Chairman Alexander von Thorn announces the formation of SFContario, a new science fiction convention squeezing its way onto the annual con calendar in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The first SFContario will be held 19-21 November 2010 at the Ramada Plaza Hotel in downtown Toronto. Guests of Honor will include Michael Swanwick (Author), Patrick & Teresa Nielsen Hayden (Editors), Geri Sullivan (Fan), and Karen Linsley (Filk). Registration (until 9 December) is $35 (or $50 for a charter membership). After that date, rates will increase to $45 and $60.
von Thorn writes that “SFContario will be a general-interest science fiction convention focused mainly on literary science fiction, though programming will also include items and events about science, editing and publishing, television and film, filk and other music, gaming, costuming, fan culture, and other creative and participatory aspects of science fiction and fandom.”
The con’s web site asks (and answers) the question “Why does Toronto need another convention?” by saying “Toronto’s convention calendar is concentrated from March to July. Many people want to attend a convention in the fall, between the summer and spring conventions. Other cities may have multiple general science fiction conventions throughout the year, and we believe Toronto can support at least one more. We are not in competition with any other convention. Some committee members work on other conventions in Toronto, and others do not. We hope that everyone happy with other conventions will continue to work at and attend those conventions; our goal is to expand the community of fandom, not divide it. In addition to the regular local fan community, we hope to attract members who have fallen away from the current selection of conventions in Toronto, as well as members from other cities who often travel to other conventions across the continent but who don’t currently come to conventions here. We have a thriving community of local authors and fans, and we intend to put Toronto back on the map of the international fan community.”
As a new convention, they’re also open to volunteers who’d like to participate. The next organizing meeting will be 12 December (see this page for details).