Archive for July, 2004

In this issue:
        Older Writer’s Grant
        Fountain Award Winner On-line
        New Website Additions
        Staff Bio: Deborah Biancotti
______________________________________________________        
*Generous Donation Establishes Older Writer’s Grant

The Centric Co. advertising agency has donated $750 to
the SLF to fund an annual Older Writer’s Grant. This
will be a merit-based award to a writer 50 years of
age or older. It is designed to provide financial
assistance to emerging writers who have not yet
established themselves at the professional level.
We are currently in the process of developing the
details of the award-see next month’s newsletter for
specifics on how to apply.

*Fountain Award Winner On-line:

Alison Smith’s story "The Specialist" can now be read
on-line at http://www.mcsweeneys.net/Specialist.htm

*Website Additions from Shannan Palma:

There was no June update as I moved and got settled in
a new city, but the combined June/July update begins
our new focus on building up specific areas of the
site, while continuing general updates. Our summer
focus has been our formerly meager convention
listings, and I’m happy to report that they are
growing fast. In addition to several new cons, we now
have links to several independently maintained
regional con listings, and updated dates and locations
for the individual cons already posted. Our August
focus is the Editor pages. Do you know of a site you
think would fit? An essay you think might help others?
You don’t have to be a member of the committee to
submit a link! Please email suggestions to:
webcoord@speculativeliterature.org.

This update contains 15 new links, 13 updated links,
and one new staff bio for Webcontent Committee member
Deborah Biancotti.
—
Shannan Palma, Web Content Coordinator

READERS / READING DISCUSSION GROUPS:

The Tolkien Society: http://www.tolkiensociety.org/
UK-based society founded in 1969 to further interest in the life
and works of J.R.R. Tolkien. This registered independent
nonprofit charity has international membership, and sponsors
regular publications and annual events, including the upcoming
Tolkien 2005 (see convention listings for more info).

READERS / AWARDS

(– UPDATE TO CURRENT LISTING –)
Aurealis Awards: (new URL) http://www.aurealisawards.com
The Aurealis Awards were established in 1995 by Chimaera
Publications, the publishers of Aurealis Magazine, to recognize
the achievements of Australian science fiction, fantasy and
horror writers.

READERS / CONVENTIONS

(– UPDATE TO CURRENT LISTING –)
Capricon 25: http://www.capricon.org/capricon25/index.html
February 10-13, 2005. Arlington Heights, Illinois. Chicago-area
convention, Direct inquiries to: webmaster@capricon.org.

(– UPDATE TO CURRENT LISTING –)
Conflux 2: http://www.conflux.org.au/
April 22-24, 2005. Canberra, Australia. Annual convention. Direct
inquiries to: Deborah Biancotti, webmaster@conflux.org.au.

(– UPDATE TO CURRENT LISTING –)
Confluence: http://www.parsec-sff.org/confluence/
July 23-25, 2004. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Annual Literary
Science-Fiction and Fantasy Convention in Western Pennsylvania.
Direct inquiries to: confluence@spellcaster.org. 2005 UPDATE WHEN
AVAILABLE.

Continuum 3: http://www.continuum.org.au/
July 15-17, 2005. Melbourne, Australia. Annual convention. Direct
inquiries to: Sarah Marland, publicity@continuum.org.au.

Icon: http://icon.sf.org.nz/
March 25-28, 2005: The 26th National New Zealand SF Convention.
Direct inquiries to: webmaster@icon.sf.org.nz.

Interaction: http://www.interaction.worldcon.org.uk/
August 4-8, 2005. Glasgow, Scotland. The 63rd World Science
Fiction Convention. Direct inquiries to:
info@interaction.worldcon.org.uk.

L.A.con IV: http://www.laconiv.com/
August 23-27, 2006. Anaheim, California. The 64th World Science
Fiction Convention. Direct inquiries to: info@laconiv.org.

