Satima's Blogspot: Ups instead of downs

Sunday 22 August 2010

Ups instead of downs

Sunday, August 22, 2010 |

Posted by Satima Flavell

The one thing we can be sure of in life is that things will change. People come and go, workplaces alter, and the weather is a constant reminder of the basic unreliability of life. A lot of changes bring sadness, and even fortunate changes are stressful. All the same, isn't it nice when things look up a bit for a change?

I'm going through a period when positive things seem to be happening. First, there's the keen anticipation of the Worldcon - the World Science Fiction Convention - which will enliven the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre from 2-6 September. I was among the first to put my money down, courtesy of a kind and generous friend, so I've been looking forward to this event for months.

There will be loads and heaps and tons of panels to attend, all featuring writers, publishers, artists, agents, editors and fans of note: names like Ellen Datlow, Cory Doctorow, Glenda Larke, Juliet Marillier, George R.R. Martin, China Mieville, Karen Miller, Charles Stross, Catherynne M. Valente, Sean Williams, and scores of others including the fabulous Guests of Honour: Kim Stanley Robinson, Shaun Tan and Robin Johnson. And I am even on a panel myself, with fellow Aussies Amanda Pillar, Crisetta McLeod and Tehani Wesley. Wow. Me. On a panel. At a Worldcon. Wow.

The problem is one of being spoilt for choice, as there are times when I shall want to attend two or three panels or events in the same time-slot. Not having mastered bi-location yet, I just won't be able to go to everything, but I'm darned well going to try!

You can find out all about "Aussiecon4" at http://www.aussiecon4.org.au/.

You will have gathered that I'm feeling pretty happy at present, and all the more so because I've had a couple of exciting things happen in the last few weeks. First, a well-known and widely respected literary agent from London opened his books to down-under writers who planned to attend Aussiecon4. I queried him by email and he was kind enough to not only look at my package, but to say a few complimentary things about my writing and to give me some very useful feedback. He even said nice things about my blog! And while he wasn't willing to represent my book "in its present form", his generous interest in my work was very encouraging.

Then, a couple of weeks later, I learnt that I'd been shortlisted for the Katharine Susannah Prichard Speculative Fiction Award. I only wound up with a commended certificate and a whole ten dollars in prize money, but to be in the top 10% of a large field in a respected competition feels like a validation of my work. My friend Carol Ryles won third prize. She's a better writer than I am, and more experienced, and having read her story, I know the competition was pretty fierce. I'd love to read the stories submitted by the first and second placegetters, Victorian writers Denis Bastion and Janeen Samuel. Fellow Egobooer Joanna Fay read the winning entry out loud, but sadly I was in South Australia so I didn't hear it.

So, in an optimistic frame of mind, I'm eagerly waiting to head off to Melbourne in ten days' time to see and maybe even meet some of the greats in my chosen genre; to catch up with old friends and meet new ones, and to put faces to the names of some of the many lovely people I've previously only "met" online. Be assured that I'll be back with a blow-by-blow commentary in a couple of weeks!

BTW, those of you who are interested in such trivia might like to check out a post I wrote for the Egoboo blog last week about the different kinds of adjectives, the proper order for them, and when to use and not to use commas while doing so. Fascinating stuff, I assure you!:-)

Labels: Aussiecon4, KSP

2 comments:

Jo said...: Lucky you Satima, I envy you all being able to go to the Worldcon, I know Glenda is looking forward to it too.; Monday, August 23, 2010
Satima Flavell said...: Yes, it's going to be quite an event! Only another ten sleeps:-).; Monday, August 23, 2010

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