

Corey J. White

Corey J. White is the author of Repo Virtual and The VoidWitch Saga, published by Tor.com Publishing. He studied writing at Griffith University on the Gold Coast, and is now based in Melbourne, Australia. Find him on twitter at @cjwhite.
avatar for Grace Chan

Grace Chan

Grace Chan (gracechanwrites.com) is a Melbourne-based speculative fiction writer and doctor. Her writing explores brains, minds, technology, and narrative identity. Her debut novel about virtual reality, identity, and love, Every Version of You, will be published by Affirm Press... Read More →
MJ

Marlee Jane Ward

Marlee Jane Ward is a writer living on Wurundjeri Land in Melbourne, Australia. She grew up on Awabakal and Kuring-gai country on the Central Coast of New South Wales. She studied creative writing on Tharawal lands at the University of Wollongong, and is an alum of the Clarion West... Read More →

Saturday April 17, 2021 00:00 - 00:50 UTC
Bartholomew
  Writing, Panel |   Prose, Panel |   Industry Biz, Panel |   Commentary, Panel

00:30 UTC

Zin E. Rocklyn - Reading
Zin E. Rocklyn is a contributor to Bram Stoker-nominated and This is Horror Award-winning Nox Pareidolia, KaijuRising II: Reign of Monsters, Brigands: A Blackguards Anthology, and Forever Vacancy anthologies and Weird Luck TalesNo. 7 zine. Their story "Summer Skin" in the Bram Stoker-nominated anthology Sycorax's Daughters received an honorable mention for Ellen Datlow's Best Horror of the Year, Volume Ten. Zin contributed the nonfiction essay “My Genre Makes a Monster ofMe” to Uncanny Magazine’s Hugo Award-winning Disabled People Destroy Science Fiction. Their short story "The Night Sun" and flash fiction "teatime" were published on Tor.com. Their debut novella will be published by Tor.com in Fall 2021. Zin is a 2017 VONA and 2018 Viable Paradise graduate as well as a 2022 Clarion West candidate. You can find them on Twitter @intelligentwat.
Speakers
avatar for Zin E. Rocklyn

Zin E. Rocklyn

Zin E. Rocklyn is a contributor to Bram Stoker-nominated and This is Horror Award-winning Nox Pareidolia, KaijuRising II: Reign of Monsters,  Brigands: A Blackguards Anthology, and Forever Vacancy anthologies and  Weird Luck Tales No. 7 zine. Their story "Summer Skin" in the Bram... Read More →

Saturday April 17, 2021 00:30 - 00:55 UTC
Courtyard
  Writing, Reading |   Prose, Reading

01:00 UTC

[FULL] Kaffeeklatsch led by Darusha Wehm
The seats for this interactive session have been distributed by lottery. Adding this session to your schedule does not grant you access.

Join author Darusha Wehm to chat about writing in shared worlds, including tie-in and IP work.
Speakers
avatar for Darusha Wehm

Darusha Wehm

Author
M. Darusha Wehm is the Nebula Award-nominated and Sir Julius Vogel Award winning author of the interactive fiction game The Martian Job, as well as the science fiction novels Beautiful Red, Children of Arkadia, The Voyage of the White Cloud, and the Andersson Dexter cyberpunk detective... Read More →

Saturday April 17, 2021 01:00 - 01:30 UTC
Keep
  Limited Access, Kaffeeklatsch

01:00 UTC

Craft Demo led by Michaela MacBlake (Mac) Matthews
Layers and finishing touches that last: Join me for a real-time painting session on a current work in progress, and get inside the mind of a surreal acrylic painting. During this session, I'll be chatting about my process and separating the overall techniques from the improv that brings the piece to life!
Speakers
MM

Michaela Matthews

Surrealismac

Saturday April 17, 2021 01:00 - 01:50 UTC
Eyrie
  Art/Illustration, Craft Demo
  • Recording Released? Yes

01:00 UTC

Writing Contest Winner Showcase: Lisabelle Tay
Lisabelle Tay is the first place winner of the 2020 Dream Foundry writing contest: https://dreamfoundry.org/contest-winners/

Lisabelle writes poetry and speculative fiction. Her debut poetry chapbook PILGRIM, published by The Emma Press, is forthcoming this September, and her story 'Surat Dari Hantu' placed first in the 2020 Dream Foundry short story contest. She lives in Singapore with her husband and son.

Lisabelle will be interviewed by Hugo award-winning author, David D. Levine.
Moderators
avatar for David D. Levine

Speakers
avatar for Lisabelle Tay

Lisabelle Tay

Lisabelle Tay writes poetry and speculative fiction. She is the author of PILGRIM (Sept 2021, The Emma Press), and her work appears or is forthcoming in Augur, Strange Horizons, and elsewhere. She lives in Singapore with her husband and son.

Saturday April 17, 2021 01:00 - 01:50 UTC
Bartholomew
  Contest Winner, Contest Showcase |   Writing, Contest Showcase |   Prose, Contest Showcase

01:00 UTC

How to Put a Game in Your Fiction
While it's challenging enough to create a game, it can be even harder to write entertainingly and convincingly about one in a work of fiction. If you wanted to create a game for your fantasy or science-fictional world, where would you start? How would you choose the game's rules? How would you convey through prose how the game worked? Perhaps most importantly, do you have to design an actual playable game to write convincingly about it?
Moderators
avatar for Cat Rambo

Cat Rambo

Attendee, SFWA
Cat Rambo has published 200+ short stories. In 2021 her book publications are fantasy novel Exiles of Tabat (May, Wordfire Press), anthology The Reinvented Heart, coedited with Jennifer Brozek (July, Arc Manor), and space opera, You Sexy Thing (September, Tor Macmillan).

Speakers
PH

P H Lee

P H Lee lives with the rose bushes behind an old walnut tree down a dead-end road out past the highway. Their other writing has appeared in Uncanny Magazine, Clarkesworld, Lightspeed, among other venues. Their hobbies include cooking and translating Classical Chinese texts.
ER

Erin Roberts

Erin Roberts is a writer of speculative fiction across formats: her fiction has appeared in publications including Asimov's, Clarkesworld, Podcastle, and The Dark, and has been selected for three Year's Best anthologies; her interactive fiction has been published or is forthcoming... Read More →
avatar for Gregory Wilson

Gregory Wilson

Gregory A. Wilson is Professor of English at St. John's University in New York City, where he teaches creative writing, speculative fiction, and various other courses in literature. In addition to academic work, he is the author of the epic fantasy The Third Sign, the graphic novel... Read More →

Sponsors
GW

Saturday April 17, 2021 01:00 - 01:50 UTC
Toast
  Games, Panel |   Writing, Panel |   TTRPG, Panel

01:00 UTC

Slush Readers Get Together
Whether you're an S&SF writer, an avid reader, or both, diving through magazine submissions--colloquially known as the "slush pile"--can be a rewarding and enlightening experience. Join three experienced slush readers as they discuss the ins, outs, and challenges of slush reading, what makes them praise or pass on a story, and the joy of finding that rare diamond in the rough.
Moderators
avatar for Nandi Taylor

Nandi Taylor

Attendee
Nandi Taylor is a Canadian writer of Afro-Caribbean descent based in Toronto. Her debut novel GIVEN earned a starred review from ALA’s Booklist magazine. Common themes she writes about are growth, courage, and finding one’s place in the world.

Speakers
avatar for Coral Moore

Coral Moore

co-Editor and Mermaid-in-Chief, Constelación Magazine
Coral Alejandra Moore is a writer, a genetics nerd, and the co-editor and co-publisher of Constelación Magazine. She believes the best thing in life is a well-made cup of coffee. Coral lives near Seattle with a dangerously smart Catahoula Leopard Dog, a small flock of chickens, and... Read More →
EG

Eliana González Ugarte

Born and raised in Asunción, Paraguay. Eliana wrote her first and only picture book fanfiction in 1995, titled Frog and Toad go to the Zoo, as a second-grade class assignment. Spoiler: everyone gets eaten in the end. She has won over ten short story awards in Paraguay, and one for... Read More →
avatar for Brahidaliz Martinez

Brahidaliz Martinez

I wear multiple hats...
Brahidaliz - a 2019 graduate of American University's MFA in creative writing program - is the author of the forthcoming cross-genre chapbook, Coqui's Song (late 2023 from Mason Jar Press.) They're a reviewer for The Geekiary, Sage Cigarettes, and CatStone Books.

Saturday April 17, 2021 01:00 - 01:50 UTC
Hoodini
  Industry Biz, Panel |   Writing, Panel |   Prose, Panel |   Poetry, Panel |   Guest of Honor, Panel

01:00 UTC

Worldbuilding from the Ground Up
What do writers of SFF have to consider when building a strong foundation for their story worlds? What questions should they ask themselves and the people they interview? To what extent must a world be built culturally, politically, religiously, geographically, linguistically, mythologically? And what drives authors to worldbuild extensively if the goal isn't to get the reader to notice the meticulousness and complexity?
Moderators
avatar for Vida Cruz

Vida Cruz

Vida Cruz is a Filipina fantasy and science fiction writer, editor, artist, and tarot reader. Her short fiction has been published or is forthcoming from Strange Horizons, PodCastle, Expanded Horizons, and various anthologies. She is a 2018 Tiptree Fellow and in 2019, she published... Read More →

Speakers
avatar for Becky Chambers

Becky Chambers

Becky Chambers is a science fiction author, best known for her Hugo Award-winning Wayfarers series. Her books have also been nominated for the Arthur C. Clarke Award, the Locus Award, and the Women's Prize for Fiction, among others. She has two new works coming out in 2021: The Galaxy... Read More →
avatar for Karen Osborne

Karen Osborne

KAREN OSBORNE is a writer, visual storyteller and violinist. She is the author of Architects of Memory and Engines of Oblivion from Tor Books. Her short fiction appears in Uncanny, Fireside, Escape Pod, Robot Dinosaurs, and Beneath Ceaseless Skies. She is a member of the DC/MD-based... Read More →
avatar for Gayathri Kamath

Gayathri Kamath

Panelist
Gayathri is a Desi author, driven to write diverse science fiction and fantasy that actively tries to decolonize the narrative, turn tropes sideways, and send characters on wild adventures. She is owned by two cats, and owns a dog, and lives with her partner in the Bay Area, California... Read More →
avatar for PJ Manney

PJ Manney

author, PJ Manney
PJ Manney is the author of the P.K. Dick Award-nominated (R)EVOLUTION, book 1 in a trilogy with (ID)ENTITY, and the upcoming (CON)SCIENCE, out April 27, 2021. She also writes non-fiction and consults about emerging technology, future humans, empathy-building through storytelling... Read More →

Sponsors
GM

Saturday April 17, 2021 01:00 - 01:50 UTC
Swooperton
  Writing, Panel |   Prose, Panel

01:00 UTC

Social Hangout
Come and chat with other attendees! :)
Saturday April 17, 2021 01:00 - 02:00 UTC
Courtyard
  Social, Hangout

02:00 UTC

Premee Mohamed - Reading
Premee Mohamed is an Indo-Caribbean scientist and speculative fiction author based in Edmonton, Alberta. Her short fiction has appeared in a variety of venues, including Analog, Escape Pod, Augur, and Nightmare Magazine. Her debut novel, 'Beneath the Rising,' is out now from Solaris Books, with the sequel 'A Broken Darkness' due out in 2021. She can be found on Twitter at @premeesaurus and on her website at www.premeemohamed.com.
Speakers
avatar for Premee Mohamed

Premee Mohamed

Premee Mohamed is a multiple award-nominated Indo-Caribbean scientist and speculative fiction author based in Edmonton, Alberta. She is an Assistant Editor at the short fiction audio venue Escape Pod and the author of the 'Beneath the Rising' series and other works. She can be found... Read More →

Saturday April 17, 2021 02:00 - 02:25 UTC
Courtyard
  Writing, Reading |   Prose, Reading

02:00 UTC

[Sign-Up Available] Kaffeeklatsch led by Sloane Leong
If you are interested in attending this workshop, fill out this form: https://airtable.com/shrt3tPlxpEIctrBT
(first come, first serve - if the session isn't listed, then it's full)

Making comics and the comics industry
Speakers
avatar for Sloane Leong

Sloane Leong

Attendee
Sloane Leong is a mixed indigenous cartoonist, artist, and writer. She is currently working on the sequel to her sci-fi adventure comic Prism Stalker and has a new graphic novel out from First Second called A Map to the Sun. She is currently living in Chinook Territory near Portland... Read More →

Saturday April 17, 2021 02:00 - 02:30 UTC
Keep
  Limited Access, Kaffeeklatsch

02:00 UTC

Digital Painting Tips and Tricks
Moderators
avatar for Jaime Lau

Jaime Lau

Game Arts Student
Currently, Jaime (he/they) is a game arts student based in Malaysia, dabbling in character design, visual storytelling and game writing.His art style---a blend of inspirations from anime to literature---is commonly juxtaposed as "focused and detailed" with "sketchy, loose with raw... Read More →

Speakers
avatar for Lauren Blake

Lauren Blake

Seattle based illustrator with a passion for storytelling.www.laurenblakeart.com
HA
avatar for Monica Marier

Monica Marier

Lead Artist/Writer, Tangent Artists
IN A WORLD… where brother fought brother, elf fought dwarf, narwhal fought robot, teacup piglet fought guy with a horse mask, one webcomic company rose above the sea of internet memes to form a single unit—a unit that called themselves… The Avengers. But as it turns out “The... Read More →

Saturday April 17, 2021 02:00 - 02:50 UTC
Swooperton
  Art/Illustration, Panel |   Contest Winner, Panel

02:00 UTC

[FULL] Crafting Monsters That Matter led by Casey Lucas
The seats for this interactive session have been distributed by lottery. Adding this session to your schedule does not grant you access.

For creators of horror in any medium, this workshop delves into how to design monsters that do more than merely scare your characters. Explore how context, theme, and framing can be used to craft deeper, more meaningful monster encounters unique to your story, world, and characters.
Speakers
avatar for Casey Lucas

Casey Lucas

Casey Lucas is an award-winning author, game developer, and graphic novel editor based in New Zealand. Working with Seven Seas Entertainment, she has localised and edited over 60 volumes of Japanese manga for the English-language market. She was the recipient of the 2020 Sir Julius... Read More →

Saturday April 17, 2021 02:00 - 02:50 UTC
Keep
  Limited Access, Workshop

02:00 UTC

Glass slippers for the 21st century: Updating Fairy Tales
Join us for a discussion on updating fairy tales for a contemporary audience! What are the rewards and perils of wandering along this magical path? How closely should retellings follow the original tales - and how do retellings decide what to toss, and what to keep? How do writers handle the thornier aspects of the source material? And do these choices help explain why we still find fairy tales so compelling?
Moderators
avatar for Mari Ness

Mari Ness

Mari Ness has published poetry and fiction in Tor.com, Clarkesworld, Lightspeed, Nightmare, Uncanny, Fireside, Apex, Diabolical Plots, and Strange Horizons. Her poetry novella, Through Immortal Shadows Singing, is available from Papaveria Press, and her essay collection, Resistance... Read More →

Speakers
avatar for Jonathan Cohen

Jonathan Cohen

Creator, The Lavender Tavern
Writer and creator of the gay fairytale anthology, The Lavender Tavern.
avatar for Jeffe Kennedy

Jeffe Kennedy

Author
Jeffe Kennedy is an award-winning, best-selling author who writes fantasy with romantic elements and fantasy romance. She is an RWA member and serves on the Board of Directors for SFWA as a Director at Large. She is a hybrid author, and also self-publishes a romantic fantasy series... Read More →
avatar for Katharine Duckett

Katharine Duckett

Katharine Duckett is the award-winning author of Miranda in Milan, a Shakespearean fantasy novella debut that NPR calls "intriguing, adept, inventive, and sexy." Her short fiction has appeared on Tor.com and in Uncanny, Apex, PseudoPod, and Interzone, as well as various anthologies... Read More →

Sponsors
QO

Saturday April 17, 2021 02:00 - 02:50 UTC
Hoodini
  Writing, Panel |   Prose, Panel

02:00 UTC

The Ingredients of a Breakthrough Short Story
Editors and authors talk about how they shape ideas, what they look for, how they edit, experimental narratives they've tried, what works and what doesn't. Join this session for insights into how professionals craft and recognize exceptional short stories.
Moderators
avatar for Coral Moore

Coral Moore

co-Editor and Mermaid-in-Chief, Constelación Magazine
Coral Alejandra Moore is a writer, a genetics nerd, and the co-editor and co-publisher of Constelación Magazine. She believes the best thing in life is a well-made cup of coffee. Coral lives near Seattle with a dangerously smart Catahoula Leopard Dog, a small flock of chickens, and... Read More →

Speakers
EG

Eliana González Ugarte

Born and raised in Asunción, Paraguay. Eliana wrote her first and only picture book fanfiction in 1995, titled Frog and Toad go to the Zoo, as a second-grade class assignment. Spoiler: everyone gets eaten in the end. She has won over ten short story awards in Paraguay, and one for... Read More →
avatar for Andy Dudak

Andy Dudak

My fiction is featured in Jonathan Strahan’s Year’s Best Science Fiction and two volumes of Rich Horton’s Year’s Best Science Fiction and Fantasy. My stories have appeared in Analog, Apex, Clarkesworld, Interzone, The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, and in Science... Read More →
avatar for Salik Shah

Salik Shah

Founding Editor & Publisher, Mithila Review
Salik Shah is an Indian science fiction writer and filmmaker from New Delhi. He is the founding editor of Mithila Review, Asia’s leading science fiction and fantasy journal, and a founding member of Plurality University (Paris). His work has been nominated for Elgin, Toto and Kumaon... Read More →
avatar for Valerie Valdes

Valerie Valdes

Valerie Valdes’s short fiction and poetry have been featured in Uncanny Magazine, Time Travel Short Stories and Nightmare Magazine. Her debut novel Chilling Effect was shortlisted for the 2021 Arthur C. Clarke Award and was named one of Library Journal’s best SF/fantasy novels... Read More →

Sponsors
AB

Saturday April 17, 2021 02:00 - 02:50 UTC
Toast
  Writing, Panel |   Prose, Panel |   Guest of Honor, Panel

02:00 UTC

Social Hangout
Come and chat with other attendees! :)
Saturday April 17, 2021 02:00 - 03:00 UTC
Courtyard
  Social, Hangout

02:00 UTC

Genre Fiction Meetup led by K. R. Monin, Jacob Baugher
Discuss the details of genre fiction with the hosts of the Archetypist podcast
Speakers
avatar for K. R. Monin

K. R. Monin

K. R. Monin is a speculative fiction author whose muses include human potential, everyday surrealism, and evolving technology. Her work has been published by Write Ahead/The Future Looms and Black Hare Press. In the spare time that exists between worlds, she co-hosts the analytics-based... Read More →
avatar for Jacob Baugher

Jacob Baugher

Prof. of Creative Writing, Franciscan University of Steubenville
I have several short stories published on a small Australian press. I created & co-host a writing podcast titled "The Archetypist," wherein we dissect bestselling novels and distill them down to their basic elements in order to create tools for writers. I also taught 400 level creative... Read More →

Saturday April 17, 2021 02:00 - 03:00 UTC
Courtyard
  Writing, Meetup |   Prose, Meetup |   Social, Meetup

02:00 UTC

[FULL] Dungeons & Dragons One-Shot Adventure led by Tally Ewing
The seats for this interactive session have been distributed by lottery. Adding this session to your schedule does not grant you access.
Speakers
TE

Tally Ewing

Find me on discord @ Molybdenum#6114 !

Saturday April 17, 2021 02:00 - 06:00 UTC
Courtyard
  Limited Access, Limited Session Gaming

02:30 UTC

[Sign-Up Available] Kaffeeklatsch led by Tonia Ransom
If you are interested in attending this workshop, fill out this form: https://airtable.com/shrt3tPlxpEIctrBT
(first come, first serve - if the session isn't listed, then it's full)

Horror podcasts
Speakers
avatar for Tonia Ransom

Tonia Ransom

Creator & Executive Producer, NIGHTLIGHT Podcast
Tonia Ransom is the creator and executive producer of NIGHTLIGHT, a horror podcast featuring creepy tales written by Black writers. Tonia has been scaring people since the second grade, when she wrote her first story based on Michael Myers. She’s pretty sure her teacher was concerned... Read More →

Saturday April 17, 2021 02:30 - 03:00 UTC
Keep
  Limited Access, Kaffeeklatsch

03:00 UTC

Vida Cruz - Reading
Vida Cruz is a Filipina fantasy and science fiction writer, editor, artist, and tarot reader. Her short fiction has been published or is forthcoming from Strange Horizons, PodCastle, Expanded Horizons, and various anthologies. She is a 2018 Tiptree Fellow and in 2019, she published her first fantasy short story collection, Beyond the Line of Trees. Currently, she’s a freelance book editor with The Darling Axe.
Speakers
avatar for Vida Cruz

Vida Cruz

Vida Cruz is a Filipina fantasy and science fiction writer, editor, artist, and tarot reader. Her short fiction has been published or is forthcoming from Strange Horizons, PodCastle, Expanded Horizons, and various anthologies. She is a 2018 Tiptree Fellow and in 2019, she published... Read More →

Saturday April 17, 2021 03:00 - 03:25 UTC
Courtyard
  Writing, Reading |   Prose, Reading

03:00 UTC

Red Light Green Light: Safety, Consent, and Fun in TTRPGS
The ABCs of safety and consent at the table and beyond. From setting expectations before play, to giving players robust tools to facilitate play, to designing rules that incorporate safety from the get go. Learn about how you can make your play and design more accessible for all.
Moderators
JK

Joshua Kim

Soup (they/them) is a California-based, nonbinary freelance game designer and writer. Their work can be found in "The Ultimate Micro-RPG Book," at literalsoup.itch.io, or in published products for Paizo and Evil Hat Productions. They also host a podcast called the Absolute Territory... Read More →

Speakers
avatar for Jennifer Kretchmer

Jennifer Kretchmer

My nerdiness knows no bounds, and I'm proud of it."Love all, trust a few. Do harm to none." -ShakespeareThat pretty much sums it up.To make a Jen:Take a hearty dash of nerdiness, a splash of politics (yes, I am a dirty hippie), several ounces of a virulent love of learning, and a... Read More →
DD

Dominique Dickey

Dominique Dickey is a student at Johns Hopkins University, majoring in Writing Seminars and completing a thesis on the representation of non-normative genders in science fiction. They are a writer, editor, cultural consultant, and all-around RPG hooligan. In addition to creating TRIAL... Read More →

Saturday April 17, 2021 03:00 - 03:50 UTC
Toast
  TTRPG, Panel |   Games, Panel

03:00 UTC

Publishing Outside the U.S.
While SFF readers are excited by a greater diversity in voices, the machinery of publishing is still entirely dominated by the US market. What does this mean for publishing professionals who live elsewhere? We'll look at local publishing scenes, how people outside the US navigate publishing overseas, and the challenges faced by being located in the "rest of the world.
Moderators
avatar for Darusha Wehm

Darusha Wehm

Author
M. Darusha Wehm is the Nebula Award-nominated and Sir Julius Vogel Award winning author of the interactive fiction game The Martian Job, as well as the science fiction novels Beautiful Red, Children of Arkadia, The Voyage of the White Cloud, and the Andersson Dexter cyberpunk detective... Read More →

Speakers
avatar for Kat Clay

Kat Clay

Kat Clay is a crime and horror author from Melbourne, Australia. She is the author of novella Double Exposure, and her short story ‘Lady Loveday Investigates’ won three prizes at the 2018 Scarlet Stiletto Awards, including the Kerry Greenwood Prize for Best Malice Domestic.Kat’s... Read More →
avatar for Zhui Ning Chang

Zhui Ning Chang

Zhui Ning Chang (she/they) is a Malaysian editor, writer, and theatre maker based between London and Johor. Her writing for stage includes queer romantic comedy Seashore Yuanfen and the time travel project Asian Pirate Musical, which sold out its first showcase at VAULT 2020; her... Read More →
avatar for Sascha Stronach

Sascha Stronach

Sascha Stronach is an author from Wellington, New Zealand. Their debut novel The Dawnhounds won the 2020 Sir Julius Vogel Award for best novel.

Saturday April 17, 2021 03:00 - 03:50 UTC
Swooperton
  Writing, Panel |   Industry Biz, Panel

03:00 UTC

Social Hangout
Come and chat with other attendees! :)
Saturday April 17, 2021 03:00 - 04:00 UTC
Courtyard
  Social, Hangout

04:00 UTC

Kat Clay - Reading
Kat Clay is a crime and horror author from Melbourne, Australia. She is the author of novella Double Exposure, and her short story ‘Lady Loveday Investigates’ won three prizes at the 2018 Scarlet Stiletto Awards, including the Kerry Greenwood Prize for Best Malice Domestic.

Kat’s short stories have been published in Aurealis, SQ Mag, and Crimson Streets, as well as several anthologies. Her non-fiction and criticism has been published in The Guardian, The Victorian Writer, and Weird Fiction Review. She is an avid content producer, releasing regular videos on gaming, writing, and cosplay for her YouTube channel.
Speakers
avatar for Kat Clay

Kat Clay

Kat Clay is a crime and horror author from Melbourne, Australia. She is the author of novella Double Exposure, and her short story ‘Lady Loveday Investigates’ won three prizes at the 2018 Scarlet Stiletto Awards, including the Kerry Greenwood Prize for Best Malice Domestic.Kat’s... Read More →

Saturday April 17, 2021 04:00 - 04:25 UTC
Courtyard
  Writing, Reading |   Prose, Reading

04:00 UTC

[FULL] Kaffeeklatsch led by Casey Lucas
The seats for this interactive session have been distributed by lottery. Adding this session to your schedule does not grant you access.
Speakers
avatar for Casey Lucas

Casey Lucas

Casey Lucas is an award-winning author, game developer, and graphic novel editor based in New Zealand. Working with Seven Seas Entertainment, she has localised and edited over 60 volumes of Japanese manga for the English-language market. She was the recipient of the 2020 Sir Julius... Read More →

Saturday April 17, 2021 04:00 - 04:30 UTC
Keep
  Limited Access, Kaffeeklatsch

04:00 UTC

Adapting Your Idea to Audio
How many of us have had a great idea for a show but couldn't figure out how to move past the idea phase? In this panel we are joined by established podcast producers who have taken our own initial ideas and manifested them into successful shows. We will share with you our personal experiences on how we've fanned our own sparks of inspiration into bright flames, and we'll discuss ways you can turn your ideas into full productions.
Moderators
avatar for David S. Dear

David S. Dear

David S. Dear (he/him) is the producer, writer, and voice of the protagonist Januae in the audio drama A Ninth World Journal, co-producer of Listen, Rinse, Repeat podcast, co-producer and co-writer of the comedy podcast Deconstructive Criticism and cast member of the sci-fi comedy... Read More →

Speakers
avatar for Eddie Louise

Eddie Louise

Author
Eddie Louise is a novelist and audio-drama/podcast creator who builds speculative fiction worlds on the page and for the ears. She writes the hit audio-drama, THE TALES OF SAGE & SAVANT and the novels of the TRANSMIGRATIONS Series.
avatar for Tal Minear

Tal Minear

Sidequesting
Tal is a SoCal podcaster who cannot be stopped from making things. They produce Sidequesting, Light Hearts, Someone Dies In This Elevator, and What Will Be Here. Their voice can be heard in Novitero, The Path Down, Deconstructive Criticism, and more. Tal is also the sound designer... Read More →
avatar for Tonia Ransom

Tonia Ransom

Creator & Executive Producer, NIGHTLIGHT Podcast
Tonia Ransom is the creator and executive producer of NIGHTLIGHT, a horror podcast featuring creepy tales written by Black writers. Tonia has been scaring people since the second grade, when she wrote her first story based on Michael Myers. She’s pretty sure her teacher was concerned... Read More →

Sponsors
HM

Saturday April 17, 2021 04:00 - 04:50 UTC
Hoodini
  Audio/Podcasting, Panel |   Writing, Panel

04:00 UTC

What All the People Working on Your Book Are Doing
A journey from pitched to published, discussing what happens every step of the way and the professionals that contribute to the process
Moderators
avatar for Rosemary Jones

Rosemary Jones

Rosemary Jones is the author of several media tie-in novels including Mask of Silver (Arkham Horror), City of the Dead (D&D Forgotten Realms), and Crypt of the Moaning Diamond (D&D Forgotten Realms). Her short fiction has appeared in numerous anthologies and her nonfiction includes... Read More →

Speakers
avatar for Mike Allen

Mike Allen

Author/Editor/Publisher, Mythic Delirium Books
Mike Allen edits and publishes Mythic Delirium Books in Roanoke, Virginia, with his wife Anita and not-so-troublesome cat Pandora. His short stories have been gathered in three collections: UNSEAMING; THE SPIDER TAPESTRIES; and AFTERMATH OF AN INDUSTRIAL ACCIDENT; with a fourth, SLOW BURN, now in the... Read More →
LB

Laura Blackwell

Laura Blackwell is a freelance copyeditor and a Pushcart-nominated writer of speculative fiction. Her stories have appeared in magazines and anthologies including Nightmare, PseudoPod, Strange California, and 2015 Locus Recommended and 2016 World Fantasy Award-winning She Walks in... Read More →
avatar for Jill Roberts

Jill Roberts

Jill Roberts has been the managing editor at Tachyon Publications since 2002. She is the editor of award-winning Tachyon books, and a columnist for Books to Watch Out For and the Thirteenth Moon. Roberts was a consultant at Streetside Stories, which teaches storytelling through writing... Read More →

Sponsors
QO

Saturday April 17, 2021 04:00 - 04:50 UTC
Swooperton
  Industry Biz, Panel |   Writing, Panel

04:00 UTC

Co-Working Session led by Sarah Terentiev
Speakers
avatar for Sarah Terentiev

Sarah Terentiev

Sarah Terentiev lives in the wilds of North Texas. VP of Community Outreach for the DFW Writers’ Workshop, she writes speculative short stories including "Danger Noodle" in Silk & Steel: A Queer Speculative Adventure Anthology. ADHD, pansexual, agender (she/any), and battling her... Read More →

Saturday April 17, 2021 04:00 - 04:50 UTC
Courtyard
  Social, Co-Working

04:00 UTC

Social Hangout
Come and chat with other attendees! :)
Saturday April 17, 2021 04:00 - 05:00 UTC
Courtyard
  Social, Hangout

04:30 UTC

Theresa Halvorsen - Reading
Theresa Halvorsen has never met a profanity she hasn’t enjoyed. She’s generally overly-caffeinated and at times, wine-soaked. The author of Warehouse Dreams and The Dad’s Playbook to Labor and Birth, Theresa wonders what sleep is. When she’s not writing or podcasting at The Semi-Sages of the Pages, she’s commuting through San Diego traffic to her healthcare position. In whatever free time is left, Theresa enjoys board games, geeky conventions, and reading. Her life goal is to give "Oh-My-Gosh-This-Book-Is-So-Good!" happiness to her readers. She lives in Temecula with her amazing and supportive husband, occasionally her college-age twins, and the pets they’d promised to care for. Find her at www.theresaHauthor.com and on Twitter and Facebook.
Speakers
avatar for Theresa Halvorsen

Theresa Halvorsen

Writer and Podcaster, Semi-Sages of the Pages
Theresa Halvorsen has never met a profanity she hasn’t enjoyed. She’s generally overly-caffeinated and at times, wine-soaked. The author of the dystopian romance Warehouse Dreams and paranormal romance, River City Widows, Theresa wonders what sleep is. When she’s not writing... Read More →

Saturday April 17, 2021 04:30 - 04:55 UTC
Courtyard
  Writing, Reading |   Prose, Reading

05:00 UTC

Eddie Louise - Reading
Eddie Louise is a novelist and audio-drama/podcast creator who builds speculative fiction worlds on the page and for the ears. She writes the hit audio-drama, THE TALES OF SAGE & SAVANT and the novels of the TRANSMIGRATIONS Series.
Speakers
avatar for Eddie Louise

Eddie Louise

Author
Eddie Louise is a novelist and audio-drama/podcast creator who builds speculative fiction worlds on the page and for the ears. She writes the hit audio-drama, THE TALES OF SAGE & SAVANT and the novels of the TRANSMIGRATIONS Series.