LepreCon 31: http://www.leprecon.org/lep31/
May 6-8, 2005. Carefree, Arizona. Direct inquiries to:
lep31@leprecon.org.

Midwest Construction: http://www.midfan.org/mwc.html
September 17-19, 2004. Columbus, OH. The con for con runners,
Midwest Construction focuses on the running of local and regional
cons. Hosted by Midwest Fannish Convention, Inc. Direct inquires
to: mwc@midfan.org.

Mythic Journeys: http://www.mythicjourneys.org/index.php
Pre-Conference June 2-4, 2004, Conference June 4-6, 2004.
Atlanta, GA. Mythic Journeys is a conference and performance
festival inspired by the legacy of Joseph Campbell that will
explore how myth lives and inspires us today through psychology,
literature, scholarship, fantasy, performance, and more. Direct
inquiries to: info@mythicjourneys.org. 2005 UPDATE WHEN
AVAILABLE.

(– UPDATE TO CURRENT LISTING –)
Noreascon Four: http://www.noreascon.org/
September 2-6, 2004. Boston, MA. 62nd annual World Science
Fiction Convention. Direct inquiries to: info@noreascon.org.

Southeastern Science Fiction Conventions:
http://www.testermanscifi.org/SFConsPart1.html
Extensive guide to Science Fiction and Fantasy Conventions held
annually in the Southeastern United States. Includes links.
Compiled as part of the Testerman Sci-Fi Site.

Southern Fandom Resource Guide: http://www.scenic-city.com/sfrg/
Comprehensive listing of conventions held in Florida, Georgia,
Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, Arkansas, Tennessee, Kentucky,
Virginia, West Virginia, South Carolina, North Carolina,
Maryland, and portions of eastern Texas and southern Missouri, as
well as cruise ship conventions that leave from Florida and
Louisiana ports and travel through the Bahamas and Gulf of
Mexico. Includes links. Contents copyright Kelly Lockhart.

Swancon 30: http://www.swancon.com/
March 24-28, 2005. Perth, Australia. A Festival of the
Imagination. Direct inquiries to:
Swancon30@westnet.com.au

Tolkien 2005: http://www.tolkiensociety.org/2005/about.html
August 11-15, 2005. Aston University, Birmingham, England. The
Tolkien Society is sponsoring a conference and convention to
celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the complete publication of
<i>The Lord of the Rings</i>. The timing has been orchestrated to
be convenient to international travelers who wish to attend
Interaction, the 2005 Worldcon, as well. Direct inquiries to form
at: http://www.tolkiensociety.org/2005/contact.html.

Thylacon: http://www.thylacon.com/
June 10-13, 2005: Hobart, Australia. The next National Australian
SF Convention. Direct inquiries to: thylacon@monissa.com.

World Science Fiction Society: http://worldcon.org/
Contains information and links to all Worldcons, past, present,
and future.

(– UPDATE TO CURRENT LISTING –)
WindyCon 31: November 12-14, 2004. Schaumburg, Illinois.
Generally the largest Chicago-area convention, run by ISFIC (the
Illinois Science Fiction society). Direct inquiries to:
webmaster@windycon.org.

(– UPDATE TO CURRENT LISTING –)
WisCon 28: http://www.sf3.org/wiscon/index.html
May 28-31, 2004. Madison, Wisconsin. An extremely well-respected
and literary convention, which is also the world’s only feminist
science fiction convention. Excellent panel discussions on
science fiction and fantasy, with emphasis on issues of feminism,
gender, race, and class. Run by SF3, a fan group supporting
literary and fanzine fandoms in Madison, Wisconsin. Home of the
James Tiptree Jr. Award, an annual literary prize for science
fiction or fantasy that expands or explores our understanding of
gender. Direct inquiries to: concom@sf3.org. 2005 UPDATE WHEN
AVAILABLE.

