My WorldCon schedule

I’ll be at the 2022 Chicago WorldCon in September. Here’s where you can find me. (Note that the assigned rooms may change. I’ll try to update this if they do but check the official schedule to be sure)

4:00 PM on Thursday, September 1
20 Minute Reading (room: Roosevelt 1)
I’ll read some brand new work!

1:00 PM on Friday, September 2
Autographing (room: not listed yet)
WorldCon always has several big mass autographing sessions, so you can get books signed by your favorite authors.

5:30 PM on Friday September 2
Panel – Living in a Zociety (room: Regency Ballroom D)
The Walking Dead, Kingdom, Army of the Dead, Daybreak, and Anna and the Apocalypse are examples of zombie-populated societies. In such settings, the focus is more on the surviving humans and their fight for survival. But in order to succeed, survivors sometimes need to break social norms and do the unthinkable. Who are the real monsters? Humans or zombies?

10:00 AM on Saturday, September 3
Table Talk (room: Crystal Foyer)
Let’s sit around and chat! I’ll answer any and all questions about my work, my life, publishing, writing tips, anything! Table Talks require pre-registration, so visit the registration site after noon Central time on August 30 to sign up.

2:30 PM on Saturday, September 3
Panel: Overcoming the Debut Challenge (room: Michigan 1)
The publishing landscape has become a challenge even for the pros, leaving debut authors scrambling for useful scraps of advice to help them navigate the gauntlet of taking their book to market. This global panel of experienced and newly minted authors share practical career advice, tackling issues such as finding an agent, maintaining your authorial voice, avoiding publicity time sinks, and navigating the behemoth that is social media.

1:00 PM on Sunday, September 4
Panel: Episodes in Focus: Buffy the Vampire Slayer (room: Randolph 2)
A close-up look at “The Body,” the Buffy episode in which Joyce dies. It’s as close as the show ever got to a “very special episode,” and will be examined not just for its importance to the series as a whole, but also as a way to frame writer/director Joss Whedon’s problematic (to say the least) behavior on set. What makes this episode unique? How does Whedon’s treatment of women in real life affect how the audience interprets the female characters he created?

My schedule at Can-Con, the Conference on Canadian Content in Speculative Arts and Literature

T-Rex probably won’t be in Ottawa for the con, but you never know.

I’ll be at Can-Con, The Conference on Canadian Content in Speculative Arts and Literature, in Ottawa on October 14 and 15. The convention is held at the Sheraton hotel, 150 Albert Street, and promises to be a wonderful weekend full of everything SF people love.

The con committee does a terrific job with programming. I’m looking forward to it so much. Here’s where I’ll be:

Saturday, October 14, 10:00 AM
Readings
Kelly Robson, Kate Heartfield, Tonya Liburd

Reading from our latest works. I’ll be reading from my forthcoming book “Gods, Monsters, and the Lucky Peach.”

Saturday, October 14, 1:00 PM
Advice to Aspiring Writers on the Craft 

Charles de Lint, Tanya Huff, Kelly Robson, Haden Trenholm, Eric Choi  (moderator)
Established pros discuss their hardest lessons, the watershed moments in their careers (both creative and business), and offer their tips and tricks to emerging and aspiring writers.

Saturday, October 14, 10:00 AM
What Makes Romantic Chemistry Between Characters?
Julie E. Czerneda, Jennifer Carole Lewis, Linda Poitevin, Jamieson Wolf, Kelly Robson (moderator)
Most writers, no matter the genre, at some time need to create romantic chemistry between two characters, whether this will be consummated or remain as ships passing in the night. The panel of writers will use examples from their own published works, as well as positive and negative examples from TV and movies to analyze romantic chemistry.

Sunday, October 15, 2:00 PM
Leveling Up Your Writing with Formal Courses
Curtis C. Chen, Suzanne Church, Timothy Gwyn, Leah MacLean-Evans, Kelly Robson (moderator)
Previous participants in courses like Clarion, Odyssey, Taos Toolbox, MFAs, etc. discuss (1) the benefits and drawbacks of residential vs. online writing courses, (2) how they got in, (3) what they learned there vs. other places to learn.

My schedule at World Fantasy

The World Fantasy Convention starts in a few days. After years of attending cons as Alyx​‘s wifely appendage, this will be my first where I’m actually on the programming.

Here’s my programming run-down:

Reading – Friday, 11:30 AM (Broadway 1)
I’m very much afraid nobody will attend, so I’m bringing chocolate as a bribe. Then if I’m alone I get to eat it myself. Win/win.

Anthropology and Archaeology panel – Saturday, 1:00 AM (City Center 2B)
With Meg Turville-Heitz, Mari Ness, Shauna Roberts, Rosemary Smith
This topic fascinates me like no other. My fellow panelists are charming and knowledgeable. I’ll be the fangirl among them.

Food Fantasy panel – Sunday, 11:00 AM (City Center A)
I’m moderating this gorgeous dream team: Esther Friesner​, Sarah Goslee​, Paul Park, Fran Wilde​

I’m very excited about all of this! We’ll be driving from Toronto on Wednesday, hoping to make it in plenty of time to clean up before attending the Tor kick-off party at Northshire Books.