Saturday April 17, 2021 05:00 - 05:25 UTC
Courtyard
  Writing, Reading |   Prose, Reading

05:00 UTC

[FULL] Kaffeeklatsch led by Marie Brennan
The seats for this interactive session have been distributed by lottery. Adding this session to your schedule does not grant you access.
Speakers
MB

Marie Brennan

Writer
Marie Brennan is a former anthropologist and folklorist who shamelessly pillages her academic fields for inspiration. She recently misapplied her professors' hard work to Turning Darkness Into Light, a sequel to the Hugo Award-nominated series The Memoirs of Lady Trent. As half of... Read More →

Saturday April 17, 2021 05:00 - 05:30 UTC
Keep
  Limited Access, Kaffeeklatsch

05:00 UTC

It's the Little Things: Building Verisimilitude Into Your Soundscape, From Noise Reduction to Panning
A great audio drama doesn't just tell a story; it transports us into the world of the story, to a degree that not even film can match. Part of that responsibility falls on the writers, some on the actors, but most of it is on the shoulders of audio engineers building out episodes. James Heaney is the showrunner of the long-running Starship Excelsior fan audio drama, an amateur series with a global, volunteer cast. In this talk, he will talk about the challenges of bringing scenes to life, focusing on the fundamentals he had to learn when he started in 2007. Topics will include noise reduction, ambiance, "blocking," incidental sound effects, stereo panning, and other topics as time permits.
Speakers
avatar for James Heaney

James Heaney

James Heaney is the showrunner of the long-running Starship Excelsior audio drama, a fan work based in the Star Trek universe. In real life, he makes software programs sit down and talk to one another like reasonable people.

Saturday April 17, 2021 05:00 - 05:50 UTC
Toast
  Audio/Podcasting, Presentation

05:00 UTC

Using Psychology to Deepen Character Development
How can we use psychological frameworks to deepen our understanding of characters, relationships, and themes in writing? I will discuss the unconscious mind, defense mechanisms, internal vs external conflict, self-narrative, and attachment theory, and how these can be applied to science fiction, fantasy, and horror writing..
Speakers
avatar for Grace Chan

Grace Chan

Grace Chan (gracechanwrites.com) is a Melbourne-based speculative fiction writer and doctor. Her writing explores brains, minds, technology, and narrative identity. Her debut novel about virtual reality, identity, and love, Every Version of You, will be published by Affirm Press... Read More →

Saturday April 17, 2021 05:00 - 05:50 UTC
Hoodini
  Writing, Presentation

05:00 UTC

Social Hangout
Come and chat with other attendees! :)
Saturday April 17, 2021 05:00 - 06:00 UTC
Courtyard
  Social, Hangout

05:30 UTC

Marlee Jane Ward - Reading
Marlee Jane Ward is a writer living on Wurundjeri Land in Melbourne, Australia. She grew up on Awabakal and Kuring-gai country on the Central Coast of New South Wales. She studied creative writing on Tharawal lands at the University of Wollongong, and is an alum of the Clarion West Writers Workshop in Seattle, Washington.

She is the author of the award-winning Orphancorp Series (which is in early development for the screen.) Her short fiction is published in Aurealis, Apex, Interfictions, Terraform and others.

She writes memoir under the name Mia Walsch, and her book 'Money For Something', was released in 2020 through Echo Publishing. You can find her non-fiction in Overland, Meanjin, KYD, Scum Mag and more.

She is neurodivergent and currently living her dream of being a greying apocalypse witch and someone’s fabulous goth aunt.
Speakers
MJ

Marlee Jane Ward

Marlee Jane Ward is a writer living on Wurundjeri Land in Melbourne, Australia. She grew up on Awabakal and Kuring-gai country on the Central Coast of New South Wales. She studied creative writing on Tharawal lands at the University of Wollongong, and is an alum of the Clarion West... Read More →

Saturday April 17, 2021 05:30 - 05:55 UTC
Courtyard
  Writing, Reading |   Prose, Reading

06:00 UTC

How To Draw Humans for Comics
Tips, tricks and pitfalls of drawing one of the most complex common shapes on the planet.

How to draw consistent human bodies, heads, hands, etc. and how to apply that to comics. How to make decisions regarding style, color palates and other design options for your characters.
Speakers
HA

Saturday April 17, 2021 06:00 - 06:50 UTC
Hoodini
  Comics, Presentation

06:00 UTC

All the World a Garden
With every passing year, the question becomes more pressing: how can we sustainably preserve and maintain life on Earth amid ongoing ecological disruption? Solarpunk looks at community-led initiatives and technology, practicality and ingenuity of design, and approaches the existential threats of the present and near-future with a baseline of optimism and a DIY spirit. Join three brilliant authors for a discussion of the triumphs and potential pitfalls of the solarpunk genre and movement.
Moderators
avatar for Nicasio Reed

Nicasio Reed

Attendee
Nicasio Andres Reed is a writer, poet, and essayist whose work has appeared in venues such as Strange Horizons, Lightspeed, Uncanny Magazine, and Shimmer. He lives in Tagaytay, in the Philippines, and is working on a novel.

Speakers
avatar for Rem Wigmore

Rem Wigmore

Attendee
Rem Wigmore is a speculative fiction writer based in Aotearoa. Their novel Foxhunt is forthcoming from Queen of Swords Press in 2021, and their other works include Riverwitch and The Wind City, as well as short fiction in a range of publications. Rem’s probably a changeling, but... Read More →
SQ
OC

Octavia Cade

I am a New Zealand writer with a Masters in biology and a PhD in science communication. I have a particular interest in how science is presented in science fiction and horror, and have had a number of academic papers published on the subject, as well as several conference presentations... Read More →

Saturday April 17, 2021 06:00 - 06:50 UTC
Swooperton
  Writing, Panel

06:00 UTC

Getting the Tech Right in Your Fiction
Effie Seiberg, a consultant for Silicon Valley tech startups, gives you a brief overview of some of the really cool stuff happening in technology today that people might not be aware of, and some thoughts on how to approach researching topics for your writing without going into an endless vortex.
Speakers
avatar for Effie Seiberg

Effie Seiberg

Effie Seiberg is a fantasy and science fiction writer. Her stories can be found in the "Women Destroy Science Fiction!" special edition of Lightspeed Magazine (winner of the 2015 British Fantasy Award for Best Anthology), "The Best of Galaxy's Edge 2015-2017 Analog, Fireside Fiction... Read More →

Saturday April 17, 2021 06:00 - 06:50 UTC
Toast
  Writing, Presentation |   Prose, Presentation

07:00 UTC

Grace Chan - Reading
Grace Chan (gracechanwrites.com) is a Melbourne-based speculative fiction writer and doctor. Her writing explores brains, minds, technology, and narrative identity.

Her debut novel about virtual reality, identity, and love, Every Version of You, will be published by Affirm Press in 2022.

Her short fiction can be found in Clarkesworld, Black Cranes: Tales of Unquiet Women, Aurealis, Andromeda Spaceways Magazine, and other places. Her short story, The Mark, was nominated for the 2019 Aurealis Award for Best Horror Short Story and the 2020 Norma K Hemming Award.
Speakers
avatar for Grace Chan

Grace Chan

Grace Chan (gracechanwrites.com) is a Melbourne-based speculative fiction writer and doctor. Her writing explores brains, minds, technology, and narrative identity. Her debut novel about virtual reality, identity, and love, Every Version of You, will be published by Affirm Press... Read More →

Saturday April 17, 2021 07:00 - 07:25 UTC
Courtyard
  Writing, Reading |   Prose, Reading

07:00 UTC

Writing Good Fight Scenes
Blood is pumping. Rage and fear and duty are in the air. Weapons and skills are being summoned. It's time for a fight! This panel brings together three violence virtuosos--pugilism professionals! fisticuff aficionados!--to discuss the ins and outs of fight scenes. What makes fight scenes so engaging? What purpose should they serve in your story? How can you make your fight scenes unforgettable? Join us for this discussion of literary combat!
Moderators
MU

Moses Utomi

Moses Utomi is a Nigerian-American fantasy writer and nomad currently based out of San Diego, California. He has an MFA in fiction from Sarah Lawrence College and has been published in Fireside Fiction. A lifelong martial artist and combat sports practitioner, when he isn't traveling... Read More →

Speakers
MB

Marie Brennan

Writer
Marie Brennan is a former anthropologist and folklorist who shamelessly pillages her academic fields for inspiration. She recently misapplied her professors' hard work to Turning Darkness Into Light, a sequel to the Hugo Award-nominated series The Memoirs of Lady Trent. As half of... Read More →
JE
D

Saturday April 17, 2021 07:00 - 07:50 UTC
Hoodini
  Writing, Panel |   Prose, Panel

08:00 UTC

Beyond the Western Lens: the Rich Diversity of Literature
Join us for a hopelessly abridged discussion on the rich and complex world of literature outside of the West. Time permitting, we will be discussing several non-Western literary traditions and canons, works by diasporic writers, and what's going on in the world of speculative fiction outside of the Western paradigm today.
Moderators
avatar for Phong Quan

Phong Quan

Phong is a Vietnamese-American lawyer and occasional writer of science fiction. Though he considers himself Californian at heart, he has also called Saigon, New York, Beijing, and Singapore, where he currently resides, home. He enjoys spending his time in Singapore catching no ball... Read More →

Speakers
avatar for Ng Yi-Sheng

Ng Yi-Sheng

Writer
Ng Yi-Sheng is a Singaporean poet, playwright, fictionist, researcher and LGBT+ activist. His books include the science fiction and fantasy collection Lion City (Singapore Book Awards Best Literary Work 2019, Singapore Literature Prize 2020), the best-selling non-fiction work SQ21... Read More →
avatar for Zhui Ning Chang

Zhui Ning Chang

Zhui Ning Chang (she/they) is a Malaysian editor, writer, and theatre maker based between London and Johor. Her writing for stage includes queer romantic comedy Seashore Yuanfen and the time travel project Asian Pirate Musical, which sold out its first showcase at VAULT 2020; her... Read More →
avatar for Yudhanjaya Wijeratne

Yudhanjaya Wijeratne

Researcher, LIRNEASIA
Yudhanjaya Wijeratne is the Nebula Award-nominated author of Numbercaste, The Inhuman Race, and several other stories. He works as a researcher with the Data, Algorithms and Policy team at LIRNEasia, a think tank working across the Global South; he also cofounded Watchdog Sri Lanka... Read More →

Saturday April 17, 2021 08:00 - 08:50 UTC
Hoodini
  Writing, Panel |   Commentary, Panel

09:00 UTC

Archives of the Future: Science Fiction in Special Collections and Archives
The University of Liverpool houses the largest catalogued collection of science fiction in Europe, including the archives of John Wyndham, Brian Aldiss, Olaf Stapledon, Ellen Datlow, and many others. In this presentation, Science Fiction Librarian Dr. Phoenix Alexander will give an overview of the collections, talk about the work of acquiring, processing, cataloguing and exhibiting such materials, and present some highlights from the stacks. He will also talk about, and show images from, his work with the Samuel R. Delany collection at Yale’s Beinecke Library. Including images of Arthur C. Clarke’s personal typewriter and Olaf Stapledon’s hand-drawn time charts (among other treasures), this presentation is unmissable for fans of sf’s history—and future!
Speakers
avatar for Phoenix Alexander

Phoenix Alexander

Science Fiction Collections Librarian, Sydney Jones Library, University of Liverpool
I'm a queer, Greek-Cypriot writer and scholar of science fiction, fantasy and horror. I hold a Ph.D. in English and African American Studies from Yale University and am currently the Science Fiction Collections Librarian at the University of Liverpool, where I steward the largest... Read More →

Saturday April 17, 2021 09:00 - 09:50 UTC
Hoodini
  Commentary, Presentation

09:00 UTC

[FULL] Editing Workshop led by Nick Hembery
The seats for this interactive session have been distributed by lottery. Adding this session to your schedule does not grant you access.

An editing workshop where writers bring along their current projects and there is a led discussion to improve them. Participants will receive notes on how they can develop their projects for better drafts.
Speakers
NH

Nick Hembery

UK-based freelance editor and proofreader.

Saturday April 17, 2021 09:00 - 10:50 UTC
Keep
  Limited Access, Workshop

10:00 UTC

Bigger On The Inside: Creating Deeper Worlds Interactively
In "linear" stories, the world outside the narrative can only be hinted at or glimpsed. But in an interactive story, every corner can be probed, every rock overturned... and every mystery solved. Or can it? Two years on from release, inkle's adventure game Heaven's Vault still has a thriving community deciphering the secrets of the gameworld and piecing together clues gathered from hundreds of different play-throughs. This talk will show how we designed the game to conjure up a world that gets deeper the more you look, while ensuring that the mysteries that keep us dreaming still remain.
Speakers
avatar for Jon Ingold

Jon Ingold

Narrative Director, inkle Ltd
I'm the narrative director of inkle, a multi-award winning independent developer of narrative computer games. We specialise in interactive narratives that shape themselves around the player's actions and choices in highly responsive ways. Of particular interest to FoF is 2019's Heaven's... Read More →

Sponsors
T

Saturday April 17, 2021 10:00 - 10:50 UTC
Hoodini
  Interactive Fiction, Presentation |   Games, Presentation

11:00 UTC

Kanyu Wang - Reading
Regina Kanyu Wang is a writer from Shanghai, China and currently a PhD fellow of the CoFUTURES project at the University of Oslo. Her research interest lies in Chinese science fiction, especially from the gender and environmental perspective. She writes both science fiction and non-fiction in both Chinese and English, and have won multiple Chinese Nebula Awards. Her stories can be found in Harvest, Shanghai Literature, Flower City, Galaxy’s Edge, Clarkesworld and more. Her analytical essays can be found in Mithila Review, Broken Stars, Korean Literature Now and more. She has published two science fiction story collections, Of Cloud and Mist 2.2 and The Seafood Restaurant. She has also co-edited The Way Spring Arrives and Other Stories, an all-women-and-non-binary anthology of Chinese speculative fiction, forthcoming in 2022 by Tor.
Speakers
avatar for Regina Kanyu Wang

Regina Kanyu Wang

PhD fellow, CoFUTURES
Regina Kanyu Wang is a writer, editor and researcher born in Shanghai, China and currently pursuing her PhD under the CoFUTURES project at the University of Oslo. Her research interest lies in Chinese science fiction, especially from the gender and environmental perspective. She writes... Read More →

Saturday April 17, 2021 11:00 - 11:25 UTC
Courtyard
  Writing, Reading |   Prose, Reading

11:00 UTC

The Art of Levente Rückert
Speakers
LR

Saturday April 17, 2021 11:00 - 11:30 UTC
Salon
  Art/Illustration, Art Showcase

11:00 UTC

Gender and Sexuality in African Speculative Fiction; Questioning Ogbanje and Concept of Chi
In Igbo, gender is flexible depending on your behavioural and social conditioning. During initiation into the masquerade fraternity, it's reserved for men but some headstrong and powerful women take part in this ritual. Before the advent of Christianity and still now, women get married to women in most cases when their husbands are dead and they didn't give birth to a male child. Igbo culture had female masquerades/spirit, worn by men as they displayed to the entire community.

The concept of Ogbanje is believed that children die at the childbirth and are reincarnated as the same or different gender. This might play a role on the child's sexuality. And for Chi, there is a guardian spirit "chi" guiding everyone of Igbo Origin. When one die, their flesh does but their sprit wanders to another person. Those Chi inflected with Ogbanje spirits are rebelling through various ways.
Speakers
OO

Obinna Ochem

Obinna Tony-Francis Ochem is a freelance writer, who navigates through gender, class, sexuality, climate change and shape shifting monsters. He is alumni of the Lolwe Fiction Workshop facilitated by Zukiswa Wanner and SpringNG '20 cohort writing mentorship programme. His works are... Read More →

Sponsors
LP

Saturday April 17, 2021 11:00 - 11:50 UTC
Hoodini
  Writing, Presentation |   Prose, Presentation

11:30 UTC

Nino Cipri - Reading
Nino Cipri is a queer and trans/nonbinary writer, editor, and educator. They are a graduate of the 2014 Clarion Writers’ Workshop, and earned their MFA in fiction from the University of Kansas in 2019. A multidisciplinary artist, Nino has also written plays, screenplays, and radio features; performed as a dancer, actor, and puppeteer; and worked as a stagehand, bookseller, bike mechanic, and labor organizer.

One time, an angry person on the internet called Nino a verbal terrorist, which was pretty funny.

Nino’s 2019 story collection HOMESICK won the Dzanc Short Fiction Collection Prize, was nominated for the Shirley Jackson and World Fantasy Award, and was chosen as one of the top ten books on the ALA’s 2021 Over the Rainbow Reading List. Their novella FINNA — about queer heartbreak, working retail, and wormholes — was published by Tor.com in 2020, and its sequel DEFEKT will be out in April 2021.
Speakers
NC

Nino Cipri

Nino Cipri is a queer and trans/nonbinary writer, editor, and educator. They are a graduate of the 2014 Clarion Writers’ Workshop, and earned their MFA in fiction from the University of Kansas in 2019. A multidisciplinary artist, Nino has also written plays, screenplays, and radio... Read More →

Saturday April 17, 2021 11:30 - 11:55 UTC
Courtyard
  Writing, Reading |   Prose, Reading

12:00 UTC

Nerine Dorman - Reading
Nerine Dorman is a South African author and editor of science fiction and fantasy currently living in Cape Town, with short fiction published in numerous anthologies. Her novel Sing down the Stars won Gold for the Sanlam Prize for Youth Literature in 2019, while her YA fantasy novel Dragon Forged was a finalist in the 2017. She is the curator of the South African Horrorfest Bloody Parchment event and short story competition. Her short story “On the Other Side of the Sea” (Omenana, 2017) was shortlisted for a 2018 Nommo award. Her novella The Firebird won a Nommo for “Best Novella” during 2019. In addition, she is a founding member of the SFF authors’ co-operative Skolion.
Speakers
ND

Nerine Dorman

Nerine Dorman is a South African author and editor of science fiction and fantasy currently living in Cape Town, with short fiction published in numerous anthologies. Her novel Sing down the Stars won Gold for the Sanlam Prize for Youth Literature in 2019, while her YA fantasy novel... Read More →

Saturday April 17, 2021 12:00 - 12:25 UTC
Courtyard
  Writing, Reading |   Prose, Reading

12:00 UTC

[FULL] Kaffeeklatsch led by Kanyu Wang
The seats for this interactive session have been distributed by lottery. Adding this session to your schedule does not grant you access.

Chinese SFF
Speakers
avatar for Regina Kanyu Wang

Regina Kanyu Wang

PhD fellow, CoFUTURES
Regina Kanyu Wang is a writer, editor and researcher born in Shanghai, China and currently pursuing her PhD under the CoFUTURES project at the University of Oslo. Her research interest lies in Chinese science fiction, especially from the gender and environmental perspective. She writes... Read More →

Saturday April 17, 2021 12:00 - 12:30 UTC
Keep
  Limited Access, Kaffeeklatsch

12:30 UTC

Oghenechovwe Donald Ekpeki - Reading
My name is Oghenechovwe Donald Ekpeki, and I am a disabled, African speculative fiction writer from Nigeria. I won the Nommo award for best short story by an African and was just shortlisted for the British Science Fiction Association award 2020. I was also just awarded the Horror Writers Association, diversity grant. I co-edited the groundbreaking Dominion Anthology and my fiction and non-fiction has appeared in Omenana magazine, Cosmic Roots and Eldritch Shores, Tordotcom, Strange Horizons and Uncanny Magazine. I am co-editor of several forthcoming publications, and have works of fiction and non-fiction forthcoming in several others.


I am a member of the African Speculative Fiction Society, SFWA, HWA, BSFA, BFA and Codex Writers.
Speakers
avatar for Oghenechovwe Donald Ekpeki

Oghenechovwe Donald Ekpeki

Jembefola Press
Oghenechovwe Donald Ekpeki is an African speculative fiction writer and editor in Nigeria. He won the Nebula award and is a multiple Hugo award finalist. He has also won the Otherwise, Nommo, and British Fantasy awards and has been a finalist in the WFA, Locus, BSFA, BFA & Sturgeon... Read More →

Saturday April 17, 2021 12:30 - 12:55 UTC
Courtyard
  Writing, Reading |   Prose, Reading

13:00 UTC

R J Theodore - Reading
R J Theodore is an author, podcaster, and graphic designer. She's published multiple books, including the ongoing Peridot Shift series. Her short work has appeared in the Glitter + Ashes anthology from Neon Hemlock Press. Learn more at rjtheodore.com
Speakers
avatar for R J Theodore

R J Theodore

Author, Podcaster, Graphic Designer
RJ's published work includes the ongoing Peridot Shift series and Phantom Traveler series. Her short work has appeared in the Lambda Award-nominated Glitter + Ashes anthology from Neon Hemlock Press. She is one half of the podcast We Make Books.

Saturday April 17, 2021 13:00 - 13:25 UTC
Courtyard
  Writing, Reading |   Prose, Reading

13:00 UTC

Developing Pitch Bibles
Whether pitching your story ideas to a publisher, a production studio, investors, or you just want to document the core elements of your project, you need a pitch bible. In this session, we'll be evaluating successful pitch bibles to determine why they work so well. We'll also share pitch horror stories to learn things to stay clear off. As veterans or newcomers to the entertainment industry, we all occasionally need help on how best to present our ideas on paper.
Join us as we learn more about Developing Pitch Bibles.
Speakers
avatar for Murewa Ayodele

Murewa Ayodele

Comic Book Writer, Collectible Comics NG
Murewa Ayodele is a Nigerian comic book creator who has always had a passion for animation and all things illustrated from a very young age, even though as a kid in Nigeria, he barely had access to any. He didn't buy his own print copy of a comic book till he was in college and at... Read More →

Saturday April 17, 2021 13:00 - 13:50 UTC
Toast
  Comics, Presentation |   Writing, Presentation |   Industry Biz, Presentation

13:00 UTC

The Power of the Hyperlink
How can a hyperlink transform the experience of a story? How does hypertext differ from a piece of traditional prose? This talk will discuss the unique affordances of the hyperlink and how designers and writers can make more engaging interactive fiction by considering the particular powers of the medium.
Speakers
avatar for Sharang Biswas

Sharang Biswas

Sharang Biswas is a writer, award-winning game designer, and internationally exhibited artist based in NYC. He is best known for his roleplaying game Feast, which was awarded an IndieCade award, an IGDN award, was exhibited at the Institute of Contemporary Art in Philadelphia, and... Read More →

Saturday April 17, 2021 13:00 - 13:50 UTC
Swooperton
  Interactive Fiction, Presentation

13:00 UTC

Interview with Claire Rousseau
Claire Rousseau in conversation with Mur Lafferty.
Moderators
avatar for Mur Lafferty

Mur Lafferty

Writer
Mur Lafferty is a Hugo-award winning podcaster, a Hugo and Nebula award nominated writer, and co-editor of the first science fiction podcast, Escape Pod. She streams gaming and live podcasts on Twitch.

Speakers
avatar for Claire Rousseau

Saturday April 17, 2021 13:00 - 13:50 UTC
Hoodini
  Video & Streaming, Presentation |   Guest of Honor, Presentation

13:00 UTC

[FULL] Writing Episodically - A Plotting Workshop led by Eddie Louise
The seats for this interactive session have been distributed by lottery. Adding this session to your schedule does not grant you access.

We will begin by selecting a concept with main characters and a setting or trope (ie: Cats in Space or Necromancer Romance) and then thru Q&A build a Long Arc Plot. Once we have that, we will divide the long are into 5 sections and add episodic elements to fill it out. By the end of the 2 hours we will have a functional plot outline.
Speakers
avatar for Eddie Louise

Eddie Louise

Author
Eddie Louise is a novelist and audio-drama/podcast creator who builds speculative fiction worlds on the page and for the ears. She writes the hit audio-drama, THE TALES OF SAGE & SAVANT and the novels of the TRANSMIGRATIONS Series.