(– UPDATE TO CURRENT LISTING –)
World Fantasy Convention: http://www.worldfantasy2004.org/
October 28-31, 2004. Tempe, Arizona. This year’s theme is Women
in Fantasy and Horror. Home of the World Fantasy Awards. Direct
inquiries to: wfc2004@leprecon.org.

World Horror Convention: http://www.whc2005.org/
April 7-10, 2005. New York City, New York. Committee@whc2005.org.

ACADEMICS / ASSOCIATIONS / CONFERENCES

(– UPDATE TO CURRENT LISTING –)
ICFA: http://www.iafa.org/
March 16-20, 2005. Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The annual
conference of the International Association for the Fantastic in
the Arts. Direct inquiries to: Len.Hatfield@vt.edu.

(– UPDATE TO CURRENT LISTING –)
Mythcon 35: Bridges to Other Worlds:
http://www.mythsoc.org/mythcon35.html
July 30-August 2, 2004. University of Michigan, Ann Arbor,
Michigan. The annual conference of the Mythopoeic Society.
Location varies year to year. Direct inquiries to:
mvanloo@comcast.net. 2005 UPDATE WHEN AVAILABLE.

(– UPDATE TO CURRENT LISTING –)
Mythic Journeys: http://www.mythicjourneys.org/index.php
Pre-Conference June 2-4, 2004, Conference June 4-6, 2004.
Atlanta, GA. Mythic Journeys is a conference and performance
festival inspired by the legacy of Joseph Campbell that will
explore how myth lives and inspires us today through psychology,
literature, scholarship, fantasy, performance, and more. Direct
inquiries to: info@mythicjourneys.org. 2005 UPDATE WHEN
AVAILABLE.

(– UPDATE TO CURRENT LISTING –)
Popular Culture Association/American Culture Association:
http://www.h-net.org/~pcaaca/
March 23, 2005. San Diego, California.
April 12-16, 2006. Atlanta, Georgia.
April, 2007. Boston, Massachusetts.
Upcoming National Meetings for these associations of scholars
whose research interests include all aspects of popular culture
including detective, mystery, horror, science fiction, fantasy
and comics. Their website also contains dates and locations for
various regional conferences.

(– UPDATE TO CURRENT LISTING –)
WisCon 28: http://www.sf3.org/wiscon/index.html
May 28-31, 2004. Madison, Wisconsin. An extremely well-respected
and literary convention, which is also the world’s only feminist
science fiction convention. Excellent panel discussions on
science fiction and fantasy, with emphasis on issues of feminism,
gender, race, and class. Run by SF3, a fan group supporting
literary and fanzine fandoms in Madison, Wisconsin. Home of the
James Tiptree Jr. Award, an annual literary prize for science
fiction or fantasy that expands or explores our understanding of
gender. Direct inquiries to: concom@sf3.org. 2005 UPDATE WHEN
AVAILABLE.

STAFF BIO

Deborah Biancotti
Deborah Biancotti grew up reading fantasy & science fiction and
never really stopped. Her first grade teacher told her she was a
‘day dreamer’, and it was sometime after that she decided to
become a writer. At university, she studied literature and
psychology, figuring a writer should know about both prose and
people. Her first published story won the Aurealis Award for Best
Horror Short Story in 2000, and she won the Ditmar Award for Best
New Talent the following year. She has a full-time job with the
government, a casual job as a website developer, and oh, yes,
she’s still busy writing. Her work has appeared in such magazines
as Altair, Redsine, Agog!, Borderlands and Orb, as well as the
anthologies Ideomancer Unbound, Southern Blood and Passing
Strange. She lives in Sydney Australia and her website is at
http://deborahbiancotti.net.

______________________________________________________
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The SLF Newsletter is a private publication of the
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expressly denied. Unless explicitly signed by the
Director, views contained within do not necessarily
reflect the official views of the Foundation.

David Lunde, Senior Editor
Ariana Osborne, Associate Editor