MEDIA RELEASE #08 – [2017-07-21]
Worldcon 75 releases draft programme schedule; press conference on opening day
Worldcon 75 is pleased to release its preliminary schedule. The five-day event in Helsinki includes over 840 individual items and 800 hours of content.
Some programme items will be held outside of the convention center, at the Pasila Library and at a historic building, the Peace Station. These items and the Dealers Room will be open to the general public.
On the event’s opening day, Wednesday, 9 August, a press conference will take place at 10am in Messukeskus Room 209, attended by Guests of Honour and the event chairs. A media packet will also be released before the event.
In addition to panel discussions and readings, there will be an art exhibition, film festival, dances, musical events, games, crafts, and a Dealers’ Room. The childrens’ programme is presented in English, Finnish and Swedish. Often authors and editors launch books at Worldcons.
With members from over 55 countries, this will be a very international event. More than 5,000 members are expected to attend, although the number of participants may still rise, as memberships are still being sold. In addition to 1700 Finns, 1200 Americans and over 600 Britons are already planning to attend, among others.
For the first time, the reduced price for the event is valid until July 24th. Those who have not attended a Worldcon before can purchase a special “First Worldcon” membership which costs € 95 vs a normal adult membership price of € 195. There are also day tickets for sale.
Programme highlights include:
- Guest of Honour Johanna Sinisalo will receive the Prometheus Award for her novel Core of the Sun, and participate in discussions about the Kalevala, Finnish science fiction, and the culture on board the passenger ferries sailing between Finland and Sweden.
- Guest of Honour Nalo Hopkinson is involved in panel discussions about writing effective dialogue and science fiction in the Caribbean.
- Our astronaut guest Kjell Lindgren will lecture on space medicine, the effects of space travel on the human body, and his experiences at the ISS.
- Guest of Honour Walter Jon Williams will participate in debates on military sf by women authors and getting started on writing your first novel.
- Science guest Ian Stewart will discuss what can be learnt from failed predictions in science fiction and lecture about how our brains interpret contradictory visual information.
- Guest of Honour John-Henri Holmberg will participate in panels about sf classics for young readers, the history of Nordic science fiction, and the development of feminism in science fiction.
- Artist Guest of Honour Claire Wendling will take part in panels about European comic strips and about famous cover art.
- George RR Martin will have two autograph sessions, one on Thursday and one on Saturday, as well as participate in the Tea and Jeopardy podcast.
- The Hugo Awards ceremony starts on Friday at 7:30pm
- The Masquerade will be held on Saturday evening at 7:30pm
The many notable programme participants include Cixin Liu, Jo Walton, Charlie Stross, Karin Tidbeck, Jeff Vandermeer, Joe Haldeman, Elizabeth Hand, Robin Hobb, Mary Robinette Kowal, Aliette de Bodard, Hal Duncan, Ken Liu, Greer Gilman, Amal Al-Mohtar, Ellen Kushner, Geoffrey A. Landis, Robert Silverberg, Jonathan Strahan, Elizabeth Bear, Pat Cadigan, Gary K. Wolfe, Ann Vandermeer, Ellen Datlow, Ada Palmer, Charlie Jane Anders, Scott Edelman, Mur Lafferty, and Alasdair Stuart.
There is so much in the program that the participants will inevitably find that there are more interesting items than they have time to attend, unless they have a Time Turner or a TARDIS.
Programme head Marianna Leikomaa invites attendees to keep their eyes open and explore not only old favourites, but discover new things. “That way you can find a new favourite writer,” she hints.
The full programme can be accessed here: https://www.worldcon.fi/programme/schedule/ It is possible to search for themes, presenters, and individual items. A mobile version is also available in the Grenadine event guide app with the code WCON75.
Changes, additions, and cancellations may occur, and the electronic schedule will be updated.
Our Programme Division Head can be contacted directly for quotes and interviews at +358 040 51 01 472.
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The 75th World Science Fiction Convention, Worldcon 75 will take place in Helsinki, Finland, 9-13 August 2017. For more information about the convention, including current membership rates, visit http://worldcon.fi. All media releases are available at http://worldcon.fi/press.
The Guests of Honor for Worldcon 75 are John-Henri Holmberg, Nalo Hopkinson, Johanna Sinisalo, Claire Wendling, and Walter Jon Williams.
Media questions or requests to be removed from the Worldcon 75 press release mailing list should be sent to press@worldcon.fi. Contact info@worldcon.fi with general queries.
ABOUT THE WORLD SCIENCE FICTION CONVENTION
Founded in 1939, the World Science Fiction Convention is one of the largest international gatherings of authors, artists, editors, publishers, and fans of science fiction and fantasy. The Hugo Awards, a leading award for excellence in the fields of science fiction and fantasy, are voted on by the Worldcon membership and presented during the convention.
“World Science Fiction Society”, “WSFS”, “World Science Fiction Convention”,
“Worldcon”, “NASFiC”, “Hugo Award”, the Hugo Award Logo, and the distinctive design of the Hugo Award Trophy Rocket are service marks of the World Science Fiction Society, an unincorporated literary society.
