It’s that time of the year: crisp autumn days, falling leaves, the prospect of bitter cold, and Toronto’s SFContario – the convention I always attend, no matter how much I grumble about it. This year, SFContario is host to Canvention, the Canadian national science fiction convention. Canvention Guest of Honour is Peter Watts (yay!) and Author Guest of Honour is Saladin Ahmed (yay!).

The schedule is up and I’m on it. I’ll be reading on Saturday morning at 10 am in the Gardenview. I’m also on a couple of panels:

Fantasy in the Rest of the World- Saturday 2 PM, Room 209

Africa, the Middle East, Asia, and South America are fertile foundations for medieval fantasy, but most of what’s out there is based on European traditions and myths. Who is doing the best at exploring other areas? What other cultures and histories offer opportunities for the aspiring writer?
Saladin Ahmed, Cathy Hird, Derwin Mak (M), Rati Mehrotra, Bob R. Milne.

Why YA? (M)- Sunday 2 PM, Courtyard

Our population is skewing older but YA novels are more popular than ever. Why is this? Does its appeal lie beyond age parameters? What does this mean for F&SF in the future?Charlene Challenger, Cathy Hird (M), Rati Mehrotra, Caitlin Sweet.

If you’re in Toronto this weekend (20-22 Nov) come along and join us, why don’t you?