Craftonomicon/Continuum/Natcon or Bust!
I’m off gallivanting again next weekend, which is very exciting – the Silent Producer and I are leaving our girls behind with my Mum and jetting off to sunny Melbourne for the Natcon, AKA Continuum, AKA CRAFTONOMICON. It’s going to be awesome!
The program seems to have firmed up, so here is what I’ll be up to over the convention:
FRIDAY
16:00 – Crafty Characters, with Trudi Canavan, Tansy Rayner Roberts & Jo Spurrier. (Drummond Room)
“We take a look at craftspeople in speculative fiction, the stereotypes, and what crafts have been overlooked.”
19:00 - The Twelfth Planet Press Hour – Alisa Krasnostein, Jason Nahrung, Narrelle Harris
Sure I’m not technically on the program, but Alisa would kill me if I wasn’t there and also Terri is designing Twelfth Planet cupcakes. Be there or be cakeless!
SATURDAY
14:00 – Galactic Suburbia Live! – Alisa, Alex & Tansy in Melbourne (Lincoln Room)
“The latest episode of the cult podcasting series, recorded live! Alisa, Alex and Tansy bring you speculative fiction news, reading notes and chat from the galactic suburbs of Australia.” (we’re a cult!)
15:00 – Playing God – a Guide for Beginners – Trudi Canavan, Louise Cusack, Alison Goodman, Michael Pryor, Tansy Rayner Roberts (Argyle Room)
“Building a new world for your fiction can be fun and exciting. But where do you start, what should you avoid and what makes it a living, breathing, believable world?”
SUNDAY
11:00 - Crafts in Space – Trudi Canavan, Lyn McConchie, Sarah Lee Parker, Tansy Rayner Roberts (Drummond Room and have you noticed yet that Trudi and I are totally stalking each other at this convention?)
“Fantasy seems to be littered with all kinds of craft-doers but it’s rare in science fiction. Why is this? What materials could you make craft out of? What effects would low gravity have? Which technologies would be awesome to use? Our crafty panellists discuss all this and more!”
14:00 – Readings – (14:00) Kelly Link (14.15) Jenny Blackford (14.30) Tansy Rayner Roberts (14.45) Alan Baxter
Reading after Kelly Link, not intimidating at all! I will probably be reading from “Julia Agrippina’s Secret Family Bestiary” in Love and Romanpunk as this is my favourite piece to read from right now. But will decide on the day!
16:00 – Where Are All the Wonder Women? – Russell Blackford, Alice Clarke, Tansy Rayner Roberts, Grant Watson (Pelham Room)
“There’s no shortage of female superheroes (or villains!), but few have attained the iconic status of, say, Wonder Woman. Why is this? Which characters deserve better? A discussion of female representation in comics.”
and of course I shall attend…
20:00 – AWARDS CEREMONY
Your hosts, Kirstyn McDermott and Ian Mond, will be overseeing the 51st Australian National SF Convention Awards, including the A Bertram Chandler, the Peter McNamara, the Norma K Hemming, and the Chronos and Ditmar awards.
Ooh, the Chandler! Someone’s getting a plate! I love awards & many of my favourite people will be there on the night. I was delighted to hear that Kirstyn & Mondy are hosting, I expect many antics that will get them snapped up for next year’s Logies. Might we see the pointy stick in person???
In and amongst all of this scheduled wonder, I have a plot afoot to work on a real live SF Craft Project while chatting to my friends & possible even while presenting on panels. To be revealed… in a later blog post. Bwa ha ha!
