All gone Min-con – until another day!
Sunday’s mini-con went off without a hitch, thank heavens. Panellists, readers, and audience all seemed to have a good time, and many compliments have come in, some asking when the next one will be! This was the second mini-con the Katharine Susannah Prichard Writers Centre’s Speculative Fiction Group has held, and although neither one has been hard to organise, the many little jobs that have to be done – mainly in the realms of telephone and email – do take time. I spent at least two days last week doing little but fire off emails, answer the replies, pass information on to others, going back and forth with Qs and As. I know my co-convenor Helen Venn was also rushed off her feet during what was a busy enough period for her without the mini-con!
Readings from Adrian Bedford, Juliet Marillier, and Laney Cairo were especially well received and there is little doubt that the favourite panels were “How to Handle Rejections”, with Adrian Bedford, Russell Farr, Simon Haynes and Bevan McGuiness and “How to get out of the Slushpile”, with Lyn Battersby, Janet Blagg, Stephen Dedman, Alisa Krasnostein and Tehani Wessely.
Helen and I were more than ably assisted by a wonderful team including Annette Backshall, Toby Coulstock, Dorathy Duperouzel, James and Margaret Hansen, Sonia Helbig, Karen Laneaux, Yvonne Lewis, Joanne Mills and Carol Ryles. Lots of others, some of them unknown to me, pitched in and helped on the day, too, helping to create a really worthwhile event. Hugs and thanks to you all!
Lee Battersby, among others, got some great pics. Check ‘em out and see what a great day we had!
Update: More pics, these being from Toby Coulstock, can be seen here!
Sounds like all the effort worked and you had a good day.
Yes, it was great to see everyone enjoying themselves after all our effort!