Saturday April 17, 2021 13:00 - 14:50 UTC
Keep
  Limited Access, Workshop

13:30 UTC

Katharine Duckett - Reading
Katharine Duckett is the award-winning author of Miranda in Milan, a Shakespearean fantasy novella debut that NPR calls "intriguing, adept, inventive, and sexy." Her short fiction has appeared on Tor.com and in Uncanny, Apex, PseudoPod, and Interzone, as well as various anthologies including Some of the Best from Tor.com 2020, Disabled People Destroy Science Fiction, and Wilde Stories 2015: The Year's Best Gay Speculative Fiction. She is the guest fiction editor for Uncanny's Disabled People Destroy Fantasy issue, and is an advisory board member for The Octavia Project.
Speakers
avatar for Katharine Duckett

Katharine Duckett

Katharine Duckett is the award-winning author of Miranda in Milan, a Shakespearean fantasy novella debut that NPR calls "intriguing, adept, inventive, and sexy." Her short fiction has appeared on Tor.com and in Uncanny, Apex, PseudoPod, and Interzone, as well as various anthologies... Read More →

Saturday April 17, 2021 13:30 - 13:55 UTC
Courtyard
  Writing, Reading |   Prose, Reading

14:00 UTC

Izzy Wasserstein - Reading
Izzy Wasserstein as a queer, trans woman. She teaches writing and literature at a public university in the American Midwest, writes fiction and poetry, and shares a house with a variety of animal companions and the writer Nora E. Derrington. Her fiction has appeared in Clarkesworld, Apex, Analog, and many other magazines and anthologies.
Speakers
avatar for Izzy Wasserstein

Izzy Wasserstein

Author
Izzy Wasserstein is a queer, trans woman. She teaches writing and literature at a public university in the American Midwest, writes fiction and poetry, and shares a house with a variety of animal companions and the writer Nora E. Derrington. Her fiction has appeared in Clarkesworld... Read More →

Saturday April 17, 2021 14:00 - 14:25 UTC
Courtyard
  Writing, Reading |   Prose, Reading

14:00 UTC

[Sign-Up Available] Kaffeeklatsch led by Dan Stout
If you are interested in attending this workshop, fill out this form: https://airtable.com/shrt3tPlxpEIctrBT
(first come, first serve - if the session isn't listed, then it's full)

Newcomers who are looking for resources, balancing writing with a day job, and what changes when the day job goes away?
Speakers
avatar for Dan Stout

Dan Stout

Dan Stout lives in Columbus, Ohio, where he writes noir with a twist of magic and a disco chaser. Dan's stories have appeared in publications such as The Saturday Evening Post and Nature. He is the author of The Carter Archives, a series of noir fantasy novels from DAW Books. To say... Read More →

Saturday April 17, 2021 14:00 - 14:30 UTC
Keep
  Limited Access, Kaffeeklatsch

14:00 UTC

Tackling Environmental Issues in Games
Can games, video or otherwise, help educate people about environmental issues? Do game companies have a responsibility to offset the environmental impact of their products? We will address these and other related questions as we explore how the environment is portrayed in games, how climate change will impact our collective consciousness, and how games might be better used to confront this looming crisis.
Moderators
DH

Duncan Halleck

Art Director, Tesseract Studios
I am an American art director, concept artist, and illustrator who has been working professionally in the entertainment industry for the last 6 years. I have worked on television, advertising, film, and AAA videogame projects both in house, as a freelancer, and as the founder and... Read More →

Speakers
avatar for Peter Watts

Peter Watts

I write SF at the harder end of the scale, informed by my background in the sciences (I used to be a marine biologist). My work tends to focus on neurological issues (consciousness, free will, and space vampires); the biological roots of human behavior; and the environment (including... Read More →
MM

Marta Malinowska

Marta Malinowska is a cultural anthropologist, speculative fiction writer and also game writer and designer. She was the lead writer for Werewolf the Apocalypse: Heart of the Forest game, which was awarded with Paszporty Polityki, one of the biggest cultural awards in Poland.
avatar for bryan depuy

bryan depuy

Artist, game developer, and sound engineer based in Toronto/Tkaronto. Unabashedly anti-capitalist, fueled by noise, striving to unlearn and confront the violence of the systems that produced me. Prone to disassemblage (material, existential).

Saturday April 17, 2021 14:00 - 14:50 UTC
Hoodini
  Games, Panel |   Interactive Fiction, Panel

14:00 UTC

[FULL] Test Your High Concept led by K. R. Monin, Jacob Baugher
The seats for this interactive session have been distributed by lottery. Adding this session to your schedule does not grant you access.

A "test your high concept" workshop, where writers submit a summary of the interworkings of their fantasy realm or sci-fi society and how it intersects with the plot of their story. Workshop leaders (Kathleen and Jacob) and peer participants will test and help authors expand on each concept by asking questions, looking for contradictions, holes, or opportunities to flesh out the idea to make the universe and the storyline more robust.
Speakers
avatar for K. R. Monin

K. R. Monin

K. R. Monin is a speculative fiction author whose muses include human potential, everyday surrealism, and evolving technology. Her work has been published by Write Ahead/The Future Looms and Black Hare Press. In the spare time that exists between worlds, she co-hosts the analytics-based... Read More →
avatar for Jacob Baugher

Jacob Baugher

Prof. of Creative Writing, Franciscan University of Steubenville
I have several short stories published on a small Australian press. I created & co-host a writing podcast titled "The Archetypist," wherein we dissect bestselling novels and distill them down to their basic elements in order to create tools for writers. I also taught 400 level creative... Read More →

Saturday April 17, 2021 14:00 - 14:50 UTC
Keep
  Limited Access, Workshop

14:00 UTC

Co-Working Session led by Kate Heartfield
Speakers
avatar for Kate Heartfield

Saturday April 17, 2021 14:00 - 14:50 UTC
Courtyard
  Social, Co-Working

14:00 UTC

Luke Skywalker Was A Slytherin: Team Dynamics In Popular Fiction
Ensemble casts break up different parts of the hero's arc into roles, and these roles drive personality and conflict within the team. These roles have become archetypical and show up over and over in modern pop fiction (Ghostbusters, TMNT, Star Wars, Hogwarts Houses). How can you use this to manage a large cast without falling into cliche?
Speakers
avatar for Kurt Pankau

Kurt Pankau

Kurt Pankau is a computer engineer in St. Louis. He has a weakness for board games, dad-jokes, and stories about time travel. His fiction has appeared in various and sundry places around the web, including Nature Magazine, Escape Pod, and Daily Science Fiction.

Saturday April 17, 2021 14:00 - 14:50 UTC
Swooperton
  Writing, Presentation |   Prose, Presentation

14:00 UTC

How To Stand Out in Pitch Contests and Mentorship Competitions
Writing has and always will be a tricky business, but social media is creating new and accessible ways for emerging writers to reach agents and even editors. The most prominant among the new opportunities are pitch contests and mentorship competitions.

In this talk, we'll discuss what pitch contests and mentoring competitions are, how to participate and, most importantly, how to stand out and achieve success. As a traditionally published author, these were critical to me launching my career. I'm hoping to share some key insights as both a mentee and mentor from some of these mentoring competitions. I'll also go into how I landed my agent thanks to pitch competitions.
Speakers
avatar for George Jreije

George Jreije

I’m an Arab-American middle grade fantasy author of two forthcoming books from HarperCollins. My first novel, SHAD HADID AND THE ALCHEMISTS OF ALEXANDRIA debuts in 2022. Additionally, my short fiction has been commissioned by UNICEF. When not writing, I’m mentoring writers with... Read More →

Saturday April 17, 2021 14:00 - 14:50 UTC
Toast
  Writing, Presentation |   Prose, Presentation |   Industry Biz, Presentation

14:00 UTC

Social Hangout
Come and chat with other attendees! :)
Saturday April 17, 2021 14:00 - 15:00 UTC
Courtyard
  Social, Hangout

14:00 UTC

[FULL] Alea Arcana led by Arthur Kierce
The seats for this interactive session have been distributed by lottery. Adding this session to your schedule does not grant you access.

Play Alea Arcana, with the game's creator. This is a roleplaying game based on tarot cards. https://www.theonekierce.com/store/alea-arcana-digital-edition
Speakers
avatar for Arthur Kierce

Arthur Kierce

Artist, theoneKierce
Arthur Kierce (he/they) is a young trans artist based in Ireland. He is interested in mythology, art nouveau, storytelling, and magpies, and he works in everything from illustration and comics to graphic design, jewellery, costuming, and ttrpg content!

Saturday April 17, 2021 14:00 - 15:59 UTC
Courtyard
  Limited Access, Limited Session Gaming

14:30 UTC

John Appel - Reading
John Appel volunteered to jump out of planes before he’d ever been in a plane; his friends and family say this sums up his approach to life pretty well. He writes science fiction and fantasy and the occasional tabletop RPG adventure. A lifelong Marylander, he lives in the Baltimore suburbs with his wife and children. He masqueraded as a technology risk manager to pay the bills after two decades as an information security pro before turning full-time writer. When not writing, rolling dice, or keeping the bad guys at bay, he enjoys rum and swords, but not both at the same time. John is a graduate of the Viable Paradise writing workshop. His first novel, ASSASSIN'S ORBIT, will be published by Rebellion in July 2021.
Speakers
avatar for John Appel

John Appel

Author
John Appel volunteered to jump out of planes before he’d ever been in a plane; his friends and family say this sums up his approach to life pretty well. He writes science fiction and fantasy and the occasional tabletop RPG adventure. A lifelong Marylander, he lives in the Baltimore... Read More →

Saturday April 17, 2021 14:30 - 14:55 UTC
Courtyard
  Writing, Reading |   Prose, Reading

15:00 UTC

All About Booktube: Its Influence, Future, and Culture
Exploring the ways that Booktube has had an impact on literature, for both readers and writers. Does Booktube play a role in the interaction between an author and their audience? What is the impact Booktube has on the larger community of fans and readers?
Moderators
avatar for Nina Niskanen

Nina Niskanen

Nina Niskanen writes science fiction, fantasy, and horror. She lives in Helsinki, Finland, with her partner, and her dog where she works as a software developer. She is passionate about space, language, and creepy crawlies. She is a graduate of Viable Paradise and Clarion UCSD.

Speakers
avatar for Kitty G

Kitty G

I am a reviewer and booktuber who's been reading and talking about SFF books on my channel since 2013. I've grown my audience in that time, and pride myself on reading a mix of self-published and traditional published titles to find a range of great reads.I've judged the BooktubeSFF... Read More →
avatar for Claire Rousseau
avatar for Emily Lau

Emily Lau

Booktuber & video essayist who runs the channel Emiloid. Primarily focused on fantasy in books, films and TV but sometimes rants about Little Women. Likes finding occult and witchy themes in everything. Lives in the UK and is a PhD student in linguistics, focusing on computational... Read More →

Saturday April 17, 2021 15:00 - 15:50 UTC
Swooperton
  Commentary, Panel |   Video & Streaming, Panel |   Guest of Honor, Panel

15:00 UTC

Co-Working Session led by Christie Yant
Speakers
CY

Christie Yant

Writer/Editor, Freelance
Christie Yant is a writer and co-Editor-in-Chief of Fantasy Magazine. In 2014 she edited the Women Destroy Science Fiction! special issue of Lightspeed Magazine, which won the British Fantasy Award for Best Anthology. She is the co-editor of four anthologies, and a consulting editor... Read More →

Saturday April 17, 2021 15:00 - 15:50 UTC
Courtyard
  Social, Co-Working

15:00 UTC

The Business of Translation
A discussion of the business aspect of translation -- how it is handled differently from original fiction, what translators and editors/publishers looking to print translations should know.
Moderators
avatar for J.R.H. Lawless

J.R.H. Lawless

SF Author and Space Lawyer, J.R.H. Lawless
J.R.H. Lawless is a bestselling SF author from Atlantic Canada who blends comedy with political themes — drawing heavily, in both cases, on their experience as a lawyer and as Secretary General of a Parliamentary group at the French National Assembly. A member of SFWA and Codex... Read More →

Speakers
avatar for Regina Kanyu Wang

Regina Kanyu Wang

PhD fellow, CoFUTURES
Regina Kanyu Wang is a writer, editor and researcher born in Shanghai, China and currently pursuing her PhD under the CoFUTURES project at the University of Oslo. Her research interest lies in Chinese science fiction, especially from the gender and environmental perspective. She writes... Read More →
avatar for Alex Shvartsman

Alex Shvartsman

Alex Shvartsman is a writer, translator, and anthologist from Brooklyn, NY. His political fantasy novel Eridani’s Crown was published in 2019. Over 120 of his short stories have appeared in Analog, Nature, Strange Horizons, and many other venues. His website is www.alexshvartsm... Read More →
avatar for Neil Clarke

Neil Clarke

Editor, Clarkesworld Magazine
Neil Clarke (neil-clarke.com) is the editor of the Hugo and World Fantasy Award-winning Clarkesworld Magazine and several anthologies, including the Best Science Fiction of the Year series. He has been a finalist for the Hugo Award for Best Editor (Short Form) eight times, won the... Read More →

Saturday April 17, 2021 15:00 - 15:50 UTC
Hoodini
  Translation, Panel

15:00 UTC

Social Hangout
Come and chat with other attendees! :)
Saturday April 17, 2021 15:00 - 16:00 UTC
Courtyard
  Social, Hangout

15:00 UTC

[FULL] Drafting the Perfect Pitch - two hour session? led by George Jreije
The seats for this interactive session have been distributed by lottery. Adding this session to your schedule does not grant you access.

Drafting the Perfect Pitch and/or the Concise Query Letter
Speakers
avatar for George Jreije

George Jreije

I’m an Arab-American middle grade fantasy author of two forthcoming books from HarperCollins. My first novel, SHAD HADID AND THE ALCHEMISTS OF ALEXANDRIA debuts in 2022. Additionally, my short fiction has been commissioned by UNICEF. When not writing, I’m mentoring writers with... Read More →

Saturday April 17, 2021 15:00 - 16:50 UTC
Keep
  Limited Access, Workshop

15:30 UTC

S. Faxon - Reading
S. Faxon writes fantasy and thriller novels. She is co-creator of the podcast, Semi-Sages of the Pages and has a YouTube Channel featuring writing tips, book reviews, and author interviews. And Sarah has recently been appointed President of the San Diego Writers and Editors Guild. To learn about her projects and author services, visit her website at www.sfaxon.com
Speakers
avatar for Sarah Faxon

Sarah Faxon

Co-Founder & Creative Director, No Bad Books Press, LLC
S. Faxon writes urban fantasy, dark fantasy, and horror novels. She is served as the president of the San Diego Writers and Editors Guild, co-founded No Bad Books Press, LLC, is a co-creator of the podcast, Semi-Sages of the Pages, and is an English Language Arts Teacher.

Saturday April 17, 2021 15:30 - 15:55 UTC
Courtyard
  Writing, Reading |   Prose, Reading

16:00 UTC

Cat Rambo - Reading
Cat Rambo has published 200+ short stories. In 2021 her book publications are fantasy novel Exiles of Tabat (May, Wordfire Press), anthology The Reinvented Heart, coedited with Jennifer Brozek (July, Arc Manor), and space opera, You Sexy Thing (September, Tor Macmillan).
Speakers
avatar for Cat Rambo

Cat Rambo

Attendee, SFWA
Cat Rambo has published 200+ short stories. In 2021 her book publications are fantasy novel Exiles of Tabat (May, Wordfire Press), anthology The Reinvented Heart, coedited with Jennifer Brozek (July, Arc Manor), and space opera, You Sexy Thing (September, Tor Macmillan).

Saturday April 17, 2021 16:00 - 16:25 UTC
Courtyard
  Prose, Reading |   Writing, Reading

16:00 UTC

Jeffe Kennedy - Reading
Jeffe Kennedy is an award-winning, best-selling author who writes fantasy with romantic elements and fantasy romance. She is an RWA member and serves on the Board of Directors for SFWA as a Director at Large.

She is a hybrid author, and also self-publishes a romantic fantasy series, Sorcerous Moons. Books in her popular, long-running series, The Twelve Kingdoms and The Uncharted Realms, have won the RT Reviewers’ Choice Best Fantasy Romance, been named Best Book of June 2014, and won RWA’s prestigious RITA® Award, while more have been finalists for those awards. She's the author of the romantic fantasy trilogy, The Forgotten Empires, which includes The Orchid Throne, The Fiery Crown, and The Promised Queen.

Jeffe lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico, with two Maine coon cats, plentiful free-range lizards and a very handsome Doctor of Oriental Medicine.

She can be found online at her website, every Sunday at the SFF Seven blog, on Facebook, on BookBub, on Goodreads and on Twitter. She is represented by Sarah Younger of Nancy Yost Literary Agency.
Speakers
avatar for Jeffe Kennedy

Jeffe Kennedy

Author
Jeffe Kennedy is an award-winning, best-selling author who writes fantasy with romantic elements and fantasy romance. She is an RWA member and serves on the Board of Directors for SFWA as a Director at Large. She is a hybrid author, and also self-publishes a romantic fantasy series... Read More →

Saturday April 17, 2021 16:00 - 16:25 UTC
Courtyard
  Writing, Reading |   Prose, Reading

16:00 UTC

[Sign-Up Available] Kaffeeklatsch led by Kimberly Nugent
If you are interested in attending this workshop, fill out this form: https://airtable.com/shrt3tPlxpEIctrBT
(first come, first serve - if the session isn't listed, then it's full)

TTRPGs, editing, women in gaming
Speakers
avatar for Kimberly Nugent

Kimberly Nugent

Editor, Game Dev, Writer, Penguicon Featured Guest
Penguicon Featured Guest, Kimberly Nugent, began her career editing speculative fiction and poetry with Far Horizons Magazine as her first position while completing her editing certificate from UC Berkeley. After experience editing shorts and anthologies, she then moved into her lifelong... Read More →

Saturday April 17, 2021 16:00 - 16:30 UTC
Keep
  Limited Access, Kaffeeklatsch

16:00 UTC

Writing Contest Winner Showcase: Monique Laban
Monique Laban is the second place winner of the 2020 Dream Foundry writing contest: https://dreamfoundry.org/contest-winners/

Monique is a writer based in New York. Her essays have appeared in Electric Literature and Catapult. Her fiction has appeared in Clarkesworld and the collection Tiny Nightmares, edited by Nadxieli Nieto and Lincoln Michel (Catapult, October 2020). She is an alumna of the 2019 Tin House Summer Workshop, the 2019 Viable Paradise 23 Workshop, and the 2017 Voices of Our Nations Arts (VONA) Workshop. She is currently at work on a novel.

Monique will be interviewed by Valerie Valdes.
Moderators
avatar for Valerie Valdes

Valerie Valdes

Valerie Valdes’s short fiction and poetry have been featured in Uncanny Magazine, Time Travel Short Stories and Nightmare Magazine. Her debut novel Chilling Effect was shortlisted for the 2021 Arthur C. Clarke Award and was named one of Library Journal’s best SF/fantasy novels... Read More →

Speakers
avatar for Monique Laban

Monique Laban

Monique Laban is a writer based in New York. Her essays have appeared in Electric Literature and Catapult. Her fiction has appeared in Clarkesworld and the collection Tiny Nightmares, edited by Nadxieli Nieto and Lincoln Michel (Catapult, October 2020). She is an alumna of the 2019... Read More →

Saturday April 17, 2021 16:00 - 16:50 UTC
Swooperton
  Writing, Contest Showcase |   Contest Winner, Contest Showcase |   Prose, Contest Showcase

16:00 UTC

Editing Poetry
How can we make our poems better for ourselves and our readers? How do poetry editors select poems for journals and anthologies? When do you finally stop editing a poem? Join poets and poetry editors Akua Lezli Hope, Sara Codair, Cislyn Smith and Mary Soon Lee for this informative panel on crafting and shaping your verse.
Moderators
avatar for Terese Mason Pierre

Terese Mason Pierre

Terese Mason Pierre (she/her) is a writer and editor whose work has appeared in FIYAH, The Puritan, Quill and Quire, and Strange Horizons, among others. Her work has been nominated for the bpNichol Chapbook Award, the Elgin Award and twice for the Ignyte Awards. She is the co-Editor-in-Chief... Read More →

Speakers
avatar for Mary Soon Lee

Mary Soon Lee

Author
Mary Soon Lee was born and raised in London, but now lives in Pittsburgh. She writes both fiction and poetry, and has won the Rhysling Award and the Elgin Award. Her two latest books are from opposite ends of the poetry spectrum: "Elemental Haiku," containing haiku for each element... Read More →
avatar for Cislyn Smith

Cislyn Smith

secretary, Dream Foundry
Cislyn Smith (she/her) writes speculative short stories and poems, and you can find her wordy work in Strange Horizons, Diabolical Plots, Daily Science Fiction and scattered hither and yon else-internet. She is a first reader for Uncanny Magazine and Giganotosaurus, a graduate of... Read More →
avatar for Akua Lezli Hope

Akua Lezli Hope

Creator, Speculative Sundays
Akua Lezli Hope is a creator and wisdom seeker who uses sound, words, fiber, glass, metal, and wire to create poems, patterns, stories, music, sculpture, adornments, and peace. Published in numerous literary magazines and national anthologies, she has been in print every year, except... Read More →
avatar for Sara Codair

Sara Codair

Author
Sara Codair is a community college English teacher, and is an author of speculative short stories and novels. They partially owe their success to their faithful feline writing partner, Goose the Meowditor-In-Chief, who likes to “edit” their work by deleting entire pages. Their... Read More →

Saturday April 17, 2021 16:00 - 16:50 UTC
Hoodini
  Writing, Panel |   Poetry, Panel

16:00 UTC

Spark to Story: Authors Compare their Writing Processes
Every writer gets asked: “where do you get your ideas?” In this panel, we’ll take a step beyond that to “what do you do with your ideas?” Panelists will discuss what their creative process looks like from inception to completion, including where their ideas tend to start, how they develop those ideas into stories, their routines, and how they handle projects that refuse to cooperate with any of those.
Moderators
avatar for Tyler Hayes

Tyler Hayes

Author
Tyler is a science fiction and fantasy writer from Rhode Island. He writes stories he hopes will show people that not only are they not alone, but we might just make things better. Tyler’s debut novel, The Imaginary Corpse, is out now from Angry Robot Books.

Speakers
avatar for C.L. Clark

C.L. Clark

Cherae is the author of The Unbroken, the first book in the Magic of the Lost trilogy. She graduated from Indiana University’s creative writing MFA and was a 2012 Lambda Literary Fellow. She’s been a personal trainer, an English teacher, and an editor, and is some combination... Read More →
avatar for LaShawn Wanak

LaShawn Wanak

Writer, Book Reviewer, GigaNotoSaurus Editor
LaShawn M. Wanak lives in Wisconsin with her husband and son. She writes science fiction, fantasy, and a little bit of horror. Her works have been published in Fireside Magazine, FIYAH, Uncanny Magazine, and many others. She is the editor of the online magazine GigaNotoSaurus and... Read More →
avatar for Sloane Leong

Sloane Leong

Attendee
Sloane Leong is a mixed indigenous cartoonist, artist, and writer. She is currently working on the sequel to her sci-fi adventure comic Prism Stalker and has a new graphic novel out from First Second called A Map to the Sun. She is currently living in Chinook Territory near Portland... Read More →
avatar for Ewen Ma

Ewen Ma

Ewen Ma (they/them) is a speculative fiction writer-poet, theatre deviser, translator, and research student in film & visual cultures. A 2018 graduate of the Clarion West Writers Workshop, Ewen was also shortlisted for the  Gollancz & Rivers of London BAME SFF Award and was an attendee... Read More →

Saturday April 17, 2021 16:00 - 16:50 UTC
Toast
  Writing, Panel |   Prose, Panel

16:00 UTC

Social Hangout
Come and chat with other attendees! :)
Saturday April 17, 2021 16:00 - 17:00 UTC
Courtyard
  Social, Hangout

16:30 UTC

Sandy Parsons - Reading
My fiction has recently sold to Analog Science Fiction and Fact, Zooscape, and StarShipSofa and I have stories appearing in Escape Pod, Alternative Apocalypse and others. More information and links to stories can be found at http://www.sandyparsons.com/
Speakers
avatar for Sandy Parsons

Sandy Parsons

My fiction has recently sold to Analog Science Fiction and Fact, Zooscape, and StarShipSofa and I have stories appearing in Escape Pod, Alternative Apocalypse and others. More information and links to stories can be found at http://www.sandyparsons.com/

Saturday April 17, 2021 16:30 - 16:55 UTC
Courtyard
  Writing, Reading |   Prose, Reading

16:30 UTC

[FULL] Kaffeeklatsch led by Izzy Wasserstein
The seats for this interactive session have been distributed by lottery. Adding this session to your schedule does not grant you access.

Tips and tricks for writers new to the field
Speakers
avatar for Izzy Wasserstein

Izzy Wasserstein

Author
Izzy Wasserstein is a queer, trans woman. She teaches writing and literature at a public university in the American Midwest, writes fiction and poetry, and shares a house with a variety of animal companions and the writer Nora E. Derrington. Her fiction has appeared in Clarkesworld... Read More →

Saturday April 17, 2021 16:30 - 17:00 UTC
Keep
  Limited Access, Kaffeeklatsch

17:00 UTC

Queering Games
Moderators
avatar for Dave Ring

Dave Ring

Managing Editor/Publisher, Neon Hemlock Press
dave ring is a queer editor and writer of speculative fiction living in Washington, DC.  He is the publisher and managing editor of Neon Hemlock Press, as well as editor of the anthology Glitter + Ashes: Queer Tales of a World That Wouldn’t Die. His short fiction has been featured... Read More →

Speakers
avatar for Ruth EJ Booth

Ruth EJ Booth

Ruth EJ Booth is a multiple award-winning writer and SGSAH-funded academic of cross-media Fantasy based in Glasgow, Scotland. Her poetry and fiction can be found in Black Static, Pseudopod and The Dark magazine, as well as anthologies from NewCon Press and Fox Spirit Books. Winner... Read More →
OB

Orion Black

Orion D Black is a Black nonbinary writer and creative director for CH Media's ttrpg show, Dimension 20. They've worked in several corners of the ttrpg industry, including an independent design career, narrative design at Wizards of the Coast, and creative and sensitivity consult... Read More →
DD

Dominique Dickey

Dominique Dickey is a student at Johns Hopkins University, majoring in Writing Seminars and completing a thesis on the representation of non-normative genders in science fiction. They are a writer, editor, cultural consultant, and all-around RPG hooligan. In addition to creating TRIAL... Read More →

Saturday April 17, 2021 17:00 - 17:50 UTC
Toast
  Games, Panel |   Interactive Fiction, Panel |   TTRPG, Panel

17:00 UTC

Podcast Care and Feeding: How to Manage Expectations, Grow Your Audience, and Keep Momentum
Once you’ve set yourself up for success and launched a podcast the hard part really begins: growing your audience and keeping momentum. What are some strategies proven to work? What’s not worth your time? How can you define success for yourself?
Moderators
avatar for Luke Elliott

Luke Elliott

Writer, Co-Host, Ink to Film Podcast
Luke Elliott’s fiction runs the gamut from Fantasy to SciFi to Horror, and has appeared in Metaphorosis Magazine, the Buckman Journal, and in audio form on The Overcast Podcast, among others. He has a B.A. in Creative Writing from the University of Florida, an MFA in Writing Popular... Read More →

Speakers
avatar for Alan Bailey

Alan Bailey

cohost/creator/editor, If This Goes On (Don't Panic)
Alan Bailey is the co-creator, cohost, ad editor of the If This Goes On (Don’t Panic) podcast. In the past he also created, edited, and cohosted, the Alan & Jeremy VS Science Fiction podcast. He has been an educator for most of his life, starting in the Pittsburgh Public Schools... Read More →
avatar for Tonia Ransom

Tonia Ransom

Creator & Executive Producer, NIGHTLIGHT Podcast
Tonia Ransom is the creator and executive producer of NIGHTLIGHT, a horror podcast featuring creepy tales written by Black writers. Tonia has been scaring people since the second grade, when she wrote her first story based on Michael Myers. She’s pretty sure her teacher was concerned... Read More →
avatar for Jonathan Stark

Jonathan Stark

Jonathan had his first Dungeon & Dragons experience when he was five, when his dad took him to a mysterious shop in Ft. Lauderdale run by a strange bearded man who sold magical books and figurines (Jonathan was pretty sure the dude was a wizard). Since that early introduction to fantasy... Read More →
avatar for Morrigan Puhr

Morrigan Puhr

Co-Creator, Semi-Sages of the Pages
Morrigan is an award winning teacher, writer, and perpetual student of life! She enjoys embracing novelty through original experiences and developing a variety of skills. When she is not writing or teaching her amazing students, she hangs around with friends, works on the family ranch... Read More →

Saturday April 17, 2021 17:00 - 17:50 UTC
Hoodini
  Industry Biz, Panel |   Audio/Podcasting, Panel

17:00 UTC

[FULL] Blurbs, Bios, and Backmatter led by Jaye Viner
The seats for this interactive session have been distributed by lottery. Adding this session to your schedule does not grant you access.

We put so much emphasis on writing a good book, but the process after our dreams of publication come true is more mysterious. As a debut author I had no idea how much writing I would be asked to do, writing that I knew nothing about. A Sales pitch to distributers, the book description that goes inside the front jacket, cold emails to authors who would blurb my book, long-read essay pitches, comps explanations, BISAC data, metadata. This workshop will give an overview of the most common genres along with some examples, best practices, and tips for how to find information, along with time to write some short genres like author bios or pitches from model texts and briefly workshop them with other participants. It should be particularly useful for people planning to work with small presses or self-publishing.
Speakers
avatar for Jaye Viner

Jaye Viner

Writer
A dabbler in language and color and otherworldly-narratives, Jaye is open to any and all conversations about Star Trek, Farscape, and The 100. She is the author of a debut novel, Jane of Battery Park, about a woman whose family puts celebrities on trial for their sins (yikes), and... Read More →

Saturday April 17, 2021 17:00 - 17:50 UTC
Keep
  Limited Access, Workshop

17:00 UTC

[FULL] Creating a Story from Scratch led by Diane Turnshek
The seats for this interactive session have been distributed by lottery. Adding this session to your schedule does not grant you access.

