Coming to the end of a wonderfully inventive, inspiring and truly imaginative World Fantasy Convention 2022. As we look for ways to break the mould, as well as barriers in our stories, international conventions are looking to do the same, finding platforms to raise a wonderfully diverse range of voices. It’s also a reminder of the inequity of barriers faced, as we search for those authentic voices. Hopeful, as we see gains made, reflected in my ever-going to-read list, while humbling in the knowledge of an uneven worldwide playing field. Still, there’s hope. If anyone knows how to find new and innovative solutions, it’s surely those that occupy the speculative fiction sphere.
Technology goes some way to providing access. While I would have loved to have been in New Orleans in person, it was not to be – but via the wonders of tech, it was great to be involved from the comfort of my writing room. As I work to finish panel write-ups, there’s time to reflect on the importance of this age-old tradition of storytelling: to make sense of the world, to reflect our hopes, dreams, and fears, to problem solve and overcome, to ruminate and create create create.
A few favourite highlights included a discussion for those of us who are visual artists as well as writers. Points raised gave much food for thought into my own relationship between the two mediums. One reader once said of Return of the Mantra – ‘you’ve painted with words’. It made sense to me, since I visualise everything I write and then look to capture those visions in words, while also venturing to restructure words into visual art. Another stand-out presentation came from writer Gillian Polack, who spoke of cultural understanding and how we build that into stories: recognising what we look for in the authors we love to read; the importance of recognising our own cultural biases; and understanding our own personal idiocultures, all that defines us and how we present that in the stories we write, brick by brick.
And then there was the ‘Just Who is the Villain’ panel, for which I was one of the speakers – a fascinating panel reflecting on the all elusive morally grey. Stories reflect the world, past, present and future, encompassing hopes, fears, dreams and beliefs. As understanding grows for the spectrums we all exist on, there is greater exploration on the page, and for the purposes of this panel, the spectrum between the good versus evil binary. It’s a spectrum of human potential, positives, flaws and challenges. With our inherent flaws, perhaps we identify more closely with anatgonists and anti-heroes, as opposed to the all-good hero. After all, good and bad are perspectives, and then there’s the all important motivator.
More on this soon to follow. In the meantime, I’ll leave you with the breath-of-fresh-air colours of a UK autumn, and the question…
What are you reading?
