As some of you know, I’m nominated for a Hugo as part of the fine crew at Fireside Fiction! Thanks to the amazing generosity of a friend, I am able to attend WorldCon and the Hugo awards ceremony in Dublin next month!
Here is my programme schedule, all times are local Dublin time.
Creating wonderful new worlds
Format: Panel 15 Aug 2019, Thursday 19:00 – 19:50, Wicklow Hall-1 (CCD)
Contemporary speculative fiction features a wonderfully diverse selection of authors, stories, and worlds. Drawing on cultures, histories, mythologies, and landscapes (or something completely new), how do authors develop just the right world to tell their tale? From technology to petticoats, the devil is in the details. So what does it take to make a perfect world? What can we learn from some of today’s fiction about how to do it right and wrong?
Tanya DePass (I Need Diverse Games), Emma Newman, Simon R Green, Gordon Van Gelder (The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction) (M)
Representation of marginalised people in games
Format: Panel 16 Aug 2019, Friday 16:00 – 16:50, ECOCEM Room (CCD)
In recent years there has been a lot of discussion about representation of women in games, but issues of representation and experience still need greater attention across the industry. How diverse and inclusive is gaming today? What should we know and what can we do?
Laser Malena-Webber (The Doubleclicks) (M), Sam Fleming, Elsa Sjunneson-Henry, Tanya DePass (I Need Diverse Games)
Black superheroes in TV and film
Format: Panel 16 Aug 2019, Friday 19:00 – 19:50, Wicklow Hall 2B (CCD)
It’s not just Black Panther. Miles Morales stormed into cinemas at the end of last year; on the small screen, we’ve had Luke Cage and Black Lightning. (And in print, Nnedi Okorafor has kicked off a new series about Shuri.) As we continue to see more leading roles for black superheroes, how are they redefining familiar tropes and narratives around gender, technology, and community?
Russell A Smith (M), Tanya DePass (I Need Diverse Games), Errick Nunnally, Rivers Solomon
The popularity of livestreaming games
Format: Panel 17 Aug 2019, Saturday 18:00 – 18:50, Liffey Room-1 (CCD)
One of the most common reactions we hear when talking about livestreaming is: ‘You want to watch other people play games? Why?!’ On this panel, we discuss why streaming on platforms like Twitch or Critical Role has been exploding in popularity in recent years.
Ciaran Roberts (Six to Start) (M), Tanya DePass (I Need Diverse Games), Avery Delany, Ell Schulman
Writing past our literary blind spots
Format: Panel
18 Aug 2019, Sunday 10:00 – 10:50, Wicklow Room-1 (CCD)
A writer’s subconscious, experiences, and social influences can conspire to cause trouble during the creation process. It’s possible to catch some issues such as lifeless tropes, cultural faux pas, and stereotypes, but it’s impossible to catch them all. Our panellists share tips on how to see through our literary blind spots – as well as how to thoughtfully point them out in the work of others during the editing and critique process.
Panelists: R.W.W. Greene (New Hampshire Writers’ Project) (M)Tanya DePass (I Need Diverse Games), Michelle Sagara , Shaoyan Hu, John R. Douglas
Autographs: Sunday at 11:00
Format: Autographing
18 Aug 2019, Sunday 11:00 – 11:50, Level 4 Foyer (CCD)
Kate Elliott, Yasser Bahjatt (Yatakhayaloon Co. Ltd.) , Sazib Bhuiyan (Can With Candle), Tanya DePass (I Need Diverse Games), John Connolly, Kate Heartfield
Reading: Monday 14:30
Not sure what I’ll read yet, but I’ll be there hope to see you at CCD Liffey Room-3!