Learning to write is a solitary experience, but in this workshop, the participants will create a story from scratch. My questions may seem random (Past, present or future? Fantasy, SF or horror? This world, a secondary world or alien planet?), but the participants will see how to create an engaging story out of thin air in an hour.
Speakers
avatar for Diane Turnshek

Diane Turnshek

Carnegie Mellon University
Diane Turnshek is an astronomer at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, PA. She has been on the Board of Directors for both the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America and Parsec, Pittsburgh’s premier science fiction organization. For nine years, she mentored graduate... Read More →

Saturday April 17, 2021 17:00 - 17:50 UTC
Keep
  Limited Access, Workshop

17:00 UTC

Co-Working Session led by Priya Sridhar
Speakers
PS

Priya Sridhar

A 2016 MBA graduate and published author, Priya Sridhar has been writing fantasy and science fiction for fifteen years, and counting. Capstone published the Powered series, and Alban Lake published her works Carousel and Neo-Mecha Mayhem. Priya lives in Miami, Florida with her fa... Read More →

Saturday April 17, 2021 17:00 - 17:50 UTC
Courtyard
  Social, Co-Working

17:00 UTC

Architecture, Neuroscience and Speculative Fiction: Relationships and Intersections
As someone with experience in neuroscience, science fiction writing, and architecture, I find that the three fields all study perception of reality, what stays in memory, how we choose to move through our environment/select actions, and what influences emotions and relationships. I would like to dissect and walk us through architectural methods, neuroscientific methods, and methods in speculative fiction that exemplify this.
Speakers
avatar for Arula Ratnakar

Arula Ratnakar

Attendee
Arula Ratnakar is a scientist, artist and science fiction writer who is currently studying biology, neuroscience and architecture at Carnegie Mellon University (Class of 2021). Her writing can be found in Clarkesworld Magazine and her artwork can be found in the first issue of Dark... Read More →

Saturday April 17, 2021 17:00 - 17:50 UTC
Swooperton
  Writing, Presentation |   Prose, Presentation

17:00 UTC

Shrimp and Crits - Live!
In the balmy swamps of the Florida panhandle, monsters and mystery lurk behind every moss-draped tree and stone. Shrimp & Crits is an actual play podcast currently playing Monster of the Week by Michael Sands. Our story takes place in the small coastal town of Gullacochica, where tourists and locals enjoy clean sprawling beaches, fresh-caught fare, and a wide variety of small family-owned businesses.

Join us for our first-ever live show! Our player characters are local businessman Raymon “Ray Ray” Lareaux, greenhorn Deputy Sara Payne, and the mysterious Agent Ari Green. See how they fare against whatever monster the Keeper throws at them this week!
Speakers
avatar for Ian Mauldin

Ian Mauldin

Keeper/Producer, Shrimp and Crits
Ian Mauldin is the Keeper and Producer for Shrimp and Crits. As a kid, he fell in love with fantasy and RPGs by reading Dragonlance books and playing Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic. He has been a GM for various games over the past seven years. Ian also writes music and has... Read More →
avatar for Cap

Cap

Shrimp and Crits
Cap plays Agent Ari Green the Searcher in Shrimp and Crits. He approaches ttrpgs with an obsessive energy, messaging his GMs daily to flesh out his characters. His dedication to creating complex, often tragic characters really drives the games he’s a part of. As a life long fan... Read More →
CS

Catie Stroud

Catie Stroud plays Deputy Sara Payne the Mundane in Shrimp and Crits. She excels at playing the audience surrogate, a normal person lost in a world of strangeness. She has a bachelors in English and writes creatively as a hobby. She has one published piece of work but says good luck... Read More →
RS

Saturday April 17, 2021 17:00 - 18:30 UTC
Salon
  Audio/Podcasting, Live Episode

17:00 UTC

[FULL] Tabletop Game Mechanics led by Allie Bustion
The seats for this interactive session have been distributed by lottery. Adding this session to your schedule does not grant you access.

Creating mechanics within tabletop games that promote interaction with fictional positioning and move players forward towards investigating the goals and themes of the game.
Speakers
avatar for Allie Bustion

Allie Bustion

Game Designer & Writer

Saturday April 17, 2021 17:00 - 18:50 UTC
Keep
  Limited Access, Workshop

18:00 UTC

Fabio Fernandes - Reading
Fabio Fernandes lives in São Paulo, Brazil. He has published several books, among which the novels Os Dias da Peste and Back in the USSR (in Portuguese) and the collection L'Imitatore (in Italian). Also a translator, he is responsible for the translation to Brazilian Portuguese of several SF novels, including Neuromancer, Snow Crash, and A Clockwork Orange. His short stories have been published online in Brazil, Portugal, Romania, the UK, New Zealand, and USA, and also in Ann and Jeff VanderMeer’s Steampunk II: Steampunk Reloaded and Southern Fried Weirdness: Reconstruction (2011), The Apex Book of World SF, Vol 2, Stories for Chip. Co-edited (with Djibril al-Ayad) the postcon anthology We See a Different Frontier, and, with Francesco Verso, the anthology Solarpunk - Come ho imparato ad amare il futuro. Graduate of Clarion West, class of 2013. Formerly slush reader for Hugo Award-winner Clarkesworld Magazine. His first collection in English, Love. An Archaeology, is out from Luna Press Publishing on March 26th.
Speakers
avatar for Fabio Fernandes

Fabio Fernandes

Fabio Fernandes lives in São Paulo, Brazil. He has published several books, among which the novels Os Dias da Peste and Back in the USSR (in Portuguese) and the collection L'Imitatore (in Italian). Also a translator, he is responsible for the translation to Brazilian Portuguese of... Read More →

Saturday April 17, 2021 18:00 - 18:25 UTC
Courtyard
  Prose, Reading |   Writing, Reading

18:00 UTC

[Sign-Up Available] Kaffeeklatsch led by Grace Fong
If you are interested in attending this workshop, fill out this form: https://airtable.com/shrt3tPlxpEIctrBT
(first come, first serve - if the session isn't listed, then it's full)

Ilustration, TTRPG
Speakers
avatar for Grace Fong

Grace Fong

Grace P. Fong is a Narrative Designer on Magic: The Gathering. In addition, she is a freelance illustrator who has won the inaugural Ignyte award.

Saturday April 17, 2021 18:00 - 18:30 UTC
Keep
  Limited Access, Kaffeeklatsch

18:00 UTC

Making the Most of Physical Media - Tips for Watercolors, Gouache, Oils, Acrylics, Pencils, and Beyond
The world of physical media can be overwhelming! In this panel we will have a friendly discussion with artists on how they got started, how they deal with the unique challenges of their medium, what resources they recommend, and lots of tips for making the most of your supplies.
Moderators
avatar for Hannah Charlton

Hannah Charlton

Hannah Charlton grew up in Eastern Washington. She studied art at Whitworth University, where she first became interested in medieval art history. This was encouraged by an internship at the Grünewald Guild, an arts retreat center that held classes in stained glass, calligraphy... Read More →

Speakers
avatar for Lauren Blake

Lauren Blake

Seattle based illustrator with a passion for storytelling.www.laurenblakeart.com
avatar for Thaleia Demeter

Thaleia Demeter

Artist working in pencil, watercolour, gouache, and digital. Her work is inspired by classical myth and folklore, with a heavy dash of historical fashion, romance, and fantasy.
avatar for Ingrid Kallick

Ingrid Kallick

Ingrid Kallick is an artist and writer specializing in fantasy and children’s illustration. Ingrid’s art has appeared in Cricket Magazine, Communication Arts, Spectrum, Scientific American, the cover of Science, in murals, stage sets, scientific visualization and print. Her... Read More →

Saturday April 17, 2021 18:00 - 18:50 UTC
Swooperton
  Art/Illustration, Panel |   Contest Winner, Panel

18:00 UTC

Queer Representation in Podcasting
The panel will discuss Queer representation throughout podcast history. We’ll take a deep dive into the intersectionality of queer rep within audio fiction and pinpoint some great (and not so great) examples of LGBTQ+ characters who aren’t just cis, white, abled, and culturally Christian. We will also give advice on how to better represent your diverse cast of characters and when to reach out to sensitivity consultants.
Moderators
avatar for Cole Burkhardt

Cole Burkhardt

Cole Burkhardt currently resides in Washington D.C and has tried everything from streaming tabletop games on Twitch to spelunking deep underground. He has been in a variety of podcasts including Godshead Incidental and Unplaced and is the writer and director of Null/Void and Ritual... Read More →

Speakers
avatar for Cassie Josephs

Cassie Josephs

Founder, Starlight Audio Productions
Cassie Josephs is the creator of Mina's Story, co-founder of Starlight Audio Productions, and a vocal advocate for accessibility in audio media. Starlight Audio's debut production, Twilight Over Midgard, is releasing Summer 2021.

Saturday April 17, 2021 18:00 - 18:50 UTC
Hoodini
  Audio/Podcasting, Panel

18:00 UTC

Techniques and Considerations in Writing for Audio
Curious to learn some tips and tricks for producing audio dramas and audiobooks? Excited to talk with three award-winning and industry-leading writers, editors, and producers in the scene? Then join JILL KORN, CRYSTAL SKILLMAN, and S.B. DIVYA as we discuss what it takes to craft sonically pleasing audio productions!
Moderators
avatar for Zelda Knight

Zelda Knight

Owner-Operator, Aurelia Book Café
Zelda Knight is a romance author by day, and the publisher and editor-in-chief of AURELIA LEO, an independent, Nebula Award-nominated indie press based in Louisville, Kentucky by night. She has published over one hundred authors, artists, and poets from around the world. She is also... Read More →

Speakers
avatar for Crystal Skillman

Crystal Skillman

Playwright, Playwright
CRYSTAL SKILLMAN is an award-winning playwright expanding into television and audio drama. Her four part audio drama KING KIRBY, with co-writer Fred Van Lente, was just released on Broadway Podcast Network. Her other work with Fred Van Lente includes EAT FIGHTER the animated series... Read More →
avatar for Jill Korn

Jill Korn

Audio dramas based on history and myth, as well as on real life. Talk to me about writing, directing and acting for audio drama and about what makes a compelling story.
avatar for S.B. Divya

S.B. Divya

Author, Editor
S.B. Divya is a lover of science, math, fiction, and the Oxford comma. She is the Hugo and Nebula nominated author of Runtime and co-editor of Escape Pod, with Mur Lafferty. Her short stories have been published at various magazines including Analog, Uncanny, and tor.com. Her collection... Read More →

Sponsors
avatar for Escape Artists

Saturday April 17, 2021 18:00 - 18:50 UTC
Eyrie
  Audio/Podcasting, Panel |   Writing, Panel |   Guest of Honor, Panel

18:00 UTC

[FULL] Writing Flash Fiction Like a Poet led by Tamara Jerée Rutledge
The seats for this interactive session have been distributed by lottery. Adding this session to your schedule does not grant you access.

Writing flash fiction like a poet. I hope participants can come away with a fresh perspective on their work (building in a sense of poetic astonishment, how to build towards a turn/realization, revising towards strangeness) and strategies to think about how they can dig into sentence-level detail to evoke mood and control pacing.
Speakers
TJ

Saturday April 17, 2021 18:00 - 18:50 UTC
Keep
  Limited Access, Workshop

18:00 UTC

AI in the Real and Imagined Future
Our understanding of AI and how intelligence works has come a long way since HAL's fixation on the pod bay doors. Nowadays "AI" powers everything from what you see on social media to what happens when you make a phone call. Depictions of AI in media have and haven't changed to accommodate this reality. What does AI mean for us in our everyday lives? How have our AI characters and motifs changed or evolved in response to that understanding. We'll discuss all of this, and also take a look at where we're heading and how these trends will continue with time and further development of the technology.
Moderators
avatar for Yudhanjaya Wijeratne

Yudhanjaya Wijeratne

Researcher, LIRNEASIA
Yudhanjaya Wijeratne is the Nebula Award-nominated author of Numbercaste, The Inhuman Race, and several other stories. He works as a researcher with the Data, Algorithms and Policy team at LIRNEasia, a think tank working across the Global South; he also cofounded Watchdog Sri Lanka... Read More →

Speakers
avatar for Benjamin C. Kinney

Benjamin C. Kinney

Attendee, Escape Pod
Benjamin C. Kinney is a neuroscientist, SFF writer, and assistant editor (submissions editor) of the science fiction magazine Escape Pod. His short stories have appeared in many excellent magazines including Strange Horizons, Analog, and Beneath Ceaseless Skies. You can read more... Read More →
avatar for Brahidaliz Martinez

Brahidaliz Martinez

I wear multiple hats...
Brahidaliz - a 2019 graduate of American University's MFA in creative writing program - is the author of the forthcoming cross-genre chapbook, Coqui's Song (late 2023 from Mason Jar Press.) They're a reviewer for The Geekiary, Sage Cigarettes, and CatStone Books.
AT

Adrian Tchaikovsky

Adrian Tchaikovsky is the author of the acclaimed ten-book Shadows of the Apt series, the Echoes of the Fall series, and other novels, novellas and short stories including Children of Time (which won the Arthur C. Clarke award in 2016), and its sequel, Children of Ruin (which won... Read More →
avatar for PJ Manney

PJ Manney

author, PJ Manney
PJ Manney is the author of the P.K. Dick Award-nominated (R)EVOLUTION, book 1 in a trilogy with (ID)ENTITY, and the upcoming (CON)SCIENCE, out April 27, 2021. She also writes non-fiction and consults about emerging technology, future humans, empathy-building through storytelling... Read More →

Saturday April 17, 2021 18:00 - 18:50 UTC
Bartholomew
  Writing, Panel |   Prose, Panel

18:30 UTC

Julie Czerneda - Reading
Canadian, biologist, award-winning author/editor Julie E. Czerneda shares her curiosity about living things and optimism about life through her science fiction and fantasy, published by DAW Books, NY. Her most recent fantasy, The Gossamer Mage, won the 2020 Aurora for Best English Novel. Julie’s 21st novel, Mirage, was released this August, as Esen’s misadventures continue in the Web Shifter’s Library SF series, featuring all the weird biology one could ask. The sequel, Spectrum, is out spring 2021. Julie has edited 17 anthologies, most notably the Nebula Award Showcase 2017 and Tales from Plexis, in which she opened her Trade Pact Universe to fans of that series. Julie is represented by Sara Megibow, of KT Literary.
Speakers
avatar for Julie Czerneda

Julie Czerneda

Having written twenty-three novels (and counting) published by her beloved DAW Books and Hugo-winning editor Sheila E. Gilbert, as well as numerous short stories, and editing several anthologies over the past 25 years, Julie E. Czerneda was inducted in the Canadian Science Fiction... Read More →

Saturday April 17, 2021 18:30 - 18:55 UTC
Courtyard
  Writing, Reading |   Prose, Reading

18:30 UTC

[FULL] Kaffeeklatsch led by LaShawn Wanak
The seats for this interactive session have been distributed by lottery. Adding this session to your schedule does not grant you access.

Writing craft, what makes a good story, how to make it out of a short story slush.
Speakers
avatar for LaShawn Wanak

LaShawn Wanak

Writer, Book Reviewer, GigaNotoSaurus Editor
LaShawn M. Wanak lives in Wisconsin with her husband and son. She writes science fiction, fantasy, and a little bit of horror. Her works have been published in Fireside Magazine, FIYAH, Uncanny Magazine, and many others. She is the editor of the online magazine GigaNotoSaurus and... Read More →

Saturday April 17, 2021 18:30 - 19:00 UTC
Keep
  Limited Access, Kaffeeklatsch

19:00 UTC

Saida Agostini - Reading
Saida is a queer Afro-Guyanese poet whose work explores the ways Black folks harness mythology to enter the fantastic. A graduate Cave Canem fellow and two time Pushcart Prize nominee, Saida’s poetry can be found in Barrelhouse Magazine, Plume, Hobart Pulp, and other publications. Her chapbook, STUNT (Neon Hemlock, 2020), is a mythical reimagining of the life of Nellie Jackson, a Black madam and spy living in Natchez, Mississippi. She lives online at www.saidaagostini.com
Speakers
avatar for Saida Agostini

Saida Agostini

Poet & Activist
Saida Agostini is a queer Afro-Guyanese poet whose work explores the ways Black folks harness mythology to enter the fantastic. She is the author of Stunt (Neon Hemlock, 2020), a chapbook reimagining the life of Nellie Jackson, a Black madam and FBI spy from Natchez, Mississippi... Read More →

Saturday April 17, 2021 19:00 - 19:25 UTC
Courtyard
  Writing, Reading |   Poetry, Reading

19:00 UTC

Craft Demo led by Grace Fong
Speakers
avatar for Grace Fong

Grace Fong

Grace P. Fong is a Narrative Designer on Magic: The Gathering. In addition, she is a freelance illustrator who has won the inaugural Ignyte award.

Saturday April 17, 2021 19:00 - 19:50 UTC
Eyrie
  Art/Illustration, Craft Demo
  • Recording Released? Yes

19:00 UTC

Query Letters that Work
So you’ve written a novel. Great! Now let’s talk about how to sell it. Query letters are still the best way to get an agent (and there's a specific format that agents expect to see) but the skills used to write a query will also help with other aspects of book marketing and promotion, no matter how you publish.
Speakers
avatar for Curtis Chen

Curtis Chen

Secretary, SFWA
Once a Silicon Valley software engineer, Curtis C. Chen (陳致宇) now writes stories and runs puzzle games near Portland, Oregon. He's the author of the Kangaroo series of funny science fiction spy thrillers and has written for the Realm originals Ninth Step Station, Machina, and... Read More →

Saturday April 17, 2021 19:00 - 19:50 UTC
Hoodini
  Industry Biz, Presentation |   Writing, Presentation

19:00 UTC

Game Design from Outside the Industry
Not all game designers come up through the ranks via traditional career paths. What does it mean to be a "successful" digital game creator without traditional markers of success? How is it freeing or frustrating to make work from "outside" the norms and support structures of the mainstream industry?
Moderators
avatar for Aaron Reed

Aaron Reed

Writer/Designer, Independent
Aaron A. Reed is a writer, designer, and researcher focused on finding new ways for gamemakers and players to tell stories together. His fiction, games, and playable artworks have won recognition from a broad range of storytelling communities, including the Independent Games Festival... Read More →

Speakers
avatar for Andrew Plotkin

Andrew Plotkin

Zarfhome Software
Andrew Plotkin has been playing interactive fiction since there were home computers, and tried writing some shortly thereafter. He has continued doing this ever since, which adds up to a lot of years of notable games and IF tools. He now helps run an IF non-profit foundation and plays... Read More →
KM

Saturday April 17, 2021 19:00 - 19:50 UTC
Toast
  Interactive Fiction, Panel |   Games, Panel

19:00 UTC

[FULL] Identifying/Breaking Bad Writing Habits led by Jeffe Kennedy
The seats for this interactive session have been distributed by lottery. Adding this session to your schedule does not grant you access.

Learn to identify your bad habits as a writer to improve the quantity and quality of your work. Jeffe will share some of her approaches, such as Own Your Process, Kick Excuses to the Curb, Listen to Your Editors – and Learn, Study Successful Authors and Keep a List of Recurring Tics. She’ll also help participants discover their own process and what might be getting in the way of more and better writing.
Speakers
avatar for Jeffe Kennedy

Jeffe Kennedy

Author
Jeffe Kennedy is an award-winning, best-selling author who writes fantasy with romantic elements and fantasy romance. She is an RWA member and serves on the Board of Directors for SFWA as a Director at Large. She is a hybrid author, and also self-publishes a romantic fantasy series... Read More →

Saturday April 17, 2021 19:00 - 19:50 UTC
Keep
  Limited Access, Workshop

19:00 UTC

[FULL] Worldbuilding Workshop (5W, 1 H) led by Joyce Chng
The seats for this interactive session have been distributed by lottery. Adding this session to your schedule does not grant you access.

For this workshop, I want to help participants: 1) Strengthen their worldbuilding, 2) Identify their strengths in worldbuilding, 3) Concreticise their worldbuilding.
Speakers
avatar for Joyce Chng

Joyce Chng

Joyce Chng is Singaporean. They write science fiction, YA and things in between. Joyce also co-edited THE SEA IS OURS: Tales of Steampunk Southeast Asia with Jaymee Goh. They can be found at @jolantru and A Wolf's Tale (http://awolfstale.wordpress.com). (Pronouns: she/her, they/t... Read More →

Saturday April 17, 2021 19:00 - 19:50 UTC
Keep
  Limited Access, Workshop

19:00 UTC

Utopia and Optimism in Science Fiction
Between climate change, rising authoritarianism, and a pandemic, there’s no shortage of material for dystopian fiction. But as Ursula K. Le Guin reminds us, ‘Hard times are coming, when we’ll be wanting the voices of writers who can see alternatives to how we live now, can see through our fear-stricken society … to other ways of being, and even imagine real grounds for hope.’ Where do we find optimism in science fiction? What are the benefits of imagining utopian futures, and how do we maintain hope while acknowledging the scope of the challenges we face?
Moderators
avatar for Izzy Wasserstein

Izzy Wasserstein

Author
Izzy Wasserstein is a queer, trans woman. She teaches writing and literature at a public university in the American Midwest, writes fiction and poetry, and shares a house with a variety of animal companions and the writer Nora E. Derrington. Her fiction has appeared in Clarkesworld... Read More →

Speakers
avatar for S.B. Divya

S.B. Divya

Author, Editor
S.B. Divya is a lover of science, math, fiction, and the Oxford comma. She is the Hugo and Nebula nominated author of Runtime and co-editor of Escape Pod, with Mur Lafferty. Her short stories have been published at various magazines including Analog, Uncanny, and tor.com. Her collection... Read More →
OC

Octavia Cade

I am a New Zealand writer with a Masters in biology and a PhD in science communication. I have a particular interest in how science is presented in science fiction and horror, and have had a number of academic papers published on the subject, as well as several conference presentations... Read More →
avatar for Georgina Kamsika

Georgina Kamsika

Attendee
Georgina Kamsika is a speculative fiction writer born in Yorkshire, England, to Anglo-Indian immigrant parents and has spent most of her life explaining her English first name, Polish surname and South Asian features. Georgina is a graduate of the Clarion West Writers Workshop 2012... Read More →

Sponsors
C

Saturday April 17, 2021 19:00 - 19:50 UTC
Swooperton
  Writing, Panel |   Guest of Honor, Panel

19:00 UTC

Horse Lovers Meetup led by Morrigan Puhr
Talk about your favorite real or fictional horses and equestrian subjects.
Speakers
avatar for Morrigan Puhr

Morrigan Puhr

Co-Creator, Semi-Sages of the Pages
Morrigan is an award winning teacher, writer, and perpetual student of life! She enjoys embracing novelty through original experiences and developing a variety of skills. When she is not writing or teaching her amazing students, she hangs around with friends, works on the family ranch... Read More →

Saturday April 17, 2021 19:00 - 20:00 UTC
Courtyard
  Social, Meetup

19:00 UTC

Social Hangout
Come and chat with other attendees! :)
Saturday April 17, 2021 19:00 - 20:00 UTC
Courtyard
  Social, Hangout

19:00 UTC

[FULL] Fight Scene Critique led by M. S. Ewing, Nathan Meier
The seats for this interactive session have been distributed by lottery. Adding this session to your schedule does not grant you access.

Participants submit a short fight-scene from their work-in-progress and trained martial artists will act in out and also offer a critique based on real-world combat dynamics.
Speakers
avatar for M. S. Ewing

M. S. Ewing

Writer & Podcaster, Semi-Sages of the Pages
Molly is a writer as well as a podcaster & audio editor on Semi-Sages of the Pages. Additionally, she has a black belt in judo (obtained 2012). Molly has competed, coached, and instructed at the national level. She also has experience teaching self-defense seminars and organizing/choreographing... Read More →
NM

Saturday April 17, 2021 19:00 - 21:00 UTC
Keep
  Limited Access, Workshop

19:30 UTC

Michael Underwood - Reading
Mike is the author of over a dozen books, including the Ree Reyes Geekomancy series (GEEKOMANCY, CELEBROMANCY, ATTACK THE GEEK, HEXOMANCY), collaboratively-written epic fantasy serial BORN TO THE BLADE, and the r/Fantasy "Stabby" Award-finalist GENRENAUTS novellas. His latest book is the found-family space opera ANNIHILATION ARIA. He's been a bookseller/barista, a sales representative, and the North American Sales & Marketing Manager for Angry Robot Books.

He is the co-host of Speculate, an actual play podcast starring a rotating cast of speculative fiction professionals and a guest host on the Hugo Award-finalist The Skiffy and Fanty Show.
Speakers
avatar for Michael R. Underwood

Michael R. Underwood

Attendee
Michael R. Underwood is an author, podcaster, and publishing professional. Mike's books include space opera Annihilation Aria, the Ree Reyes Geekomancy books, the Stabby Award-finalist Genrenauts series, and Born to the Blade (written with Malka Older, Cassandra Khaw, and Marie Brennan... Read More →

Saturday April 17, 2021 19:30 - 19:55 UTC
Courtyard
  Writing, Reading |   Prose, Reading

20:00 UTC

Akua Hope - Reading
Akua Lezli Hope is a creator and wisdom seeker who uses sound, words, fiber, glass, metal, and wire to create poems, patterns, stories, music, sculpture, adornments, and peace. Published in numerous literary magazines and national anthologies, she has been in print every year, except one, since 1974. A third generation New Yorker, her honors include the NEA, two NYFAs, an SFPA award, Rhysling and Pushcart Prize nominations, among others. She twice won Rattle’s Poets Respond. Her first collection, EMBOUCHURE, Poems on Jazz and Other Musics, won the Writer’s Digest book award. A Cave Canem fellow, her collection, THEM GONE, was published 2018. She’s launched Speculative Sundays, an online poetry reading series. She just won an individual artist grant for Now Voyager, her sculpture project about the immigration of her four grandparents from the West Indies to New York. She won editorship of NOMBONO, speculative poems by BIPOC creators, to be published this fall by Sundress Publications. She is the editor of the forthcoming issue of Eye To The Telescope on the Sea. An avid hand papermaker and crochet designer with over 130 patterns published, she exhibits her artwork regularly. A paraplegic, she founded a paratransit nonprofit. Her chapbook, Otherwheres (ArtFarm Press 2020) is available on Amazon. She sings songs from her favorite anime in Japanese, practices her soprano saxophone and prays for the cessation of suffering for all sentience.
Speakers
avatar for Akua Lezli Hope

Akua Lezli Hope

Creator, Speculative Sundays
Akua Lezli Hope is a creator and wisdom seeker who uses sound, words, fiber, glass, metal, and wire to create poems, patterns, stories, music, sculpture, adornments, and peace. Published in numerous literary magazines and national anthologies, she has been in print every year, except... Read More →

Saturday April 17, 2021 20:00 - 20:25 UTC
Courtyard
  Writing, Reading |   Poetry, Reading

20:00 UTC

PJ Manney - Reading
Future technologies and ethics; human enhancement; biotech; near-future challenges in storytelling; Bitcoin, blockchains and cryptocurrencies; cyborgs; robotics; artificial intelligence; David Bowie; SF and music; technothrillers; near future socio/politics/economics; empathy-building & tech; alternate history; worldbuilding; book series; the use of historical patterns in future storytelling, "cliodynamics;" the New Mythos (writers who are consciously building new mythologies that better fit our age than the Hero's Journey or Western tropes); how speculative fiction creates the future.
Speakers
avatar for PJ Manney

PJ Manney

author, PJ Manney
PJ Manney is the author of the P.K. Dick Award-nominated (R)EVOLUTION, book 1 in a trilogy with (ID)ENTITY, and the upcoming (CON)SCIENCE, out April 27, 2021. She also writes non-fiction and consults about emerging technology, future humans, empathy-building through storytelling... Read More →

Saturday April 17, 2021 20:00 - 20:25 UTC
Courtyard
  Writing, Reading |   Poetry, Reading

20:00 UTC

[FULL] Kaffeeklatsch led by Julia Rios
The seats for this interactive session have been distributed by lottery. Adding this session to your schedule does not grant you access.

