Worldcon 2015 site selection and the writers workshop angle
This year we're seeing the first contested bidding for the 73rd World Science Fiction Convention (aka Worldcon 73) that the community has seen in several years. Among the three contending bids to host in 2015 are Spokane, Washington; Orlando; and Helsinki. All full-attending and supporting members of this year's Worldcon, aka LoneStarCon 3, are
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"I got pointed at your post on Gather from a couple of sources, and would have replied there directly if I could've signed up. So please post this there as well as a comment from me, if you feel so inclined.
"I'm not an author myself, but I'm very strongly of the opinion that Worldcon is not just a fannish gathering, but also a gathering of writers, artists, editors, and publishers, and we need to keep all of those groups in mind when we want to organise a truly successful Worldcon.
"So I'd like to reassure you that when we say that we'll have a writers' workshop if we win, we really do mean it. As we are still a bid and haven't announced any con committee structure beyond our co-chairs, I can't comment yet on who will be responsible for our workshops or academic programme, but I have recently talked with Anne Leinonen, who'll be involved in some capacity at least. Anne organised the writers' workshop at this year's Finncon, she's a co-chair of next year's Finncon, she's the chair of the Finnish Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association (FSFWA) [1], and she's a member of the Board of Directors of the Union of Finnish Writers [2]. This is what she had to say:
"'In Finland, we have a long and established tradition of teaching creative writing. The Helsinki Worldcon effort is connected via the FSFWA with the Union of Finnish Writers, as well as the Finnish Lifelong Learning Foundation [3], which organises various writers' workshops at the Orivesi College of Arts [4] and elsewhere in Finland. Workshops at a Helsinki Worldcon would probably be organised in association with the Finnish Lifelong Learning Foundation; through the Union of Finnish Writers we are well connected to Finnish authors in general.
"'Many Finnish SF & fantasy authors have participated in writers' workshops, as well as acted as teachers at them. Teaching and workshops can be organised with a focus on the genre, as well as from a more general literary starting point. Authors participating as members of Worldcon could also be asked to teach at the workshops.
[1] http://tieteiskirjoittajat.net/english/
[2] http://www.kirjailijaliitto.fi/in-english/
[3] http://www.kansanvalistusseura.fi/fi/briefly-in-english
[4] http://www.orivedenopisto.fi/english'
"Eemeli Aro
Helsinki in 2015 bid chair"
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