Short fiction, magazines, mermaids
Speakers
avatar for Julia Rios

Julia Rios

Mermaids Monthly
Julia Rios (they/them) is a queer, Latinx writer, editor, podcaster, and narrator whose fiction, non-fiction, and poetry have appeared in Latin American Literature Today, Lightspeed, and Goblin Fruit, among other places. Their editing work has won multiple awards including the Hugo... Read More →

Saturday April 17, 2021 20:00 - 20:30 UTC
Keep
  Limited Access, Kaffeeklatsch

20:00 UTC

The Animation Industry as an Artist
An animated series is the culmination of the artistic vision of so many different kinds of visual artists, from character and prop designers, to storyboard artists, to special effects artists. Join us as we discuss the ins and outs of navigating the various roles as a visual artist in the field of animation from concept to finished product.
Moderators
D

Speakers
avatar for Jessica Cheng

Jessica Cheng

Jessica Cheng is a senior concept designer who is a visual developer with experience in animation, vfx, and illustration.Previous projects include Star Wars Squadrons, various Call of Duty releases, Thomas the Tank Engine and more.They are interested in how art, narrative and gameplay... Read More →
JP

Jules Premus

Character Designer at Bento Box Animation Studios. Previous credits include Marvel, Netflix, and Hulu. Pronouns are he/him.
VC

Victor Cook

Victor Cook is an Animation Producer/Director. He is currently an Executive Producer for Disney Junior’s TOTS. His other credits include The Spectacular Spider-Man, Lilo and  Stitch the series, Scooby-Doo Mystery Incorporated and Stretch Armstrong and The Flex Fighters.

Saturday April 17, 2021 20:00 - 20:50 UTC
Hoodini
  Art/Illustration, Panel |   Industry Biz, Panel

20:00 UTC

Catching Up Cosmic - Live!
A live episode of our podcast Catching Up Cosmic, wherein Arthur Hoodswain reads the entire text of a classic but unfamiliar (public domain) cosmic horror story aloud, and his friend and cohost Kay reacts before a brief analysis and story rating. The idea is to 'catch up' on the origins of a genre.
Speakers
avatar for Arthur Kierce

Arthur Kierce

Artist, theoneKierce
Arthur Kierce (he/they) is a young trans artist based in Ireland. He is interested in mythology, art nouveau, storytelling, and magpies, and he works in everything from illustration and comics to graphic design, jewellery, costuming, and ttrpg content!
KL

Saturday April 17, 2021 20:00 - 20:50 UTC
Salon
  Audio/Podcasting, Live Episode |   Writing, Live Episode

20:00 UTC

Promotion or Procrastination? Social Media for Artists
Professional artists discuss the role social media plays in their artistic lives including how they manage time spent on various platforms, evaluate what’s working, and avoid distraction. They will also talk about their favorite platforms and how to use them to build community, and promote art.
Moderators
avatar for Jaye Viner

Jaye Viner

Writer
A dabbler in language and color and otherworldly-narratives, Jaye is open to any and all conversations about Star Trek, Farscape, and The 100. She is the author of a debut novel, Jane of Battery Park, about a woman whose family puts celebrities on trial for their sins (yikes), and... Read More →

Speakers
avatar for Kat Clay

Kat Clay

Kat Clay is a crime and horror author from Melbourne, Australia. She is the author of novella Double Exposure, and her short story ‘Lady Loveday Investigates’ won three prizes at the 2018 Scarlet Stiletto Awards, including the Kerry Greenwood Prize for Best Malice Domestic.Kat’s... Read More →
avatar for Thaleia Demeter

Thaleia Demeter

Artist working in pencil, watercolour, gouache, and digital. Her work is inspired by classical myth and folklore, with a heavy dash of historical fashion, romance, and fantasy.
avatar for Suyi Davies Okungbowa

Suyi Davies Okungbowa

Author
Suyi Davies Okungbowa is a Nigerian author of fantasy, science fiction and other speculative works inspired by his West-African origins. His new epic fantasy trilogy, The Nameless Republic, is forthcoming from Orbit, beginning in May 2021 with Son of the Storm. His highly-anticipated... Read More →

Saturday April 17, 2021 20:00 - 20:50 UTC
Swooperton
  Industry Biz, Panel |   Writing, Panel |   Art/Illustration, Panel |   Commentary, Panel |   Contest Winner, Panel

20:00 UTC

[FULL] Amazon, Goodreads, NetGalley, and Edelweiss, Oh My! led by Holly Walrath
The seats for this interactive session have been distributed by lottery. Adding this session to your schedule does not grant you access.

There are a variety of valuable resources for independent authors out there, but how does one choose among them, and how can an indie book stand out among the crowd? Holly Lyn Walrath will explain how to navigate the available options for self-publishing and explore how books can reach more readers via the growing field of reviewer markets.
Speakers
avatar for Holly Lyn Walrath

Holly Lyn Walrath

Managing Editor, Interstellar Flight Press
Holly Lyn Walrath’s poetry and short fiction has appeared in Strange Horizons, Fireside Fiction, Daily Science Fiction, Luna Station Quarterly, and Analog. She is the author of the chapbooks Glimmerglass Girl (Finishing Line Press, 2018), Numinose Lapidi (in Italian, Kipple Press... Read More →

Saturday April 17, 2021 20:00 - 20:50 UTC
Keep
  Limited Access, Workshop

20:00 UTC

[Sign-Up Available] Portfolio Critique for Artists led by Bruce Brenneise
If you are interested in attending this workshop, fill out this form: https://airtable.com/shrKeKxBodpRrYSgT 
(first come, first serve - if the session isn't listed, then it's full)

Portfolio critique for artists interested in working in the tabletop and/or publishing industries
Speakers
BB

Bruce Brenneise

Game artist and illustration professional of six years, best known for work on games like Slay the Spire and Numenera. Awards: Illustrators of the Future vol 34, Chesley Award 2020 nominee. Annuals: Spectrum (vol 26 & vol 27), Infected by Art (vol 5, 6, 7, 8, 9).

Saturday April 17, 2021 20:00 - 20:50 UTC
Keep
  Limited Access, Workshop

20:00 UTC

What Makes Your Skin Crawl: Modern Horror Beyond Borders
This panel will look at recent horror fiction across a variety of media including novels, short stories, and film with a particular focus on stories and authors from outside the US. What trends do we see emerging in modern horror fiction? What do we want to see more of, and which stories still aren’t being told?
Moderators
AW

A.C. Wise

A.C. Wise's fiction has appeared in Clarkesworld, Apex, and several Year's Best anthologies, among other places. Her work has won the Sunburst Award for Excellence in Canadian Literature of the Fantastic, as well as twice being a finalist for the Sunburst Award, twice being a finalist... Read More →

Speakers
avatar for Clara Madrigano

Clara Madrigano

Writer.
Clara Madrigano is a Brazilian author of speculative fiction. She publishes both in Portuguese and in English, and you can find her fiction in The Dark and in Clarkesworld. Two of her stories were recently selected for the 2020 Locus Recommended Reading List.
avatar for Eugenia Triantafyllou

Eugenia Triantafyllou

Eugenia Triantafyllou is a Greek author and artist with a flair for dark things. Her short fiction has been nominated for the Nebula Award. She is a graduate of Clarion West Writers Workshop. You can find her stories in Uncanny, Apex, Strange Horizons and other venues. She currently... Read More →
avatar for Nibedita Sen

Nibedita Sen

Attendee
Nibedita Sen is a Hugo, Nebula, and Astounding Award-nominated queer Bengali writer from Calcutta, and a graduate of Clarion West 2015 whose work has appeared or is forthcoming in Anathema: Spec from the Margins, Podcastle, Nightmare and Fireside. She accumulated a number of English... Read More →
avatar for Nelly Geraldine Garcia-Rosas

Nelly Geraldine Garcia-Rosas

Nelly Geraldine is a Mexican immigrant to the US and a graduate of the Clarion West class of 2019. Her short fiction has appeared or is forthcoming in Clarkesworld, Lightspeed, Nightmare, the World Fantasy Award-winning anthology She Walks in Shadows, and elsewhere.

Sponsors
NH

Saturday April 17, 2021 20:00 - 20:50 UTC
Toast
  Writing, Panel |   Prose, Panel

20:00 UTC

Social Hangout
Come and chat with other attendees! :)
Saturday April 17, 2021 20:00 - 21:00 UTC
Courtyard
  Social, Hangout

20:00 UTC

[Open] Afterlife: Wandering Souls led by Monte Lin
Play Afterlife: Wandering Souls, a tabletop RPG.
Speakers
avatar for Monte Lin

Monte Lin

Staff Editor, Angry Hamster Publishing
I've been in the ttrpg industry since 2014, writing for Fantasy Flight, Green Ronin, and various other companies. I'm also a copy editor, having worked with Magpie Games, 7th Sea (2nd edition), and now as a staff editor for Angry Hamster Press. I am also a writer of speculative fiction... Read More →

Saturday April 17, 2021 20:00 - 22:59 UTC
Courtyard
  Games, Open Session Gaming

20:30 UTC

Tonia Ransom - Reading
Tonia Ransom is the creator and executive producer of NIGHTLIGHT, a horror podcast featuring creepy tales written by Black writers. Tonia has been scaring people since the second grade, when she wrote her first story based on Michael Myers. She’s pretty sure her teacher was concerned, but she thinks she turned out fine(ish). Tonia tells horror stories regularly on Twitter @missdefying, and her debut novella Risen was released early December 2020. She lives in Austin, Texas.
Speakers
avatar for Tonia Ransom

Tonia Ransom

Creator & Executive Producer, NIGHTLIGHT Podcast
Tonia Ransom is the creator and executive producer of NIGHTLIGHT, a horror podcast featuring creepy tales written by Black writers. Tonia has been scaring people since the second grade, when she wrote her first story based on Michael Myers. She’s pretty sure her teacher was concerned... Read More →

Saturday April 17, 2021 20:30 - 20:55 UTC
Courtyard
  Writing, Reading |   Prose, Reading

20:30 UTC

[FULL] Kaffeeklatsch led by Elsa Sjunneson
The seats for this interactive session have been distributed by lottery. Adding this session to your schedule does not grant you access.

Disability and creativity

Speakers
ES

Elsa Sjunneson

Attendee
Hugo, BFA and Aurora award winning editor Elsa Sjunneson is a Deafblind hurricane in a vintage dress. Her written work has appeared in CNN Opinion, Uncanny Magazine, Women of Marvel #1, and many other projects and venues. Being Seen, her debut memoir on media and disability releases... Read More →

Saturday April 17, 2021 20:30 - 21:00 UTC
Keep
  Limited Access, Kaffeeklatsch

21:00 UTC

Janna Ruth - Reading
Janna Ruth is a German speculative fiction writer, living in New Zealand. At Kiwiberry Editing, she offers editing and proofing services as well as translations from English to German. As a former geologist, she has a special love for worldbuilding and fantasy maps, for which she offers her own special editing service.

She will read from her new Urban Fantasy Series "Spirit Seeker", which is set to release later this year.
Speakers
avatar for Janna Ruth

Janna Ruth

Writer, Translator & Editor
Janna Ruth is a German award-winning speculative fiction writer, living in Wellington New Zealand. As a former geologist, she has a special love for worldbuilding and fantasy maps (and fights the good fight for more downhill flowing rivers). She's also an editor, proofreader and English... Read More →

Saturday April 17, 2021 21:00 - 21:25 UTC
Courtyard
  Writing, Reading |   Prose, Reading

21:00 UTC

[FULL] Kaffeeklatsch led by Coral Moore, Eliana González Ugarte
The seats for this interactive session have been distributed by lottery. Adding this session to your schedule does not grant you access.

Translations, Short Fiction, SpecFic from around the world, Constelación Magazine

Speakers
avatar for Coral Moore

Coral Moore

co-Editor and Mermaid-in-Chief, Constelación Magazine
Coral Alejandra Moore is a writer, a genetics nerd, and the co-editor and co-publisher of Constelación Magazine. She believes the best thing in life is a well-made cup of coffee. Coral lives near Seattle with a dangerously smart Catahoula Leopard Dog, a small flock of chickens, and... Read More →
EG

Eliana González Ugarte

Born and raised in Asunción, Paraguay. Eliana wrote her first and only picture book fanfiction in 1995, titled Frog and Toad go to the Zoo, as a second-grade class assignment. Spoiler: everyone gets eaten in the end. She has won over ten short story awards in Paraguay, and one for... Read More →

Saturday April 17, 2021 21:00 - 21:30 UTC
Keep
  Limited Access, Kaffeeklatsch

21:00 UTC

Alternatives to Big Publishing in Comics and Illustration
Have you ever wanted to self-publish your own comic, in print? How about pursuing publication with an independent publisher? Or using Kickstarter and crowdfunding to get your project off the ground? Join our panelists for a conversation about alternatives to working with the big publishing houses.
Moderators
avatar for Queenie Chan

Queenie Chan

Queenie Chan is a manga-style comic book writer-artist who currently lives in Sydney. She was originally born in Hong Kong, before migrating to Australia as a child, and eventually graduated with a degree in Information Systems from UNSW. She briefly worked as a game artist until... Read More →

Speakers
avatar for Madeleine Holly-Rosing

Madeleine Holly-Rosing

Writer/Creator, Boston Metaphysical Society Comic
Madeleine Holly-Rosing is the writer/creator of the award-winning Boston Metaphysical Society graphic novel series, previously self-published, but is now published by Source Point Press. The series also includes the award winning prequel novel, A Storm of Secrets, and an anthology... Read More →
D
avatar for Nathan Lueth

Nathan Lueth

Author/Illustrator/Comics Commander, Nathan Lueth Illustration LLC

Saturday April 17, 2021 21:00 - 21:50 UTC
Toast
  Comics, Panel |   Industry Biz, Panel |   Art/Illustration, Panel

21:00 UTC

The Role of Speculative Fiction in Academia
Science fiction and fantasy creative writing masters degrees, MFAs, college majors, minors, classes and residency writing workshops are all discussed. The best learning environment for genre writers depends on the individual, but we have the highs and low downs of all your choices covered.
Moderators
avatar for Diane Turnshek

Diane Turnshek

Carnegie Mellon University
Diane Turnshek is an astronomer at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, PA. She has been on the Board of Directors for both the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America and Parsec, Pittsburgh’s premier science fiction organization. For nine years, she mentored graduate... Read More →

Speakers
avatar for Jane Lindskold

Jane Lindskold

Sole owner and employee, Obsidian Tiger Inc.
Jane Lindskold is the New York Times bestselling author of over twenty-five novels and over seventy short stories. Those are the published ones; as is true with most writers she has written a lot more. She writes mostly SF/F, likes writing about animals and aliens a lot. She has also... Read More →

Saturday April 17, 2021 21:00 - 21:50 UTC
Swooperton
  Industry Biz, Panel |   Writing, Panel |   Prose, Panel |   Guest of Honor, Panel

21:00 UTC

Choice-Based Games You Should Try Out
Join panelists Anya DeNiro, Takuma Okada, Stewart C Baker as they discuss their favorite choice-based games, favorite mechanics, stand-out moments in their gaming experiences, and everything in between.
Moderators
CK

Cassandra Khaw

Cassandra Khaw is an award-winning game writer, whose fiction work has been nominated for several awards. Her short stories can be found in F&SF, Tor.com, and The Year's Best Science Fiction and Fantasy.

Speakers
AD

Anya DeNiro

Anya Johanna DeNiro writes stories that centers the experience of trans women. She's the author of City of a Thousand Feelings (Aqueduct Press), and her fiction has appeared in Catapult, Strange Horizons, Asimov's, One Teen Story, and other places. Her work has been a finalist for... Read More →
avatar for Takuma Okada

Takuma Okada

Takuma Okada is a trans Japanese American game designer creating tabletop games and music under the name No Road Home. Their work emphasizes sense of place and the sublime as well as the emotions of everyday moments through approachable language in their design.
avatar for Stewart C Baker

Stewart C Baker

Stewart C Baker is an academic librarian and author of speculative fiction and poetry, along with the occasional piece of interactive fiction. His fiction has appeared in Nature, Galaxy’s Edge, and Flash Fiction Online, among other places. From 2017-2020, Stewart was the editor-in-chief... Read More →

Saturday April 17, 2021 21:00 - 21:50 UTC
Hoodini
  Interactive Fiction, Panel

21:00 UTC

Writing Games led by Cat Rambo
An hour of writing prompts and playing writing games.
Speakers
avatar for Cat Rambo

Cat Rambo

Attendee, SFWA
Cat Rambo has published 200+ short stories. In 2021 her book publications are fantasy novel Exiles of Tabat (May, Wordfire Press), anthology The Reinvented Heart, coedited with Jennifer Brozek (July, Arc Manor), and space opera, You Sexy Thing (September, Tor Macmillan).

Saturday April 17, 2021 21:00 - 21:50 UTC
Courtyard
  Social, Co-Working

21:00 UTC

Social Hangout
Come and chat with other attendees! :)
Saturday April 17, 2021 21:00 - 22:00 UTC
Courtyard
  Social, Hangout

21:00 UTC

[FULL] Letting the I Ching Write Your Story For You led by Henry Lien
The seats for this interactive session have been distributed by lottery. Adding this session to your schedule does not grant you access.

Philip K. Dick did not write one of his greatest novels, The Man in the High Castle. Dick discovered the I Ching when he began the novel and he let the I Ching write his novel for him. The I Ching is a three thousand year old collection of 64 poems. It can be read as philosophy but is most famous as an oracle, using a method of casting coins or yarrow stalks. This workshop guides students through the process of consulting the I Ching to guide the course of their story. The workshop supplements I Ching consultation with techniques including surrealist parlour games to help grow the connective tissue between one plot node to the next plot node where the I Ching wants the story to go.
Speakers
avatar for Henry Lien

Henry Lien

Author, Holt/Macmillan
Henry Lien is a 2012 graduate of Clarion West Writers Workshop, Seattle. He is the author of the critically-acclaimed and award-winning Peasprout Chen middle grade fantasy series. His short fiction has appeared in publications like Asimov’s, Analog, and F&SF, and he is a four-time... Read More →

Saturday April 17, 2021 21:00 - 22:50 UTC
Keep
  Limited Access, Workshop

21:00 UTC

Codenames led by Kurt Pankau
Speakers
avatar for Kurt Pankau

Kurt Pankau

Kurt Pankau is a computer engineer in St. Louis. He has a weakness for board games, dad-jokes, and stories about time travel. His fiction has appeared in various and sundry places around the web, including Nature Magazine, Escape Pod, and Daily Science Fiction.

Saturday April 17, 2021 21:00 - 22:59 UTC
Courtyard
  Games, Open Session Gaming

21:30 UTC

Robert Kendzie - Reading
Robert Kendzie is a writer, director, producer, and publisher making content for print and digital distribution. After several years as a mercenary production staffer in Hollywood, he moved to historic Fredericksburg, Virginia where he spends his hours hunting for inspiration in the region’s dark forests and haunted streets. He is the author of the Dire Destiny graphic novel series, the producer of numerous resource books for tabletop RPGs, and the Managing Director of the Northern Virginia Motion Picture Co-Op.
Speakers
RK

Robert Kendzie

Writer/Producer, Dire Destiny Books
Robert Kendzie is a writer, director, producer, and publisher making content for print and digital distribution. After several years as a mercenary production staffer in Hollywood, he moved to historic Fredericksburg, Virginia where he spends his hours hunting for inspiration in the... Read More →

Saturday April 17, 2021 21:30 - 21:55 UTC
Courtyard
  Writing, Reading |   Prose, Reading

21:30 UTC

The Art of Krister Eide
Illustrator, webcomic and graphic novel creator.
Enter from the Join button in Sched.
Speakers
avatar for Krister Eide

Krister Eide

Krister Eide Art
Illustrator, webcomic and graphic novel creator of Nemo, an animal version of Jules Verne’s world.My Art of Krister Eide Session : You must be registered for FOF and press the Join button in Sched for the event. See you there!I also tutor digital art online and have an Etsy store... Read More →

Saturday April 17, 2021 21:30 - 22:00 UTC
Salon
  Comics, Art Showcase |   Art/Illustration, Art Showcase

21:30 UTC

[FULL] Kaffeeklatsch led by Artur Ganszyniec
The seats for this interactive session have been distributed by lottery. Adding this session to your schedule does not grant you access.
Speakers
avatar for Artur Ganszyniec

Artur Ganszyniec

Designer, Different Tales
Artur Ganszyniec was the Lead Narrative Designer for the first The Witcher game. Later he worked on ethical F2P games for ATGames, was a Lead Project Designer in 11 bit studios, and currently he’s a part of Different Tales, an indie storytelling studio exploring the idea of slow... Read More →

Saturday April 17, 2021 21:30 - 22:00 UTC
Keep
  Limited Access, Kaffeeklatsch

22:00 UTC

Freelance Illustration for Games and TTRPGs
Many companies and games teams contract with freelance illustrators to provide art. But if you're starting out as a freelance illustrator, how do you find those opportunities? How do you build a good games-oriented portfolio? What are the pitfalls to being a freelance illustrator, and how do you network effectively and find healthy communities to be part of?
Moderators
LR

Speakers
TF

Trivia Fox

Trivia Fox (they/them/no pronoun) is a nonbinary creative currently living in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They've been gaming since the early 2000's as a teen where they began experimenting with gender identity and presentation. These experiences led them to their focus in the game industry... Read More →
avatar for Grace Fong

Grace Fong

Grace P. Fong is a Narrative Designer on Magic: The Gathering. In addition, she is a freelance illustrator who has won the inaugural Ignyte award.

Saturday April 17, 2021 22:00 - 22:00 UTC
Bartholomew
  Art/Illustration, Panel |   TTRPG, Panel

22:00 UTC

Curtis Chen - Reading
Once a Silicon Valley software engineer, Curtis C. Chen (陳致宇) now writes stories and runs puzzle games near Portland, Oregon. He's the author of the Kangaroo series of funny science fiction spy thrillers and has written for the Serial Box original shows Ninth Step Station, Machina, and Echo Park 2060 (forthcoming). Curtis' short stories have appeared in Playboy Magazine, Daily Science Fiction, Oregon Reads Aloud, and elsewhere. His homebrew cat feeding robot was displayed in the "Worlds Beyond Here" exhibit at Seattle's Wing Luke Museum. Visit him online: https://curtiscchen.com

Speakers
avatar for Curtis Chen

Curtis Chen

Secretary, SFWA
Once a Silicon Valley software engineer, Curtis C. Chen (陳致宇) now writes stories and runs puzzle games near Portland, Oregon. He's the author of the Kangaroo series of funny science fiction spy thrillers and has written for the Realm originals Ninth Step Station, Machina, and... Read More →

Saturday April 17, 2021 22:00 - 22:25 UTC
Courtyard
  Prose, Reading |   Writing, Reading

22:00 UTC

[FULL] Kaffeeklatsch led by S.B. Divya
The seats for this interactive session have been distributed by lottery. Adding this session to your schedule does not grant you access.

Near future science fiction, short or long form.
Speakers
avatar for S.B. Divya

S.B. Divya

Author, Editor
S.B. Divya is a lover of science, math, fiction, and the Oxford comma. She is the Hugo and Nebula nominated author of Runtime and co-editor of Escape Pod, with Mur Lafferty. Her short stories have been published at various magazines including Analog, Uncanny, and tor.com. Her collection... Read More →

Saturday April 17, 2021 22:00 - 22:30 UTC
Keep
  Limited Access, Kaffeeklatsch

22:00 UTC

Illustrating Children's Books
Illustrating for children provides a unique pathway from the preverbal imagination to storytelling with words. In this panel, three artists discuss how illustrating for children has influenced their creative vocabulary.
Moderators
avatar for Ingrid Kallick

Ingrid Kallick

Ingrid Kallick is an artist and writer specializing in fantasy and children’s illustration. Ingrid’s art has appeared in Cricket Magazine, Communication Arts, Spectrum, Scientific American, the cover of Science, in murals, stage sets, scientific visualization and print. Her... Read More →

Speakers
CG

C G Salamander

C G Salamander is a children's writer and graphic novelist based out of Chennai, India. His books have been published by Scholastic, Penguin, and Hachette to name a few publishers.
HA
avatar for Krister Eide

Krister Eide

Krister Eide Art
Illustrator, webcomic and graphic novel creator of Nemo, an animal version of Jules Verne’s world.My Art of Krister Eide Session : You must be registered for FOF and press the Join button in Sched for the event. See you there!I also tutor digital art online and have an Etsy store... Read More →

Saturday April 17, 2021 22:00 - 22:50 UTC
Swooperton
  Art/Illustration, Panel

22:00 UTC

[FULL] Podcasting with Audacity led by Cole Burkhardt
The seats for this interactive session have been distributed by lottery. Adding this session to your schedule does not grant you access.

An in depth look at using Audacity and all of its many effects and plugins for Podcast recording and editing
Speakers
avatar for Cole Burkhardt

Cole Burkhardt

Cole Burkhardt currently resides in Washington D.C and has tried everything from streaming tabletop games on Twitch to spelunking deep underground. He has been in a variety of podcasts including Godshead Incidental and Unplaced and is the writer and director of Null/Void and Ritual... Read More →

Saturday April 17, 2021 22:00 - 22:50 UTC
Keep
  Limited Access, Workshop

22:00 UTC

Writing with a Healthy Mindset
Writing and mental health don't always go together. A discussion of stress, impostor syndrome, and overall mental health while in the writing world - both in terms of the craft side and in terms of the business/promotion side, including social media - as well as techniques to make the experience better. We've been through the wringer and come out the other side, and are ready to share what we've learned!
Moderators
avatar for Effie Seiberg

Effie Seiberg

Effie Seiberg is a fantasy and science fiction writer. Her stories can be found in the "Women Destroy Science Fiction!" special edition of Lightspeed Magazine (winner of the 2015 British Fantasy Award for Best Anthology), "The Best of Galaxy's Edge 2015-2017 Analog, Fireside Fiction... Read More →

Speakers
avatar for Grace Chan

Grace Chan

Grace Chan (gracechanwrites.com) is a Melbourne-based speculative fiction writer and doctor. Her writing explores brains, minds, technology, and narrative identity. Her debut novel about virtual reality, identity, and love, Every Version of You, will be published by Affirm Press... Read More →
avatar for Nandi Taylor

Nandi Taylor

Attendee
Nandi Taylor is a Canadian writer of Afro-Caribbean descent based in Toronto. Her debut novel GIVEN earned a starred review from ALA’s Booklist magazine. Common themes she writes about are growth, courage, and finding one’s place in the world.
avatar for Corey J. White

Corey J. White

Corey J. White is the author of Repo Virtual and The VoidWitch Saga, published by Tor.com Publishing. He studied writing at Griffith University on the Gold Coast, and is now based in Melbourne, Australia. Find him on twitter at @cjwhite.
avatar for Zin E. Rocklyn

Zin E. Rocklyn

Zin E. Rocklyn is a contributor to Bram Stoker-nominated and This is Horror Award-winning Nox Pareidolia, KaijuRising II: Reign of Monsters,  Brigands: A Blackguards Anthology, and Forever Vacancy anthologies and  Weird Luck Tales No. 7 zine. Their story "Summer Skin" in the Bram... Read More →

Saturday April 17, 2021 22:00 - 22:50 UTC
Hoodini
  Writing, Panel

22:00 UTC

Book Launch - Local Star by Aimee Ogden
Speakers
avatar for Aimee Ogden

Aimee Ogden

Aimee Ogden is a former science teacher and software tester; now she writes stories about sad astronauts and angry princesses. Her short fiction has appeared in venues such as Clarkesworld, Analog, Fireside, and Beneath Ceaseless Skies, and her novellas "Sun-Daughters, Sea-Daughters... Read More →

Saturday April 17, 2021 22:00 - 23:00 UTC
Courtyard
  Prose, Book Launch |   Writing, Book Launch |   Social, Book Launch

22:00 UTC

Social Hangout
Come and chat with other attendees! :)
Saturday April 17, 2021 22:00 - 23:00 UTC
Courtyard
  Social, Hangout

22:30 UTC

LaShawn Wanak - Reading
LaShawn M. Wanak lives in Wisconsin with her husband and son. She writes science fiction, fantasy, and a little bit of horror. Her works have been published in Fireside Magazine, FIYAH, Uncanny Magazine, and many others. She is the editor of the online magazine GigaNotoSaurus and a book reviewer for Lightspeed Magazine. When she is not working at her dayjob as an administrative assistant, she enjoys knitting, anime, and wrestling with theological truths from a Black womanist perspective. Writing stories keeps her sane. Also, pie.
Speakers
avatar for LaShawn Wanak

LaShawn Wanak

Writer, Book Reviewer, GigaNotoSaurus Editor
LaShawn M. Wanak lives in Wisconsin with her husband and son. She writes science fiction, fantasy, and a little bit of horror. Her works have been published in Fireside Magazine, FIYAH, Uncanny Magazine, and many others. She is the editor of the online magazine GigaNotoSaurus and... Read More →

Saturday April 17, 2021 22:30 - 22:55 UTC
Courtyard
  Writing, Reading |   Prose, Reading

22:30 UTC

[FULL] Kaffeeklatsch led by Arley Sorg
The seats for this interactive session have been distributed by lottery. Adding this session to your schedule does not grant you access.

Fantasy Magazine
Speakers
avatar for Arley Sorg

Arley Sorg

co-Editor-in-Chief, Fantasy Magazine
Arley Sorg is co-Editor-in-Chief of Fantasy Magazine, senior editor at Locus Magazine, and associate editor at both Lightspeed and Nightmare. He reviews books for Locus, Lightspeed, and Cascadia Subduction Zone, is a columnist for The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, and is... Read More →

Saturday April 17, 2021 22:30 - 23:00 UTC
Keep
  Limited Access, Kaffeeklatsch

23:00 UTC

Nina Niskanen - Reading
Nina Niskanen writes science fiction, fantasy, and horror. She lives in Helsinki, Finland, with her partner, and her dog where she works as a software developer. She is passionate about space, language, and creepy crawlies. She is a graduate of Viable Paradise and Clarion UCSD.
Speakers
avatar for Nina Niskanen

Nina Niskanen

Nina Niskanen writes science fiction, fantasy, and horror. She lives in Helsinki, Finland, with her partner, and her dog where she works as a software developer. She is passionate about space, language, and creepy crawlies. She is a graduate of Viable Paradise and Clarion UCSD.

Saturday April 17, 2021 23:00 - 23:25 UTC
Courtyard
  Writing, Reading |   Prose, Reading

23:00 UTC

The Art of Hannah Charlton
Hannah Charlton grew up in Eastern Washington. She studied art at Whitworth University, where she first became interested in medieval art history. This was encouraged by an internship at the Grünewald Guild, an arts retreat center that held classes in stained glass, calligraphy, and icon writing. Being surrounded by a community of artists, art lovers, and Ponderosa pine trees helped her realize what she truly wanted from life and from art.

Hannah spent a few years making comics, eventually coming back to illuminated manuscripts. She currently lives in Spokane, Washington.
Speakers
avatar for Hannah Charlton

Hannah Charlton

Hannah Charlton grew up in Eastern Washington. She studied art at Whitworth University, where she first became interested in medieval art history. This was encouraged by an internship at the Grünewald Guild, an arts retreat center that held classes in stained glass, calligraphy... Read More →

Saturday April 17, 2021 23:00 - 23:30 UTC
Salon
  Art/Illustration, Art Showcase

23:00 UTC

How to Get Started in Comics and Graphic Novels
Breaking into any industry takes time, talent, hard work, and sometimes luck, but with the changes in the comics publishing industry it can seem more daunting than ever to break into comics and graphic novels than ever before. We'll discuss the routes that brought our panelists to comics from self-publishing and crowdfunding, to indie comics, to corporate comics, and beyond.
Moderators
D

Speakers
avatar for Madeleine Holly-Rosing

Madeleine Holly-Rosing

Writer/Creator, Boston Metaphysical Society Comic
Madeleine Holly-Rosing is the writer/creator of the award-winning Boston Metaphysical Society graphic novel series, previously self-published, but is now published by Source Point Press. The series also includes the award winning prequel novel, A Storm of Secrets, and an anthology... Read More →
CG

C G Salamander

C G Salamander is a children's writer and graphic novelist based out of Chennai, India. His books have been published by Scholastic, Penguin, and Hachette to name a few publishers.
avatar for Krister Eide

Krister Eide

Krister Eide Art
Illustrator, webcomic and graphic novel creator of Nemo, an animal version of Jules Verne’s world.My Art of Krister Eide Session : You must be registered for FOF and press the Join button in Sched for the event. See you there!I also tutor digital art online and have an Etsy store... Read More →

Sponsors
GW

Saturday April 17, 2021 23:00 - 23:50 UTC
Toast
  Comics, Panel |   Guest of Honor, Panel |   Industry Biz, Panel

23:00 UTC

Video Game Environmental Design
Interested in looking at a key part of game design that can make (or break) a game? How are environments in interactive mediums designed, what pitfalls are there in making certain design choices, and what makes an environment fun or boring? Join this panel to find out!
Moderators
avatar for Kate Heartfield

Speakers
avatar for Artur Ganszyniec

Artur Ganszyniec

Designer, Different Tales
Artur Ganszyniec was the Lead Narrative Designer for the first The Witcher game. Later he worked on ethical F2P games for ATGames, was a Lead Project Designer in 11 bit studios, and currently he’s a part of Different Tales, an indie storytelling studio exploring the idea of slow... Read More →
avatar for Grace Fong

Grace Fong

Grace P. Fong is a Narrative Designer on Magic: The Gathering. In addition, she is a freelance illustrator who has won the inaugural Ignyte award.
avatar for Jessica Cheng

Jessica Cheng

Jessica Cheng is a senior concept designer who is a visual developer with experience in animation, vfx, and illustration.Previous projects include Star Wars Squadrons, various Call of Duty releases, Thomas the Tank Engine and more.They are interested in how art, narrative and gameplay... Read More →

Saturday April 17, 2021 23:00 - 23:50 UTC
Swooperton
  Games, Panel |   Guest of Honor, Panel

23:00 UTC

Meet the Dream Foundry
What is Dream Foundry? What does it do, what has it acheived, and who's running it? If you want to know more about the organization that makes Flights of Foundry happen, drop in on this panel to hear from the Dream Foundry board about all things Dream Foundry.
Moderators
JE

Speakers
avatar for Cislyn Smith

Cislyn Smith

secretary, Dream Foundry
Cislyn Smith (she/her) writes speculative short stories and poems, and you can find her wordy work in Strange Horizons, Diabolical Plots, Daily Science Fiction and scattered hither and yon else-internet. She is a first reader for Uncanny Magazine and Giganotosaurus, a graduate of... Read More →
avatar for Coral Moore

Coral Moore

co-Editor and Mermaid-in-Chief, Constelación Magazine
Coral Alejandra Moore is a writer, a genetics nerd, and the co-editor and co-publisher of Constelación Magazine. She believes the best thing in life is a well-made cup of coffee. Coral lives near Seattle with a dangerously smart Catahoula Leopard Dog, a small flock of chickens, and... Read More →
avatar for Deanna Rymaszewski

Deanna Rymaszewski

Board Member - Chief Compliance Officer, Dream Foundry
Deanna Rymaszewski is a social worker from Madison, Wisconsin. She has worked in many different nonprofits and has a strong interest in various areas of nonprofit management, especially regulatory compliance. When she’s not getting excited by regulations and paperwork, she spends... Read More →

Saturday April 17, 2021 23:00 - 23:50 UTC
Eyrie
  Industry Biz, Panel

23:00 UTC

Inclusion in Publishing
A panel of writers and editors will discuss different avenues of inclusivity in publishing, including accessibility and sensitivity to issues of race, gender and sexuality, and class. We'll also discuss the obstacles non-western authors face in getting published and celebrated in an industry that is weighted heavily towards the US and UK. This panel will discuss both problems and potential solutions, including ways publishers both large and small can strive to be more inclusive.
Moderators
avatar for Julia Rios

Julia Rios

Mermaids Monthly
Julia Rios (they/them) is a queer, Latinx writer, editor, podcaster, and narrator whose fiction, non-fiction, and poetry have appeared in Latin American Literature Today, Lightspeed, and Goblin Fruit, among other places. Their editing work has won multiple awards including the Hugo... Read More →

Speakers
ES

Elsa Sjunneson

Attendee
Hugo, BFA and Aurora award winning editor Elsa Sjunneson is a Deafblind hurricane in a vintage dress. Her written work has appeared in CNN Opinion, Uncanny Magazine, Women of Marvel #1, and many other projects and venues. Being Seen, her debut memoir on media and disability releases... Read More →
avatar for Arley Sorg

Arley Sorg

co-Editor-in-Chief, Fantasy Magazine
Arley Sorg is co-Editor-in-Chief of Fantasy Magazine, senior editor at Locus Magazine, and associate editor at both Lightspeed and Nightmare. He reviews books for Locus, Lightspeed, and Cascadia Subduction Zone, is a columnist for The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, and is... Read More →
avatar for Oghenechovwe Donald Ekpeki

Oghenechovwe Donald Ekpeki

Jembefola Press
Oghenechovwe Donald Ekpeki is an African speculative fiction writer and editor in Nigeria. He won the Nebula award and is a multiple Hugo award finalist. He has also won the Otherwise, Nommo, and British Fantasy awards and has been a finalist in the WFA, Locus, BSFA, BFA & Sturgeon... Read More →

Sponsors
C

Saturday April 17, 2021 23:00 - 23:50 UTC
Hoodini
  Industry Biz, Panel |   Writing, Panel

23:00 UTC

[FULL] Geologic Worldbuilding led by Jana Mittelstaedt
The seats for this interactive session have been distributed by lottery. Adding this session to your schedule does not grant you access.

The basics of plate tectonics, how to build mountains, making sure rivers flow downhill, and sorting out your climate zones. With about 80% of fantasy maps featuring an uphill flowing river without a magical explanation I want to help participants understand geology and create their own geologically sound fantasy map in the process.
Speakers
avatar for Janna Ruth

Janna Ruth

Writer, Translator & Editor
Janna Ruth is a German award-winning speculative fiction writer, living in Wellington New Zealand. As a former geologist, she has a special love for worldbuilding and fantasy maps (and fights the good fight for more downhill flowing rivers). She's also an editor, proofreader and English... Read More →

Saturday April 17, 2021 23:00 - 23:50 UTC
Keep
  Limited Access, Workshop

23:30 UTC

Shweta Adhyam - Reading
I live in Seattle and grew up in Chennai, India, mostly lost in the realms of Hindu mythology. I speak five languages; in the past have been an astronomer, an actuary, & a data analyst; struggle with ADHD; attended Clarion West in 2017.
Speakers
SA

Shweta Adhyam

Shweta belongs to Madras, and Seattle, and speculative fiction.  She speaks five languages, has had four careers, is three layers of immigrant, calls two cities home, and believes escapism is of the first importance. She is frenemies with ADHD, knows far more about Hindu mythology... Read More →

Saturday April 17, 2021 23:30 - 23:55 UTC
Courtyard
  Writing, Reading |   Prose, Reading

23:30 UTC

[FULL] Kaffeeklatsch led by Cassandra Khaw
The seats for this interactive session have been distributed by lottery. Adding this session to your schedule does not grant you access.
Speakers
CK

Cassandra Khaw

Cassandra Khaw is an award-winning game writer, whose fiction work has been nominated for several awards. Her short stories can be found in F&SF, Tor.com, and The Year's Best Science Fiction and Fantasy.

Saturday April 17, 2021 23:30 - Sunday April 18, 2021 00:00 UTC
Keep
  Limited Access, Kaffeeklatsch
 
Sunday, April 18
 

00:00 UTC

Dominik Parisien - Reading
Dominik Parisien is an editor, writer, and poet. He is the author of the poetry collection Side Effects May Include Strangers (McGill-Queen’s University Press, 2020) and his writing has appeared in Uncanny, Maisonneuve, PRISM International, EVENT, and This Magazine, among others. He co-edited, with Navah Wolfe, The Mythic Dream, Robots vs Fairies, and The Starlit Wood, and Disabled People Destroy Science Fiction, with Elsa Sjunneson. Dominik is a disabled, bisexual French Canadian. He lives in Toronto.
Speakers
DP

Dominik Parisien

Dominik Parisien is an editor, writer, and poet. He is the author of the poetry collection Side Effects May Include Strangers (McGill-Queen’s University Press, 2020) and his writing has appeared in Uncanny Magazine, Strange Horizons, Maisonneuve, PRISM International, and This Magazine... Read More →

Sunday April 18, 2021 00:00 - 00:25 UTC
Courtyard
  Writing, Reading |   Poetry, Reading

00:00 UTC

Fandom for All: Creating Inclusive Spaces
Fandom as a concept takes many forms, and is more important and in the mainstream eye than ever before, with social media making contact between fans and creators easier than it's ever been. But this brings its own set of challenges. In this panel we'll look at ways of creating inclusive spaces for people to enjoy, as well as discussing the problems that can emerge and ways of dealing with them.
Moderators
avatar for Ciaran Roberts

Ciaran Roberts

Attendee, Six to Start/Zombies, Run!
Ciaran is a producer, QA person, and zombie wrangler for the audio drama fitness app Zombies, Run!. She is heavily involved in fandom spaces, including several large community discords, twitch moderating, and being able to explain what to do when your thing suddenly has fanfiction... Read More →

Speakers
S

Stitch

Stitch is a freelance writer in South Florida.Her work looks at queer sub/text in superhero comics, the use of of anti/Blackness in Korean pop and hip hop, gender and race in the urban fantasy genre, and anti-blackness in fandom spaces. You can find her at Stitch's Media Mix and on... Read More →
avatar for Kimberly Nugent

Kimberly Nugent

Editor, Game Dev, Writer, Penguicon Featured Guest
Penguicon Featured Guest, Kimberly Nugent, began her career editing speculative fiction and poetry with Far Horizons Magazine as her first position while completing her editing certificate from UC Berkeley. After experience editing shorts and anthologies, she then moved into her lifelong... Read More →

Sunday April 18, 2021 00:00 - 00:50 UTC
Toast
  Comics, Panel |   Games, Panel |   Prose, Panel |   Commentary, Panel

00:00 UTC

Found in Translation: How Adapting Stories Can Connect Communities
How do we break the tower of babel and find utopias in stories? Translators, writers, and editors across the world are here to share their unique perspectives.
Moderators
YF

Speakers
avatar for Coral Moore

Coral Moore

co-Editor and Mermaid-in-Chief, Constelación Magazine
Coral Alejandra Moore is a writer, a genetics nerd, and the co-editor and co-publisher of Constelación Magazine. She believes the best thing in life is a well-made cup of coffee. Coral lives near Seattle with a dangerously smart Catahoula Leopard Dog, a small flock of chickens, and... Read More →
EG

Eliana González Ugarte

Born and raised in Asunción, Paraguay. Eliana wrote her first and only picture book fanfiction in 1995, titled Frog and Toad go to the Zoo, as a second-grade class assignment. Spoiler: everyone gets eaten in the end. She has won over ten short story awards in Paraguay, and one for... Read More →
ML

Monica Louzon

Monica Louzon (she/her) is a writer, editor, and translator. Constelación Magazine published her translation of Vania T. Curtidor's story, "Imilla in January 2021. Her short fiction has appeared in The Dread Machine and The Internet Is Where The Robots Live now, and her poetry has... Read More →
avatar for Andy Dudak

Andy Dudak

My fiction is featured in Jonathan Strahan’s Year’s Best Science Fiction and two volumes of Rich Horton’s Year’s Best Science Fiction and Fantasy. My stories have appeared in Analog, Apex, Clarkesworld, Interzone, The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, and in Science... Read More →
avatar for Klam Zuo

Klam Zuo

Klam Zuo is an SF writer, critic, translator, and popular science writer from China. Besides writing, Klam holds a Ph.D. degree in mathematics. His research interests include nonlinear analysis, symplectic geometry, and celestial mechanics. He has published stories, book reviews... Read More →

Sunday April 18, 2021 00:00 - 00:50 UTC
Hoodini
  Guest of Honor, Panel |   Writing, Panel |   Prose, Panel |   Translation, Panel

00:00 UTC

Co-Working Session led by R J Theodore
Speakers
avatar for R J Theodore

R J Theodore

Author, Podcaster, Graphic Designer
RJ's published work includes the ongoing Peridot Shift series and Phantom Traveler series. Her short work has appeared in the Lambda Award-nominated Glitter + Ashes anthology from Neon Hemlock Press. She is one half of the podcast We Make Books.

Sunday April 18, 2021 00:00 - 00:50 UTC
Courtyard
  Social, Co-Working

00:00 UTC

Short Stories Are Not Baby Novels
Due to their length, short stories are often seen as the "first step" towards writing longer works, that one can "graduate" from writing short to long fiction. Editors and writers of the form will discuss the traits unique to short fiction and what you can do with them that can't be done with novels: from structures, to story types, to common slips, to writing approaches.
Moderators
avatar for Jaymee Goh

Jaymee Goh

Editor, Tachyon Publications
Jaymee Goh is a writer, reviewer, editor, and essayist of science fiction and fantasy. Her work has been published in a number of science fiction and fantasy magazines and anthologies. She wrote the blog Silver Goggles, an exploration of postcolonial theory through steampunk, and... Read More →

Speakers
ER

Erin Roberts

Erin Roberts is a writer of speculative fiction across formats: her fiction has appeared in publications including Asimov's, Clarkesworld, Podcastle, and The Dark, and has been selected for three Year's Best anthologies; her interactive fiction has been published or is forthcoming... Read More →
avatar for Todd Sanders

Todd Sanders

Director, Air and Nothingness Press
I have run my own press - Air and Nothingness Press - since 1997. I’ve published five books of the translated poetry of Robert Desnos, three of my own books of poetry and am now publishing the writing of Jamie Lackey and UK fantasy authors Steph Swainston and Jonathan L. Howard.I... Read More →
avatar for José Pablo Iriarte

José Pablo Iriarte

José Pablo Iriarte is a Cuban-American writer and teacher who lives in Central Florida. José’s fiction can be found in magazines such as Lightspeed, Strange Horizons, Fireside Fiction, and others, and has been featured in best-of lists compiled by Tangent Online, Featured Futures... Read More →
avatar for S.B. Divya

S.B. Divya

Author, Editor
S.B. Divya is a lover of science, math, fiction, and the Oxford comma. She is the Hugo and Nebula nominated author of Runtime and co-editor of Escape Pod, with Mur Lafferty. Her short stories have been published at various magazines including Analog, Uncanny, and tor.com. Her collection... Read More →

Sponsors
avatar for Escape Artists

Sunday April 18, 2021 00:00 - 00:50 UTC
Swooperton
  Writing, Panel |   Prose, Panel |   Guest of Honor, Panel

00:00 UTC

Social Hangout
Come and chat with other attendees! :)
Sunday April 18, 2021 00:00 - 01:00 UTC
Courtyard
  Social, Hangout

00:00 UTC

[FULL] Career Development for Artists/Writers led by Darusha Wehm
The seats for this interactive session have been distributed by lottery. Adding this session to your schedule does not grant you access.

For some writers and artists, the work is its own reward. But for many of us, it can be hard to determine exactly what success looks like in a creative practice. Whether your creative work is for personal growth or for the public, some paths are more likely than others to lead to where you want your work to take you. This hands-on workshop will help you determine what you want out of a career and how to design a path that will be more likely to succeed.
Speakers
avatar for Darusha Wehm

Darusha Wehm

Author
M. Darusha Wehm is the Nebula Award-nominated and Sir Julius Vogel Award winning author of the interactive fiction game The Martian Job, as well as the science fiction novels Beautiful Red, Children of Arkadia, The Voyage of the White Cloud, and the Andersson Dexter cyberpunk detective... Read More →

Sunday April 18, 2021 00:00 - 02:50 UTC
Keep
  Limited Access, Workshop

00:00 UTC

[Open] Dungeons & Dragons One Shot Adventure led by Robert Kendzie
Participants will need Discord and Roll20
Speakers
RK

Robert Kendzie

Writer/Producer, Dire Destiny Books
Robert Kendzie is a writer, director, producer, and publisher making content for print and digital distribution. After several years as a mercenary production staffer in Hollywood, he moved to historic Fredericksburg, Virginia where he spends his hours hunting for inspiration in the... Read More →

Sunday April 18, 2021 00:00 - 03:50 UTC
Courtyard
  Games, Open Session Gaming

00:00 UTC

[Open] Stewpot led by Takuma Okada
Play Stewpot with the game's creator.
Speakers
avatar for Takuma Okada

Takuma Okada

Takuma Okada is a trans Japanese American game designer creating tabletop games and music under the name No Road Home. Their work emphasizes sense of place and the sublime as well as the emotions of everyday moments through approachable language in their design.

Sunday April 18, 2021 00:00 - 03:50 UTC
Courtyard
  Games, Open Session Gaming

00:30 UTC

Zelda Knight - Reading
Zelda Knight is the publisher and editor-in-chief of AURELIA LEO, a small press based in Louisville, Kentucky. She has published over one-hundred authors, artists, and poets from around the world. She is also the co-editor of Dominion: An Anthology of Speculative Fiction from Africa and the African Diaspora (AURELIA LEO, 2020), which has received critical acclaim! Keep in touch on social media @AuthorZKnight. Or, visit www.zeldaknight.com.
Speakers
avatar for Zelda Knight

Zelda Knight

Owner-Operator, Aurelia Book Café
Zelda Knight is a romance author by day, and the publisher and editor-in-chief of AURELIA LEO, an independent, Nebula Award-nominated indie press based in Louisville, Kentucky by night. She has published over one hundred authors, artists, and poets from around the world. She is also... Read More →

Sunday April 18, 2021 00:30 - 00:55 UTC
Courtyard
  Poetry, Reading |   Prose, Reading |   Writing, Reading

01:00 UTC

P H Lee - Reading
P H Lee lives with the rose bushes behind an old walnut tree down a dead-end road out past the highway. Their other writing has appeared in Uncanny Magazine, Clarkesworld, Lightspeed, among other venues. Their hobbies include cooking and translating Classical Chinese texts.
Speakers
PH

P H Lee

P H Lee lives with the rose bushes behind an old walnut tree down a dead-end road out past the highway. Their other writing has appeared in Uncanny Magazine, Clarkesworld, Lightspeed, among other venues. Their hobbies include cooking and translating Classical Chinese texts.

Sunday April 18, 2021 01:00 - 01:25 UTC
Courtyard
  Writing, Reading |   Prose, Reading

01:00 UTC

[FULL] Kaffeeklatsch led by Yilin Wang
The seats for this interactive session have been distributed by lottery. Adding this session to your schedule does not grant you access.

Translation, short fiction/SFF, MFAs/Clarion West/mentorship programs, revising, submitting one's work to SFF and literary fiction journals
Speakers
avatar for Yilin Wang

Yilin Wang

Yilin Wang (she/they) is a writer, editor, and Chinese-English translator. Her writing has appeared in Clarkesworld, The Malahat Review, Grain, CV2, carte blanche, The Toronto Star, The Tyee, and elsewhere. Her translations have appeared or are forthcoming in Asymptote, LA Review... Read More →

Sunday April 18, 2021 01:00 - 01:30 UTC
Keep
  Limited Access, Kaffeeklatsch

01:00 UTC

Story Telling in Board and Card Games
When we play games, we do more than just follow the rules. We become star commanders, powerful mages, pizza delivering ninjas, mech warriors... whatever story the game designers and writers have set us up to experience. This panel will look at how these stories are conveyed through the unique medium of game design, card text, and instruction manuals.
Moderators
avatar for Jonathan Stark

Jonathan Stark

Jonathan had his first Dungeon & Dragons experience when he was five, when his dad took him to a mysterious shop in Ft. Lauderdale run by a strange bearded man who sold magical books and figurines (Jonathan was pretty sure the dude was a wizard). Since that early introduction to fantasy... Read More →

Speakers
avatar for Alexander Schmidt

Alexander Schmidt

Director of Sales, Stonemaier Games
Alexander Schmidt has been working on game design since 2015 and has been professionally involved in the board game industry since 2017. He is currently the Director of Sales for Stonemaier Games. His first published game, Red Rising, is based off of the hit novels by Pierce Brown... Read More →
avatar for Casey Lucas

Casey Lucas

Casey Lucas is an award-winning author, game developer, and graphic novel editor based in New Zealand. Working with Seven Seas Entertainment, she has localised and edited over 60 volumes of Japanese manga for the English-language market. She was the recipient of the 2020 Sir Julius... Read More →

Sunday April 18, 2021 01:00 - 01:50 UTC
Toast
  Games, Panel

01:00 UTC

What Does Narrative Design Involve?
Narrative design is a broad term that can cover a range of writing, from video games to table-top RPGs to board games. Learn about the different approaches to narrative design and the skills required to be a narrative designer.
Moderators
SD

Saf Davidson

Lead Narrative Designer, Eggnut
Writer, editor, podcasted, and narrative designer. I've been working in games for 6 years, edited on narrative award-winning This, Too, Shall Pass, wrote a dynamic community-driven backstory for Before We Leave, and was a SJV best new talent nominee for 2019. I have two finished serials... Read More →

Speakers
avatar for Grace Fong

Grace Fong

Grace P. Fong is a Narrative Designer on Magic: The Gathering. In addition, she is a freelance illustrator who has won the inaugural Ignyte award.
KM
avatar for Whitney Beltrán

Whitney Beltrán

Narrative Designer, Writer, Diversity and Inclusion Consultant
Whitney “Strix” Beltrán is Project Narrative Director at Hidden Path Entertainment, currently developing a AAA Dungeons & Dragons video game. She is an award winning Mexican-American narrative designer and writer with a Master’s degree in Mythological Studies. She’s previously... Read More →

Sunday April 18, 2021 01:00 - 01:50 UTC
Hoodini
  Games, Panel |   TTRPG, Panel

01:00 UTC

Imagining Accessible Worlds in SFF
So you want to imagine an accessible future. Or an inclusive secondary world. Or a disabled positive attentive history. What are some of the advantages, pitfalls, and things to consider when creating an accessible SFF world? How do the needs of different types of disabled characters affect that? Let's talk about how to make rich, fascinating worlds that are accessible too
Moderators
avatar for Aliza Greenblatt

Aliza Greenblatt

A.T. Greenblatt is a mechanical engineer by day and a writer by night. She lives in Philadelphia where she's known to frequently subject her friends to various cooking and home brewing experiments. She is a graduate of Viable Paradise XVI and Clarion West 2017. Her work has won... Read More →

Speakers
avatar for Andi C. Buchanan

Andi C. Buchanan

Andi C. Buchanan lives and writes just outside Wellington, New Zealand. Winner of Sir Julius Vogel Awards for From a Shadow Grave (Paper Road Press, 2019) and their short story "Girls Who Do Not Drown" (Apex, 2018), their fiction is also published in Fireside, Kaleidotrope, Glittership... Read More →
avatar for Katharine Duckett

Katharine Duckett

Katharine Duckett is the award-winning author of Miranda in Milan, a Shakespearean fantasy novella debut that NPR calls "intriguing, adept, inventive, and sexy." Her short fiction has appeared on Tor.com and in Uncanny, Apex, PseudoPod, and Interzone, as well as various anthologies... Read More →
AT

Sponsors
FN

Sunday April 18, 2021 01:00 - 01:50 UTC
Swooperton
  Industry Biz, Panel |   Prose, Panel |   Writing, Panel

01:00 UTC

Co-Working Session led by Rashida Smith
Speakers
avatar for Rashida Smith

Rashida Smith

Six-week Workshop Admin, Clarion West Writers Workshop
Rashida J. Smith is the workshop administrator for Clarion West Writers Workshop. A former editor of the Hugo-nominated semiprozine Giganotosaurus, she attended Clarion West in 2005 and now writes urban fantasy and paranormal romance as Jasmine Silvera.

Sunday April 18, 2021 01:00 - 01:50 UTC
Courtyard
  Social, Co-Working

01:00 UTC

Turning Real Life Stories into Fiction
Research, Showing Not Telling, Writing Responsibly
Speakers
avatar for Sarah Faxon

Sarah Faxon

Co-Founder & Creative Director, No Bad Books Press, LLC
S. Faxon writes urban fantasy, dark fantasy, and horror novels. She is served as the president of the San Diego Writers and Editors Guild, co-founded No Bad Books Press, LLC, is a co-creator of the podcast, Semi-Sages of the Pages, and is an English Language Arts Teacher.

Sunday April 18, 2021 01:00 - 01:50 UTC
Bartholomew
  Writing, Presentation |   Prose, Presentation

01:00 UTC

Social Hangout
Come and chat with other attendees! :)
Sunday April 18, 2021 01:00 - 02:00 UTC
Courtyard
  Social, Hangout

01:30 UTC

J.T. Greathouse - Reading
J.T. Greathouse’s short fiction has appeared, often as Jeremy A. TeGrotenhuis, in BCS, Deep Magic, IGMS, and elsewhere. Upon graduating with a degree in history and philosophy from Whitworth University in Spokane, he taught ESL in Taiwan before returning to Spokane, WA. After working as a bookseller for several years, he currently teaches high school. He is the author of THE HAND OF THE SUN KING, forthcoming from Gollancz in August, 2021.
Speakers
avatar for JT Greathouse

JT Greathouse

J.T. Greathouse’s short fiction has appeared, often as Jeremy A. TeGrotenhuis, in BCS, Deep Magic, IGMS, and elsewhere. Upon graduating with a degree in history and philosophy from Whitworth University, he taught ESL in Taiwan before returning to Spokane, WA. After working as a... Read More →

Sunday April 18, 2021 01:30 - 01:55 UTC
Courtyard
  Writing, Reading |   Prose, Reading

01:30 UTC

[FULL] KaffeeKlatsch led by Phoebe Barton
The seats for this interactive session have been distributed by lottery. Adding this session to your schedule does not grant you access.
Speakers
avatar for Phoebe Barton

Phoebe Barton

Attendee
Phoebe Barton is a queer trans science fiction writer. Her fiction has appeared in venues such as Analog, and she wrote the interactive fiction game The Luminous Underground for Choice of Games. She has a tendency to do a lot of mathematical equations to make stories turn out right... Read More →

Sunday April 18, 2021 01:30 - 02:00 UTC
Keep
  Limited Access, Kaffeeklatsch

02:00 UTC

K. R. Monin - Reading
K. R. Monin is a speculative fiction author whose muses include human potential, everyday surrealism, and evolving technology. Her work has been published by Write Ahead/The Future Looms and Black Hare Press. In the spare time that exists between worlds, she co-hosts the analytics-based genre fiction podcast, "The Archetypist." A frequent flier and lonely lover of public transit, she identifies as a beer snob, thrives on wanderlust, and struggles to use her indoor voice. Tweets: @kunderscoremons
Speakers
avatar for K. R. Monin

K. R. Monin

K. R. Monin is a speculative fiction author whose muses include human potential, everyday surrealism, and evolving technology. Her work has been published by Write Ahead/The Future Looms and Black Hare Press. In the spare time that exists between worlds, she co-hosts the analytics-based... Read More →

Sunday April 18, 2021 02:00 - 02:25 UTC
Courtyard
  Writing, Reading |   Prose, Reading

02:00 UTC

Art Contest Winner Showcase: Thaleia Demeter
Thaleia Demeter is the recipient of the Monu Bose Memorial Prize for art in the 2020 Dream Foundry art contest: https://dreamfoundry.org/contest-winners/

From a balcony studio in Tasmania, Thaleia works in pencil, watercolour, gouache, and digital. She is a lover of books, especially illustrated ones, and an avid drinker of tea. Her work is inspired by classical myth and folklore, with a heavy dash of historical fashion, romance, and fantasy.

Website: www.thaleiademeter.com
Portfolio: https://www.thaleiademeter.com/tapestries

Thaleia will be interviewed by a contest judge, Grace Fong.
Moderators
avatar for Grace Fong

Grace Fong

Grace P. Fong is a Narrative Designer on Magic: The Gathering. In addition, she is a freelance illustrator who has won the inaugural Ignyte award.

Speakers
avatar for Thaleia Demeter

Thaleia Demeter

Artist working in pencil, watercolour, gouache, and digital. Her work is inspired by classical myth and folklore, with a heavy dash of historical fashion, romance, and fantasy.

Sunday April 18, 2021 02:00 - 02:50 UTC
Swooperton
  Art/Illustration, Contest Showcase |   Contest Winner, Contest Showcase

02:00 UTC

Co-Working Session led by S.B. Divya
10 min chat, 40 min work, 10 min chat
Speakers
avatar for S.B. Divya

S.B. Divya

Author, Editor
S.B. Divya is a lover of science, math, fiction, and the Oxford comma. She is the Hugo and Nebula nominated author of Runtime and co-editor of Escape Pod, with Mur Lafferty. Her short stories have been published at various magazines including Analog, Uncanny, and tor.com. Her collection... Read More →

Sunday April 18, 2021 02:00 - 02:50 UTC
Courtyard
  Guest of Honor, Co-Working |   Social, Co-Working

02:00 UTC

Neurodiversity in SFF
Science fiction, fantasy, and neurodiversity are interwoven in myriad ways. In this panel, four authors speak on writing with, about, and for neuroatypical brains.
Moderators
MJ

Marlee Jane Ward

Marlee Jane Ward is a writer living on Wurundjeri Land in Melbourne, Australia. She grew up on Awabakal and Kuring-gai country on the Central Coast of New South Wales. She studied creative writing on Tharawal lands at the University of Wollongong, and is an alum of the Clarion West... Read More →

Speakers
avatar for Alexei Collier

Alexei Collier

Alexei Collier is a disabled and neurodivergent human who writes fantasy inspired by science and science-fiction inspired by folklore. He was born in sunny Southern California, grew up in a house his family moved into on his very first Halloween, and went to school in a creepy old... Read More →
SD

Saf Davidson

Lead Narrative Designer, Eggnut
Writer, editor, podcasted, and narrative designer. I've been working in games for 6 years, edited on narrative award-winning This, Too, Shall Pass, wrote a dynamic community-driven backstory for Before We Leave, and was a SJV best new talent nominee for 2019. I have two finished serials... Read More →
avatar for Sarah Terentiev

Sarah Terentiev

Sarah Terentiev lives in the wilds of North Texas. VP of Community Outreach for the DFW Writers’ Workshop, she writes speculative short stories including "Danger Noodle" in Silk & Steel: A Queer Speculative Adventure Anthology. ADHD, pansexual, agender (she/any), and battling her... Read More →
MS

Malcolm Schmitz

Malcolm Schmitz is a queer author of SF/F. He enjoys writing, worldbuilding, and streaming Sims antics.

Sunday April 18, 2021 02:00 - 02:50 UTC
Hoodini
  Writing, Panel

02:00 UTC

Surviving Your Debut
A new novelist's first publication is an exciting time... and also terrifically frightening. There are so many things to do, and so many opportunities to get it wrong! And the stakes are high... you never get a second chance to make a first impression. Four experienced novelists share their "first time" experiences and offer advice to make your novel debut as pleasant and productive as possible.
Moderators
avatar for David D. Levine

Speakers
avatar for Tiffany Meuret

Tiffany Meuret

Tiffany's debut speculative fiction novel, A Flood of Posies, was released in 2021 by Black Spot Books. Her second novel, Little Bird, releases in June 2022, also with Black Spot. She has multiple publications of short fiction and poetry that can be found on her website www.TiffanyMeuret.com... Read More →
avatar for Valerie Valdes

Valerie Valdes

Valerie Valdes’s short fiction and poetry have been featured in Uncanny Magazine, Time Travel Short Stories and Nightmare Magazine. Her debut novel Chilling Effect was shortlisted for the 2021 Arthur C. Clarke Award and was named one of Library Journal’s best SF/fantasy novels... Read More →
avatar for PJ Manney

PJ Manney

author, PJ Manney
PJ Manney is the author of the P.K. Dick Award-nominated (R)EVOLUTION, book 1 in a trilogy with (ID)ENTITY, and the upcoming (CON)SCIENCE, out April 27, 2021. She also writes non-fiction and consults about emerging technology, future humans, empathy-building through storytelling... Read More →

Sunday April 18, 2021 02:00 - 02:50 UTC
Bartholomew
  Writing, Panel |   Industry Biz, Panel |   Prose, Panel

02:00 UTC

Social Hangout
Come and chat with other attendees! :)
Sunday April 18, 2021 02:00 - 03:00 UTC
Courtyard
  Social, Hangout

02:30 UTC

Louis Evans - Reading
Louis Evans is an emerging sci-fi and speculative fiction writer based in NYC. His fiction has appeared in Analog, Interzone, Escape Pod, GigaNotoSaurus, Translunar Travelers Lounge, and more. His nonfiction has appeared in Blood Knife and The Toast. He's a comedic performer who has won BAHFest West twice and contributed to Shipwreck SF. In the Bay Area, he co-founded the Cliterary Salon reading series. He is a member of the Clarion West class of the plague year.
Speakers
avatar for Louis Evans

Louis Evans

Attendee
Louis Evans is an emerging sci-fi and speculative fiction writer based in NYC. His fiction has appeared in Analog, Interzone, Escape Pod, GigaNotoSaurus, Translunar Travelers Lounge, and more. His nonfiction has appeared in Blood Knife and The Toast. He's a comedic performer who has... Read More →

Sunday April 18, 2021 02:30 - 02:55 UTC
Courtyard
  Writing, Reading |   Prose, Reading

02:30 UTC

Constelación Magazine Publisher Party
Like a wish upon a star, Constelación Magazine was born out of two people who had the same dream: to read more speculative stories in Spanish. Though we live more than 6,400 miles apart, the universe answered by bringing us together, with the goal of amplifying the voices of Latin America and the Caribbean. At the same time, we want to give Spanish-speakers access to stories of all races, ethnicities, genders, and walks of life.

Constelación is a quarterly speculative fiction bilingual magazine, publishing stories in both Spanish and English. Writers can submit their stories in either language. Fifty percent of the stories we publish in every issue will be from authors from the Caribbean, Latin America, and their diaspora.

Come meet the editors as they discuss both the magazine issues already published and the issues yet to come!
Speakers
EG

Eliana González Ugarte

Born and raised in Asunción, Paraguay. Eliana wrote her first and only picture book fanfiction in 1995, titled Frog and Toad go to the Zoo, as a second-grade class assignment. Spoiler: everyone gets eaten in the end. She has won over ten short story awards in Paraguay, and one for... Read More →
avatar for Coral Moore

Coral Moore

co-Editor and Mermaid-in-Chief, Constelación Magazine
Coral Alejandra Moore is a writer, a genetics nerd, and the co-editor and co-publisher of Constelación Magazine. She believes the best thing in life is a well-made cup of coffee. Coral lives near Seattle with a dangerously smart Catahoula Leopard Dog, a small flock of chickens, and... Read More →

Sunday April 18, 2021 02:30 - 03:55 UTC
Courtyard
  Social, Party |   Industry Biz, Party

03:00 UTC

[FULL] Kaffeeklatsch led by Rashida Smith
The seats for this interactive session have been distributed by lottery. Adding this session to your schedule does not grant you access.

Writing workshops, critique groups, critique partners
Speakers
avatar for Rashida Smith

Rashida Smith

Six-week Workshop Admin, Clarion West Writers Workshop
Rashida J. Smith is the workshop administrator for Clarion West Writers Workshop. A former editor of the Hugo-nominated semiprozine Giganotosaurus, she attended Clarion West in 2005 and now writes urban fantasy and paranormal romance as Jasmine Silvera.

Sunday April 18, 2021 03:00 - 03:30 UTC
Keep
  Limited Access, Kaffeeklatsch

03:00 UTC

S. B. Divya - Reading
S.B. Divya is a lover of science, math, fiction, and the Oxford comma. She is the Hugo and Nebula nominated author of Runtime and co-editor of Escape Pod, with Mur Lafferty. Her short stories have been published at various magazines including Analog, Uncanny, and tor.com. Her collection, Contingency Plans For the Apocalypse and Other Situations, is out now from Hachette India, and her debut novel MACHINEHOOD is forthcoming from Saga Press in March, 2021.
Speakers
avatar for S.B. Divya

S.B. Divya

Author, Editor
S.B. Divya is a lover of science, math, fiction, and the Oxford comma. She is the Hugo and Nebula nominated author of Runtime and co-editor of Escape Pod, with Mur Lafferty. Her short stories have been published at various magazines including Analog, Uncanny, and tor.com. Her collection... Read More →

Sunday April 18, 2021 03:00 - 03:30 UTC
Eyrie
  Prose, GOH READING |   Guest of Honor, GOH READING |   Audio/Podcasting, GOH READING |   Writing, GOH READING

03:00 UTC

The Clockwork of Mechanized Emotions in Games
Techniques and approaches for crafting emotional machinery in games. How do you put together the gears and springs so when the player turns the crank, their feelings go brrr?
Moderators
avatar for Valerie Valdes

Valerie Valdes

Valerie Valdes’s short fiction and poetry have been featured in Uncanny Magazine, Time Travel Short Stories and Nightmare Magazine. Her debut novel Chilling Effect was shortlisted for the 2021 Arthur C. Clarke Award and was named one of Library Journal’s best SF/fantasy novels... Read More →

Speakers
avatar for Phoebe Barton

Phoebe Barton

Attendee
Phoebe Barton is a queer trans science fiction writer. Her fiction has appeared in venues such as Analog, and she wrote the interactive fiction game The Luminous Underground for Choice of Games. She has a tendency to do a lot of mathematical equations to make stories turn out right... Read More →
avatar for Allie Bustion

Allie Bustion

Game Designer & Writer

Sunday April 18, 2021 03:00 - 03:50 UTC
Toast
  Games, Panel

03:00 UTC

[FULL] Outline in an Hour led by David D. Levine
The seats for this interactive session have been distributed by lottery. Adding this session to your schedule does not grant you access.
Speakers
avatar for David D. Levine

Sunday April 18, 2021 03:00 - 03:50 UTC
Keep
  Limited Access, Workshop

03:00 UTC

From Verbal to Visual: Adapting Art for the Screen
Whenever art is adapted to a new medium, it transforms fundamentally. Much of what made the original great could be lost, yet a different kind of greatness can be achieved in its place. How can artistic intention survive the transition? What elements are worth considering besides just how faithful an adaptation ends up being?
Moderators
avatar for Luke Elliott

Luke Elliott

Writer, Co-Host, Ink to Film Podcast
Luke Elliott’s fiction runs the gamut from Fantasy to SciFi to Horror, and has appeared in Metaphorosis Magazine, the Buckman Journal, and in audio form on The Overcast Podcast, among others. He has a B.A. in Creative Writing from the University of Florida, an MFA in Writing Popular... Read More →

Speakers
avatar for Crystal Skillman

Crystal Skillman

Playwright, Playwright
CRYSTAL SKILLMAN is an award-winning playwright expanding into television and audio drama. Her four part audio drama KING KIRBY, with co-writer Fred Van Lente, was just released on Broadway Podcast Network. Her other work with Fred Van Lente includes EAT FIGHTER the animated series... Read More →
avatar for Jennifer Kretchmer

Jennifer Kretchmer

My nerdiness knows no bounds, and I'm proud of it."Love all, trust a few. Do harm to none." -ShakespeareThat pretty much sums it up.To make a Jen:Take a hearty dash of nerdiness, a splash of politics (yes, I am a dirty hippie), several ounces of a virulent love of learning, and a... Read More →
LT

Levan Tsertsvadze

Zaza Koshkadze - Born in 1982. Real name Levan Tsertsvadze, graduated in Georgian folk music from the Institute of Traditional and Contemporary Art in Tbilisi. He is an author, Screenwriter, Copywriter and Translator. Two of his short stories were involved in the annual anthology... Read More →

Sunday April 18, 2021 03:00 - 03:50 UTC
Swooperton
  Writing, Panel |   Commentary, Panel |   Video & Streaming, Panel

03:00 UTC

Sensitivity Reading as Developmental Editing
A panel of experienced sensitivity readers comes together to discuss the evolving popular perceptions of sensitivity reading, what drew them to and keeps them doing this work, their methods and best practices, and the ways in which sensitivity reading, with its emphasis on character and structural issues, can and should be viewed as developmental editing.
Moderators
avatar for Nicasio Reed

Nicasio Reed

Attendee
Nicasio Andres Reed is a writer, poet, and essayist whose work has appeared in venues such as Strange Horizons, Lightspeed, Uncanny Magazine, and Shimmer. He lives in Tagaytay, in the Philippines, and is working on a novel.

Speakers
avatar for Zhui Ning Chang

Zhui Ning Chang

Zhui Ning Chang (she/they) is a Malaysian editor, writer, and theatre maker based between London and Johor. Her writing for stage includes queer romantic comedy Seashore Yuanfen and the time travel project Asian Pirate Musical, which sold out its first showcase at VAULT 2020; her... Read More →
MJ

Marlee Jane Ward

Marlee Jane Ward is a writer living on Wurundjeri Land in Melbourne, Australia. She grew up on Awabakal and Kuring-gai country on the Central Coast of New South Wales. She studied creative writing on Tharawal lands at the University of Wollongong, and is an alum of the Clarion West... Read More →
avatar for Yilin Wang

Yilin Wang

Yilin Wang (she/they) is a writer, editor, and Chinese-English translator. Her writing has appeared in Clarkesworld, The Malahat Review, Grain, CV2, carte blanche, The Toronto Star, The Tyee, and elsewhere. Her translations have appeared or are forthcoming in Asymptote, LA Review... Read More →

Sunday April 18, 2021 03:00 - 03:50 UTC
Hoodini
  Writing, Panel |   Games, Panel |   TTRPG, Panel |   Prose, Panel

03:00 UTC

Audio Fiction Meetup led by Eddie Louise
Social meetup. All are welcome.
Speakers
avatar for Eddie Louise

Eddie Louise

Author
Eddie Louise is a novelist and audio-drama/podcast creator who builds speculative fiction worlds on the page and for the ears. She writes the hit audio-drama, THE TALES OF SAGE & SAVANT and the novels of the TRANSMIGRATIONS Series.

Sunday April 18, 2021 03:00 - 04:00 UTC
Courtyard
  Audio/Podcasting, Meetup |   Social, Meetup

03:00 UTC

Social Hangout
Come and chat with other attendees! :)
Sunday April 18, 2021 03:00 - 04:00 UTC
Courtyard
  Social, Hangout

03:30 UTC

Marie Brennan - Reading
Marie Brennan is a former anthropologist and folklorist who shamelessly pillages her academic fields for inspiration. She recently misapplied her professors' hard work to Turning Darkness Into Light, a sequel to the Hugo Award-nominated series The Memoirs of Lady Trent. As half of M.A. Carrick, she is also the author of The Mask of Mirrors, first in the Rook and Rose trilogy. For more information, visit swantower.com, Twitter @swan_tower, or her Patreon at www.patreon.com/swan_tower.
Speakers
MB

Marie Brennan

Writer
Marie Brennan is a former anthropologist and folklorist who shamelessly pillages her academic fields for inspiration. She recently misapplied her professors' hard work to Turning Darkness Into Light, a sequel to the Hugo Award-nominated series The Memoirs of Lady Trent. As half of... Read More →

Sunday April 18, 2021 03:30 - 03:55 UTC
Courtyard
  Writing, Reading |   Prose, Reading

04:00 UTC

Jill Roberts - Reading
Speakers
avatar for Jill Roberts

Jill Roberts

Jill Roberts has been the managing editor at Tachyon Publications since 2002. She is the editor of award-winning Tachyon books, and a columnist for Books to Watch Out For and the Thirteenth Moon. Roberts was a consultant at Streetside Stories, which teaches storytelling through writing... Read More →

Sunday April 18, 2021 04:00 - 04:25 UTC
Courtyard
  Writing, Reading |   Prose, Reading

04:00 UTC

Drawing on Non-Western Traditions in Comics and Illustration
In a world where Western comics and art are advertised so much more to us than any other media, we forget about cultures from other shores rich with their own unique history and mythos that informs their storytelling and artistic sensibilities. In this session, we’ll be discussing precisely that--- non-Western creators, story structures, aesthetic styles and techniques, and how that enhances the work that can only uniquely come from these shores.
Join us as we learn more about Drawing on non-Western Traditions in Comics and Illustration.
Moderators
avatar for Jaime Lau

Jaime Lau

Game Arts Student
Currently, Jaime (he/they) is a game arts student based in Malaysia, dabbling in character design, visual storytelling and game writing.His art style---a blend of inspirations from anime to literature---is commonly juxtaposed as "focused and detailed" with "sketchy, loose with raw... Read More →

Speakers
avatar for Farid Nad

Farid Nad

Freelance Illustrator, Farideacs Art
A 24 year old kampung kid hailing from a sleepy coastal town, Farid (he/dia) is a full-time freelance illustrator and english communications degree graduate.Farid's works feature themes of identity, belonging and hope, with most focusing on the intricacies of the malay identity and... Read More →
avatar for Sloane Leong

Sloane Leong

Attendee
Sloane Leong is a mixed indigenous cartoonist, artist, and writer. She is currently working on the sequel to her sci-fi adventure comic Prism Stalker and has a new graphic novel out from First Second called A Map to the Sun. She is currently living in Chinook Territory near Portland... Read More →
avatar for Murewa Ayodele

Murewa Ayodele

Comic Book Writer, Collectible Comics NG
Murewa Ayodele is a Nigerian comic book creator who has always had a passion for animation and all things illustrated from a very young age, even though as a kid in Nigeria, he barely had access to any. He didn't buy his own print copy of a comic book till he was in college and at... Read More →

Sunday April 18, 2021 04:00 - 04:50 UTC
Swooperton
  Comics, Panel |   Art/Illustration, Panel

04:00 UTC

Codenames led by Moses Utomi
Speakers
MU

Moses Utomi

Moses Utomi is a Nigerian-American fantasy writer and nomad currently based out of San Diego, California. He has an MFA in fiction from Sarah Lawrence College and has been published in Fireside Fiction. A lifelong martial artist and combat sports practitioner, when he isn't traveling... Read More →

Sunday April 18, 2021 04:00 - 04:50 UTC
Courtyard
  Games, Open Session Gaming

04:00 UTC

Ways to Decolonize Your Fiction Writing
A colonial mindset permeates everything we do and say, whether we recognize it or not, like it or not. The work of decolonizing is difficult but worthwhile, and for fiction, it is rooted in being open to craft concepts that may be contrary, even antithetical, to what you were taught in school and in writing books. Topics that will be covered in this presentation include writing from a place of societal trauma, radical acceptance in characters, active vs. inactive protagonists, harmful cultural values and attitudes, non-western narrative structures, therapy-taught mental health lessons that can manifest in fiction, etc.
Speakers
avatar for Vida Cruz

Vida Cruz

Vida Cruz is a Filipina fantasy and science fiction writer, editor, artist, and tarot reader. Her short fiction has been published or is forthcoming from Strange Horizons, PodCastle, Expanded Horizons, and various anthologies. She is a 2018 Tiptree Fellow and in 2019, she published... Read More →

Sponsors
C

Sunday April 18, 2021 04:00 - 04:50 UTC
Bartholomew
  Writing, Presentation |   Prose, Presentation

04:00 UTC

Introducing the "Sizzle" to your non-romantic work
Are your characters...interested in each other? Are there some longing looks? Or would you like your characters to start flirting and they’re not behaving? Yet, you don't want the focus of your story to be all about the romance.


In this panel, we’ll discuss introducing a little “sizzle” to your non-romance work.
Speakers
avatar for Theresa Halvorsen

Theresa Halvorsen

Writer and Podcaster, Semi-Sages of the Pages
Theresa Halvorsen has never met a profanity she hasn’t enjoyed. She’s generally overly-caffeinated and at times, wine-soaked. The author of the dystopian romance Warehouse Dreams and paranormal romance, River City Widows, Theresa wonders what sleep is. When she’s not writing... Read More →

Sunday April 18, 2021 04:00 - 04:50 UTC
Toast
  Writing, Presentation |   Prose, Presentation

04:00 UTC

Social Hangout
Come and chat with other attendees! :)
Sunday April 18, 2021 04:00 - 05:00 UTC
Courtyard
  Social, Hangout

04:30 UTC

David Dear - Reading
David S. Dear (he/him) is the producer, writer, and voice of the protagonist Januae in the audio drama A Ninth World Journal, co-producer of Listen, Rinse, Repeat podcast, co-producer and co-writer of the comedy podcast Deconstructive Criticism and cast member of the sci-fi comedy OZ-9. His voice can also be heard on several other shows such as Vampires of White Chapel, Rise of King Asilas, Witchever Path, and Moonbase Theta, Out, and is an Audible Approved Producer credited with narrating over 30 audiobooks. When he’s not talking in front of a mic he geeks out on Numenera and talks incessantly about his wife and furbabies.
Speakers
avatar for David S. Dear

David S. Dear

David S. Dear (he/him) is the producer, writer, and voice of the protagonist Januae in the audio drama A Ninth World Journal, co-producer of Listen, Rinse, Repeat podcast, co-producer and co-writer of the comedy podcast Deconstructive Criticism and cast member of the sci-fi comedy... Read More →

Sunday April 18, 2021 04:30 - 04:55 UTC
Courtyard
  Writing, Reading |   Prose, Reading

05:00 UTC

Anaea Lay - Reading
Jessica Eanes, who publishes as Anaea Lay, lives in Chicago where she conducts a torrid love affair with the city. She's the president of Dream Foundry where she wears many hats and rifles through the pockets of many discarded careers for tips and ideas.

She's published two interactive novels with Choice of Games, the historical railroad baron dating sim "Gilded Rails" and the space opera adventure romp "Light Years Apart." Her short fiction has appeared in a variety of places including Lightspeed, Apex, and Escape Pod. She tweets as @anaealay, often about niche Chicago politics. Find her online at anaealay.com.
Speakers
JE

Sunday April 18, 2021 05:00 - 05:25 UTC
Courtyard
  Writing, Reading |   Prose, Reading

05:00 UTC

The Art of Elio Abdullah
Queer and trans illustrator from Malaysia specializing in manga style art. I have a keen interest in fashion and fashion design as well!
Speakers
EA

Elio Abdullah

Queer and trans illustrator from Malaysia specializing in manga style art. I have a keen interest in fashion and fashion design as well!

Sunday April 18, 2021 05:00 - 05:30 UTC
Salon
  Art/Illustration, Art Showcase |   Comics, Art Showcase

05:00 UTC

Introduction to Audio Fiction
A general overview of the Audio Fiction landscape with a look at the breadth and depth of this vital and growing field.
Speakers
avatar for Eddie Louise

Eddie Louise

Author
Eddie Louise is a novelist and audio-drama/podcast creator who builds speculative fiction worlds on the page and for the ears. She writes the hit audio-drama, THE TALES OF SAGE & SAVANT and the novels of the TRANSMIGRATIONS Series.

Sponsors
HM

Sunday April 18, 2021 05:00 - 05:50 UTC
Toast
  Audio/Podcasting, Presentation |   Writing, Presentation

05:00 UTC

Wrestling with Emotions
The big lights and grand personas of the squared circle tell many of the stories we already know in an interesting new way. Let’s pull a few feuds apart and figure out what makes them so compelling and maybe pick up some new writing moves along the way. Both a quick crash course in WWE, NJPW, and some indie circuit wrestling and a chat about craft.
Speakers
avatar for Allie Bustion

Allie Bustion

Game Designer & Writer

Sunday April 18, 2021 05:00 - 05:50 UTC
Hoodini
  TTRPG, Presentation |   Writing, Presentation

05:30 UTC

Daryl Yam - Reading
Daryl Qilin Yam (b.1991) is a writer of prose and poetry, born and based in Singapore. He is also an arts organiser / producer, and sits on the board of directors at the literary charity Sing Lit Station. His second novel, Lovelier, Lonelier (Singapore: Epigram Books, 2021), is forthcoming from Epigram Books. His first novel, Kappa Quartet (Singapore: Epigram Books, 2016), was selected by The Business Times as one of the best novels of 2016. It was described by QLRS as “[breaking] new ground in Singaporean writing… a shimmering and poignant novel, an immensely sympathetic and humane exploration of our existential condition.”
Speakers
avatar for Daryl Yam

Daryl Yam

Daryl Qilin Yam (b.1991) is a writer of prose and poetry, born and based in Singapore. He is also an arts organiser / producer, and sits on the board of directors at the literary charity Sing Lit Station. His second novel, Lovelier, Lonelier (Singapore: Epigram Books, 2021), is forthcoming... Read More →

Sunday April 18, 2021 05:30 - 05:55 UTC
Courtyard
  Writing, Reading |   Prose, Reading

06:00 UTC

Rem Wigmore - Reading
Rem Wigmore is a speculative fiction writer based in Aotearoa. Their novel Foxhunt is forthcoming from Queen of Swords Press in 2021, and their other works include Riverwitch and The Wind City, as well as short fiction in a range of publications. Rem’s probably a changeling, but you’re stuck with them now. The coffee here is just too good. Rem can be found on twitter as @faewriter.
Speakers
avatar for Rem Wigmore

Rem Wigmore

Attendee
Rem Wigmore is a speculative fiction writer based in Aotearoa. Their novel Foxhunt is forthcoming from Queen of Swords Press in 2021, and their other works include Riverwitch and The Wind City, as well as short fiction in a range of publications. Rem’s probably a changeling, but... Read More →

Sunday April 18, 2021 06:00 - 06:25 UTC
Courtyard
  Writing, Reading |   Prose, Reading

06:00 UTC

The Art of Jaime Lau
His art style---a blend of inspirations from anime to literature---is commonly juxtaposed as 'focused and detailed' with "sketchy, loose with raw energy', showing that they hate to restrict themself to a boundary. His works feature themes of love, self-discovery and identity with a uniquely Southeast Asian Chinese perspective. In this showcase, they will be showing their character design work in the TTRPGs Capitalites, Bunnies Cleaning Toilets, and Re-School!!!, and art direction from various school and personal projects.
Speakers
avatar for Jaime Lau

Jaime Lau

Game Arts Student
Currently, Jaime (he/they) is a game arts student based in Malaysia, dabbling in character design, visual storytelling and game writing.His art style---a blend of inspirations from anime to literature---is commonly juxtaposed as "focused and detailed" with "sketchy, loose with raw... Read More →

Sunday April 18, 2021 06:00 - 06:30 UTC
Salon
  Art/Illustration, Art Showcase |   Games, Art Showcase

06:00 UTC

Social Hangout
Come and chat with other attendees! :)
Sunday April 18, 2021 06:00 - 07:00 UTC
Courtyard
  Social, Hangout

06:30 UTC

Cassie Hart - Reading
Cassie Hart is a Māori/Pākehā author of speculative fiction from New Zealand. She predominantly writes urban fantasy/paranormal romance, rural/small town fantasy/suspense and horror. She has self published a number of titles under a pen name, and her first traditional release, Butcherbird, is releasing in June 2021.
Speakers
avatar for Cassie Hart

Cassie Hart

Cassie Hart is a Māori/Pākehā author of speculative fiction from New Zealand. She predominantly writes urban fantasy/paranormal romance, rural/small town fantasy/suspense and horror. She has self published a number of titles under a pen name, and her first traditional release... Read More →

Sunday April 18, 2021 06:30 - 06:55 UTC
Courtyard
  Prose, Reading |   Writing, Reading

07:00 UTC

How Long is a Story? Flash Fiction, Short Stories, Novellas, Novels and More...
What are the joys, challenges, rules and myths about writing at different lengths? Join us as we reflect on our experiences of writing everything from flash fiction to novels, and all the in-between!
Moderators
avatar for Grace Chan

Grace Chan

Grace Chan (gracechanwrites.com) is a Melbourne-based speculative fiction writer and doctor. Her writing explores brains, minds, technology, and narrative identity. Her debut novel about virtual reality, identity, and love, Every Version of You, will be published by Affirm Press... Read More →

Speakers
SQ
MJ

Marlee Jane Ward

Marlee Jane Ward is a writer living on Wurundjeri Land in Melbourne, Australia. She grew up on Awabakal and Kuring-gai country on the Central Coast of New South Wales. She studied creative writing on Tharawal lands at the University of Wollongong, and is an alum of the Clarion West... Read More →
MU

Moses Utomi

Moses Utomi is a Nigerian-American fantasy writer and nomad currently based out of San Diego, California. He has an MFA in fiction from Sarah Lawrence College and has been published in Fireside Fiction. A lifelong martial artist and combat sports practitioner, when he isn't traveling... Read More →
avatar for Cassie Hart

Cassie Hart

Cassie Hart is a Māori/Pākehā author of speculative fiction from New Zealand. She predominantly writes urban fantasy/paranormal romance, rural/small town fantasy/suspense and horror. She has self published a number of titles under a pen name, and her first traditional release... Read More →

Sponsors
AB

Sunday April 18, 2021 07:00 - 07:50 UTC
Hoodini
  Writing, Panel |   Prose, Panel

07:00 UTC

Social Hangout
Come and chat with other attendees! :)
Sunday April 18, 2021 07:00 - 08:00 UTC
Courtyard
  Social, Hangout

08:00 UTC

Fantasy in the Dark of Night
Since the beginning of folklore and mythology, there has always been a fear and fascination with what lurks in the night - witches, ghosts, and other occult creatures. Reading and writing about these beings invites us to grapple with our emotions, struggles, and humanity in strange and shadowy ways. Why do some creatures continue to resonate with us over the years? How do we transform the haunting tales of our childhood into impactful stories for our modern times?
Moderators
avatar for Emily Lau

Emily Lau

Booktuber & video essayist who runs the channel Emiloid. Primarily focused on fantasy in books, films and TV but sometimes rants about Little Women. Likes finding occult and witchy themes in everything. Lives in the UK and is a PhD student in linguistics, focusing on computational... Read More →

Speakers
avatar for Ng Yi-Sheng

Ng Yi-Sheng

Writer
Ng Yi-Sheng is a Singaporean poet, playwright, fictionist, researcher and LGBT+ activist. His books include the science fiction and fantasy collection Lion City (Singapore Book Awards Best Literary Work 2019, Singapore Literature Prize 2020), the best-selling non-fiction work SQ21... Read More →
MB

Marie Brennan

Writer
Marie Brennan is a former anthropologist and folklorist who shamelessly pillages her academic fields for inspiration. She recently misapplied her professors' hard work to Turning Darkness Into Light, a sequel to the Hugo Award-nominated series The Memoirs of Lady Trent. As half of... Read More →
EM

Elisabeth Moore

Elisabeth R Moore is a writer, birder and literature grad student from Germany. Her stories have appeared in Strange Horizons, Luna Station Quarterly and a variety of other venues. Her fiction features ghosts, strange plants, and the German experience. She lives with her wife, two... Read More →

Sponsors
NL

Sunday April 18, 2021 08:00 - 08:50 UTC
Hoodini
  Commentary, Panel |   Prose, Panel |   Poetry, Panel

08:00 UTC

Prospective Robotics Revolutionizing Posterity: The Algorithmically-Driven Nature of Modern "Content"
Meta-art commentary on the algorithmically-driven nature of modern "content," exposing its barbs and limitations. Join us as Kenneth Eckle uses new and innovative technology to help foster a more digestible means to market their podcast
Speakers
KE

Kenneth Eckle

Kenneth Eckle is the creator of Podcast Reviews Reviews Podcast.  

Sunday April 18, 2021 08:00 - 08:50 UTC
Toast
  Video & Streaming, Presentation |   Audio/Podcasting, Presentation |   Art/Illustration, Presentation

09:30 UTC

Aliette de Bodard - Reading
Aliette de Bodard lives and works in Paris. She has won three Nebula Awards, a Locus Award, a British Fantasy Award and four British Science Fiction Association Awards. She was a double Hugo finalist for 2019 (Best Series and Best Novella).

Her most recent book is Fireheart Tiger (Tor.com), a sapphic romantic fantasy inspired by pre colonial Vietnam, where a diplomat princess must decide the fate of her country, and her own. She also wrote Seven of Infinities (Subterranean Press), a space opera where a sentient spaceship and an upright scholar join forces to investigate a murder, and find themselves falling for each other. Other books include the Dominion of the Fallen series (alternate fantasy set in a devastated 19th Century Paris), and Of Dragons, Feasts and Murders, (JABberwocky Literary Agency, Inc.), a fantasy of manners and murders set in an alternate 19th Century Vietnamese court.

Her space opera books include The Tea Master and the Detective (2018 Nebula Award winner, 2018 British Fantasy Award winner, 2019 Hugo Award finalist).

Her short story collection Of Wars, and Memories, and Starlight is out from Subterranean Press. Visit https://www.aliettedebodard.com
Speakers
avatar for Aliette de Bodard

Aliette de Bodard

Author
Aliette de Bodard lives and works in Paris. She has won three Nebula Awards, a Locus Award, a British Fantasy Award and four British Science Fiction Association Awards. She was a double Hugo finalist for 2019 (Best Series and Best Novella). Her most recent book is Fireheart Tiger... Read More →

Sunday April 18, 2021 09:30 - 09:55 UTC
Courtyard
  Writing, Reading |   Prose, Reading

10:00 UTC

Coming Late to the Party
I’ll come clean: I am very new to podcasting, I’m older than the average podcaster and my grasp of technology is limited by my date of birth.

Well, that’s that out of the way. Confessions are never easy.

On the plus side, I have a lot of expertise in other areas. I ran a successful one-woman business for 25 years and learned a lot about adapting to situations, building great teams and most importantly, as it turns out, sourcing from very talented folk the expertise that I don’t have.

Here’s what I’ll be talking about
· Late to the party or making an entrance?
· Focus on writing – what makes audio drama special
· A process for writing – it works for me
· Telling your story – what’s burning inside you?
· Focus on production - finding the expertise you don’t hav
· The finished article – making sure it’s heard
· Audio drama – just the poor relation?
Speakers
avatar for Jill Korn

Jill Korn

Audio dramas based on history and myth, as well as on real life. Talk to me about writing, directing and acting for audio drama and about what makes a compelling story.

Sunday April 18, 2021 10:00 - 10:50 UTC
Hoodini
  Audio/Podcasting, Presentation

10:00 UTC

BookTube/Bookstagram Meetup led by Claire Rousseau
A booktube/bookstagram/bookblogger meetup
Speakers
avatar for Claire Rousseau

Sunday April 18, 2021 10:00 - 11:00 UTC
Courtyard
  Industry Biz, Meetup |   Video & Streaming, Meetup |   Writing, Meetup |   Prose, Meetup |   Guest of Honor, Meetup |   Social, Meetup

11:00 UTC

Jonathan Oliver - Reading
Jonathan Oliver is an award winning editor and writer with almost fourteen years experience in genre publishing. He was previously the editor-in-chief at Rebellion Publishing, commissioning titles for the Solaris and Abaddon Books imprints. He is the author of The Language of Beasts, which was published in Summer 2020 by Blackshuck Books. He is currently a freelance editor and lives in Oxford (UK) with his family.
Speakers
avatar for Jonathan Oliver

Jonathan Oliver

Jonathan Oliver - Editorial
Jonathan Oliver is an award winning editor and writer with almost fourteen years experience in genre publishing. He was previously the editor-in-chief at Rebellion Publishing, commissioning titles for the Solaris and Abaddon Books imprints. He is the author of The Language of Beasts... Read More →

Sunday April 18, 2021 11:00 - 11:25 UTC
Courtyard
  Writing, Reading |   Prose, Reading

11:00 UTC

With a Twist - Medieval Spinning with Hand-Spindle and Distaff
Did you ever wonder about how textiles were made before the industrial age? It all starts with spinning - turning fibers into yarn. Spinning with handspindles was the most common method of doing this for most of human history, including the Middle Ages.

In this presentation, you'll see how medieval spindles looked like, and how they can be used, together with a distaff, to turn fluffy stuff into solid, sturdy yarn. It's a fascinating technique that also involves a distaff, which is the fancy term for "stick to put your fluffy stuff on."
Speakers
avatar for Katrin Kania

Katrin Kania

pallia - Mittelalter hautnah
Medieval textile archaeologist, specialised in reconstruction of historical textile techniques and historical (medieval) garments. I also teach these crafts, and sell tools and materials for them.

Sunday April 18, 2021 11:00 - 11:50 UTC
Hoodini
  Art/Illustration, Presentation

12:00 UTC

Sofía Rhei - Reading
Sofía Rhei has published some 40 books, mostly for children and mostly fantasy. In English: "Everything is made of letters with Aqueduct Press, Rhysling award candidate, and Dwarf Star winner.
Speakers
SR

Sofia Rhei

Sofía Rhei has published some 40 books, mostly for children and mostly fantasy. In English: "Everything is made of letters with Aqueduct Press, Rhysling award candidate, and Dwarf Star winner.

Sunday April 18, 2021 12:00 - 12:25 UTC
Courtyard
  Writing, Reading |   Prose, Reading

12:00 UTC

Space Law, Why It's Broken, and Why It Matters to Writers
Join lawyer and SF author J.R.H. Lawless to explore the ins and outs (and ups and downs) of Space Law. The presentation will cover the current state of Space Law, the issues this raises as public bodies and private entities move out into the Solar System, and why law and legal systems are a crucial and often neglected part of SFF worldbuilding.
Speakers
avatar for J.R.H. Lawless

J.R.H. Lawless

SF Author and Space Lawyer, J.R.H. Lawless
J.R.H. Lawless is a bestselling SF author from Atlantic Canada who blends comedy with political themes — drawing heavily, in both cases, on their experience as a lawyer and as Secretary General of a Parliamentary group at the French National Assembly. A member of SFWA and Codex... Read More →

Sunday April 18, 2021 12:00 - 12:50 UTC
Toast
  Writing, Presentation

13:00 UTC

C.L. Clark - Reading
Cherae is the author of The Unbroken, the first book in the Magic of the Lost trilogy. She graduated from Indiana University’s creative writing MFA and was a 2012 Lambda Literary Fellow. She’s been a personal trainer, an English teacher, and an editor, and is some combination thereof as she travels the world. When she’s not writing or working, she’s learning languages, doing P90something, or reading about war and [post-]colonial history. Her work has appeared or is forthcoming in FIYAH, PodCastle, Uncanny and Beneath Ceaseless Skies.
Speakers
avatar for C.L. Clark

C.L. Clark

Cherae is the author of The Unbroken, the first book in the Magic of the Lost trilogy. She graduated from Indiana University’s creative writing MFA and was a 2012 Lambda Literary Fellow. She’s been a personal trainer, an English teacher, and an editor, and is some combination... Read More →

Sunday April 18, 2021 13:00 - 13:25 UTC
Courtyard
  Writing, Reading |   Prose, Reading

13:00 UTC

[FULL] Kaffeeklatsch led by Julie Czerneda
The seats for this interactive session have been distributed by lottery. Adding this session to your schedule does not grant you access.
Speakers
avatar for Julie Czerneda

Julie Czerneda

Having written twenty-three novels (and counting) published by her beloved DAW Books and Hugo-winning editor Sheila E. Gilbert, as well as numerous short stories, and editing several anthologies over the past 25 years, Julie E. Czerneda was inducted in the Canadian Science Fiction... Read More →

Sunday April 18, 2021 13:00 - 13:30 UTC
Keep
  Limited Access, Kaffeeklatsch

13:00 UTC

Writing Contest Winner Showcase: Phoebe Low
Phoebe Low is the third place winner of the 2020 Dream Foundry writing contest: https://dreamfoundry.org/contest-winners/

In her own words: "I am a Malaysian Chinese American writer with fiction, poetry and non-fiction (mostly poetry) published or forthcoming in Strange Horizons, Tor.com, Fantasy Magazine, Abyss & Apex, Star*Line, Dreams and Nightmares, If There's Anyone Left, Not One of Us, Illumen, TERSE. Journal, Arsenika, and Mithila Review. I attended Viable Paradise in 2019 and won third place in the 2020 Dream Foundry Writing Contest, judged by Neil Clarke and S. L. Huang. I have also served as an assistant at InkWell Management, a literary agency, and currently read for khōréō, a speculative fiction magazine featuring immigrant and diaspora writers and stories."

Phoebe will be interviewed by contest coordinator William Ledbetter.
Moderators
avatar for William Ledbetter

Speakers
avatar for Phoebe Low

Phoebe Low

Phoebe (P. H.) Low is a Malaysian Chinese American writer with fiction, poetry and non-fiction (mostly poetry) published or forthcoming in Strange Horizons, Tor.com, Fantasy Magazine, Abyss & Apex, Star*Line, Dreams and Nightmares, If There's Anyone Left, Not One of Us, Illumen, TERSE... Read More →

Sunday April 18, 2021 13:00 - 13:50 UTC
Swooperton
  Contest Winner, Contest Showcase |   Prose, Contest Showcase |   Writing, Contest Showcase

13:00 UTC

It Really Is Who You Know: How to Become a Networked Writer
Building relationships is complex, scary, and often something we don't think of as part of our jobs as writers because its associated with leisure and socializing. But in the cutthroat business of books, more often than not, your career comes down to who you know. If you don't know anyone, how do you change that?

This presentation will provide different options for authors to build professional relationships, how to use social media without being creepy, how to balance being a fan with being a peer, the differences between friends who are your writing supporters, and professional acquaintances who might also become your supporters. I will also share some personal experiences trying and failing to build a network that will hopefully help people skip my mistakes.
Speakers
avatar for Jaye Viner

Jaye Viner

Writer
A dabbler in language and color and otherworldly-narratives, Jaye is open to any and all conversations about Star Trek, Farscape, and The 100. She is the author of a debut novel, Jane of Battery Park, about a woman whose family puts celebrities on trial for their sins (yikes), and... Read More →

Sunday April 18, 2021 13:00 - 13:50 UTC
Toast
  Industry Biz, Presentation

13:00 UTC

The Evolution of Video Game Monsters and How They Got to Be So D*mn Horny
Horror within video games is often used to explain and explore the unknown, enforce a belief system or comment on societal behaviors. Monsters were used to represent fear through nebulous concepts and terrifying chases through long hallways. So why on earth are monsters these days so horny? We’ll take a deep dive into some of the first horror video games and their monsters and try to work through the evolution and expression of sexuality through the ages. Please be aware that this panel will contain discussions and depictions of nudity, general violence, and other themes often found in horror.
Speakers
avatar for Cole Burkhardt

Cole Burkhardt

Cole Burkhardt currently resides in Washington D.C and has tried everything from streaming tabletop games on Twitch to spelunking deep underground. He has been in a variety of podcasts including Godshead Incidental and Unplaced and is the writer and director of Null/Void and Ritual... Read More →

Sunday April 18, 2021 13:00 - 13:50 UTC
Hoodini
  Writing, Presentation

13:00 UTC

Existential Questions Meetup led by Sandy Parsons
Ponder the fundamental nature of the universe. All are welcome
Speakers
avatar for Sandy Parsons

Sandy Parsons

My fiction has recently sold to Analog Science Fiction and Fact, Zooscape, and StarShipSofa and I have stories appearing in Escape Pod, Alternative Apocalypse and others. More information and links to stories can be found at http://www.sandyparsons.com/

Sunday April 18, 2021 13:00 - 14:00 UTC
Courtyard
  Social, Meetup

13:00 UTC

Social Hangout
Come and chat with other attendees! :)
Sunday April 18, 2021 13:00 - 14:00 UTC
Courtyard
  Social, Hangout

13:30 UTC

Mary Soon Lee - Reading
Mary Soon Lee was born and raised in London, but now lives in Pittsburgh. She writes both fiction and poetry, and has won the Rhysling Award and the Elgin Award. Her two latest books are from opposite ends of the poetry spectrum: "Elemental Haiku," containing haiku for each element of the periodic table (Ten Speed Press, 2019) and "The Sign of the Dragon," an epic fantasy with Chinese elements (JABberwocky Literary Agency, 2020). After twenty-five years, her website has finally been updated: marysoonlee.com.
Speakers
avatar for Mary Soon Lee

Mary Soon Lee

Author
Mary Soon Lee was born and raised in London, but now lives in Pittsburgh. She writes both fiction and poetry, and has won the Rhysling Award and the Elgin Award. Her two latest books are from opposite ends of the poetry spectrum: "Elemental Haiku," containing haiku for each element... Read More →

Sunday April 18, 2021 13:30 - 13:55 UTC
Courtyard
  Poetry, Reading |   Writing, Reading

13:30 UTC

Brandon O'Brien - Reading
Brandon O'Brien is a speculative poet, science fiction and fantasy writer, and game designer from Trinidad and Tobago whose work has been published in Uncanny Magazine, Fireside Magazine, and New Worlds, Old Ways: Speculative Tales from the Caribbean, among other outlets. He is also the former Poetry editor of FIYAH: A Magazine of Black Speculative Fiction.
Speakers
avatar for Brandon O'Brien

Brandon O'Brien

Brandon O’Brien is a writer, performance poet, teaching artist and game designer from Trinidad and Tobago. His work has been shortlisted for the 2014 Alice Yard Prize for Art Writing, the 2014 and 2015 Small Axe Literary Competitions, and the inaugural Ignyte Award for Best in Speculative... Read More →

Sunday April 18, 2021 13:30 - 13:55 UTC
Courtyard
  Poetry, Reading |   Writing, Reading |   Prose, Reading

13:30 UTC

[FULL] Kaffeeklatsch led by George Jreije
The seats for this interactive session have been distributed by lottery. Adding this session to your schedule does not grant you access.

Publishing, how I landed my agent and/or publishing contract, writing middle grade fantasy

Speakers
avatar for George Jreije

George Jreije

I’m an Arab-American middle grade fantasy author of two forthcoming books from HarperCollins. My first novel, SHAD HADID AND THE ALCHEMISTS OF ALEXANDRIA debuts in 2022. Additionally, my short fiction has been commissioned by UNICEF. When not writing, I’m mentoring writers with... Read More →

Sunday April 18, 2021 13:30 - 14:00 UTC
Keep
  Limited Access, Kaffeeklatsch

14:00 UTC

Monica Louzon - Reading
Monica Louzon (she/her) is a writer, editor, and translator. Constelación Magazine published her translation of Vania T. Curtidor's story, "Imilla in January 2021. Her short fiction has appeared in The Dread Machine and The Internet Is Where The Robots Live now, and her poetry has most recently appeared in Quatrain.Fish and Octavos. She was lead editor for the anthology Catalysts, Explorers & Secret Keepers: Women of Science Fiction, and currently edits for The Dread Machine. Follow her on Twitter @molo_writes.
Speakers
ML

Monica Louzon

Monica Louzon (she/her) is a writer, editor, and translator. Constelación Magazine published her translation of Vania T. Curtidor's story, "Imilla in January 2021. Her short fiction has appeared in The Dread Machine and The Internet Is Where The Robots Live now, and her poetry has... Read More →

Sunday April 18, 2021 14:00 - 14:25 UTC
Courtyard
  Writing, Reading |   Prose, Reading |   Poetry, Reading

14:00 UTC

[FULL] Kaffeeklatsch led by C. L. Clark
The seats for this interactive session have been distributed by lottery. Adding this session to your schedule does not grant you access.

The agent querying process, using Twitter as a writer
Speakers
avatar for C.L. Clark

C.L. Clark

Cherae is the author of The Unbroken, the first book in the Magic of the Lost trilogy. She graduated from Indiana University’s creative writing MFA and was a 2012 Lambda Literary Fellow. She’s been a personal trainer, an English teacher, and an editor, and is some combination... Read More →

Sunday April 18, 2021 14:00 - 14:30 UTC
Keep
  Limited Access, Kaffeeklatsch

14:00 UTC

Make Bad Art.
The over-arching theme of the talk would be the importance of just putting pen to paper (or hand to mouse, or paintbrush to canvas...). The title refers to a mental block that I believe many artists suffer from: the desire to create something that is perfect and the fear of the blank page. If you, from the get-go, just accept that the first few ideas you put down on paper are going to be bad (or at least deeply flawed) it is much easier to get started. In the end, it is the process of making lots of bad stuff that leads to a good idea, or seed of an idea, that has real potential. Often it is just as much about figuring out what doesn't work as learning what does.

What one doesn't see online from other artists is the reams of discarded sketches, crumpled up pages, unfinished paragraphs, and deleted code that didn't make the cut. Often it is there however that most of the hard work is done in getting to a finished product.

Additionally, there are several other tangentially related strategies that I have found to be helpful when trying to get started on a new project.
Speakers
DH

Duncan Halleck

Art Director, Tesseract Studios
I am an American art director, concept artist, and illustrator who has been working professionally in the entertainment industry for the last 6 years. I have worked on television, advertising, film, and AAA videogame projects both in house, as a freelancer, and as the founder and... Read More →

Sunday April 18, 2021 14:00 - 14:50 UTC
Swooperton
  Art/Illustration, Presentation

14:00 UTC

Art Contest Winner Showcase: Lauren Blake
Lauren Blake is the second-place winner of the 2020 Dream Foundry art contest: https://dreamfoundry.org/contest-winners/

Lauren is a seattle-based illustrator with a passion for storytelling. www.laurenblakeart.com
Moderators
avatar for Charis Loke

Charis Loke

Illustrator, mapmaker and comics editor
Charis Loke (she/dia) is an illustrator and comics editor based in Penang, Malaysia. Her art draws upon literature and visual culture, exploring both real and fictional worlds; she's illustrated maps for fantasy novels like The Bone Shard Daughter and Queen of the Conquered, made... Read More →

Speakers
avatar for Lauren Blake

Lauren Blake

Seattle based illustrator with a passion for storytelling.www.laurenblakeart.com

Sunday April 18, 2021 14:00 - 14:50 UTC
Hoodini
  Contest Winner, Contest Showcase |   Art/Illustration, Contest Showcase |   Guest of Honor, Contest Showcase

14:00 UTC

Storytelling through TTRPG Design
A growing number of new TTRPGs are being written with story at the center. How do different design elements, especially rules and worldbuilding, foster the creation of different kinds of narratives? How does character design promote story design, and vice versa? How do the distinct design elements of GMless games encourage players to collaborate in the creation of a game’s stories? How has the growing genre of actual-play and streaming TTRPGs affected the way people approach game design as authors, players, and GMs?
Moderators
avatar for Rebecca Slitt

Speakers
avatar for Brandon O'Brien

Brandon O'Brien

Brandon O’Brien is a writer, performance poet, teaching artist and game designer from Trinidad and Tobago. His work has been shortlisted for the 2014 Alice Yard Prize for Art Writing, the 2014 and 2015 Small Axe Literary Competitions, and the inaugural Ignyte Award for Best in Speculative... Read More →
MC

Meghan Cross

I am a TTRPG streamer and indie game designer with a passion for GMless games, indie TTRPGs, and collaborative story telling through TTRPGs.
avatar for Lauren Roy

Lauren Roy

Lauren M. Roy is a writer and tabletop RPG developer. Her urban fantasy series NIGHT OWLS is published by Ace Books, and her short fiction has appeared in Fireside Magazine and on Podcastle. She's written for RPGs such as Changeling: The Lost, The Trinity Continuum, Trail of Cthulhu... Read More →

Sunday April 18, 2021 14:00 - 14:50 UTC
Bartholomew
  Games, Panel |   TTRPG, Panel

14:00 UTC

Co-Working Session led by Valerie Valdes
Speakers
avatar for Valerie Valdes

Valerie Valdes

Valerie Valdes’s short fiction and poetry have been featured in Uncanny Magazine, Time Travel Short Stories and Nightmare Magazine. Her debut novel Chilling Effect was shortlisted for the 2021 Arthur C. Clarke Award and was named one of Library Journal’s best SF/fantasy novels... Read More →

Sunday April 18, 2021 14:00 - 14:50 UTC
Courtyard
  Social, Co-Working

14:00 UTC

Craft Demo: Video Editing and Thumbnail Creation led by Claire Rousseau
Speakers
avatar for Claire Rousseau

Sunday April 18, 2021 14:00 - 14:50 UTC
Toast
  Video & Streaming, Craft Demo |   Guest of Honor, Craft Demo
  • Recording Released? Yes

14:00 UTC

Book Launch - The Rude Eye of Rebellion by J.R.H. Lawless
Speakers
avatar for J.R.H. Lawless

J.R.H. Lawless

SF Author and Space Lawyer, J.R.H. Lawless
J.R.H. Lawless is a bestselling SF author from Atlantic Canada who blends comedy with political themes — drawing heavily, in both cases, on their experience as a lawyer and as Secretary General of a Parliamentary group at the French National Assembly. A member of SFWA and Codex... Read More →

Sunday April 18, 2021 14:00 - 15:00 UTC
Courtyard
  Prose, Book Launch |   Writing, Book Launch |   Social, Book Launch

14:00 UTC

Social Hangout
Come and chat with other attendees! :)
Sunday April 18, 2021 14:00 - 15:00 UTC
Courtyard
  Social, Hangout

14:30 UTC

[FULL] Kaffeeklatsch led by Mur Lafferty
The seats for this interactive session have been distributed by lottery. Adding this session to your schedule does not grant you access.
Speakers
avatar for Mur Lafferty

Mur Lafferty

Writer
Mur Lafferty is a Hugo-award winning podcaster, a Hugo and Nebula award nominated writer, and co-editor of the first science fiction podcast, Escape Pod. She streams gaming and live podcasts on Twitch.

Sunday April 18, 2021 14:30 - 15:00 UTC
Keep
  Limited Access, Kaffeeklatsch

15:00 UTC

Sara Codair - Reading
Sara Codair is a community college English teacher, and is an author of speculative short stories and novels. They partially owe their success to their faithful feline writing partner, Goose the Meowditor-In-Chief, who likes to “edit” their work by deleting entire pages. Their YA urban fantasy novels, Power Surge (2018) and Power Inversion (2020), were published by NineStar Press. Their YA eco-fantasy, Earth Reclaimed, will be published later this year by Aurelia Leo.
Speakers
avatar for Sara Codair

Sara Codair

Author
Sara Codair is a community college English teacher, and is an author of speculative short stories and novels. They partially owe their success to their faithful feline writing partner, Goose the Meowditor-In-Chief, who likes to “edit” their work by deleting entire pages. Their... Read More →

Sunday April 18, 2021 15:00 - 15:25 UTC
Courtyard
  Writing, Reading |   Prose, Reading |   Poetry, Reading

15:00 UTC

The Art of Liana Stadelmann
Professional watercolor artist specializing in whimsical, fantasy animal paintings.
Speakers
avatar for Liana Stadelmann

Liana Stadelmann

Owner, Aquabun LLC
I am professional watercolor artist specializing in whimsical, fantasy animal paintings. I am completely self taught having been drawing since the age of 3 consistently throughout my life and my passion for watercolor started about 5 years ago. I've always had a huge love of all things... Read More →

Sunday April 18, 2021 15:00 - 15:30 UTC
Salon
  Art/Illustration, Art Showcase

15:00 UTC

Co-Working Session led by Aimee Ogden
Speakers
avatar for Aimee Ogden

Aimee Ogden

Aimee Ogden is a former science teacher and software tester; now she writes stories about sad astronauts and angry