April 9 - 12, 2020
Summer Edition
New York Times bestselling writer Jacqueline Carey is the author of the critically- acclaimed and award-winning Kushiel's Legacy series of historical fantasy novels, The Sundering tragedy duology, postmodern fables, Santa Olivia and Saints Astray, the Agent of Hel contemporary paranormal trilogy, Shakespearean adaptation Miranda and Caliban, and the epic fantasy standalone, Starless. Jacqueline enjoys doing research on a wide variety of arcane topics, and an affinity for travel has taken her from Iceland to China to date. She currently lives in west Michigan.
Further information is available at www.jacquelinecarey.com. Join her on Facebook at www.facebook.com/jacquelinecarey.author or follow her on Twitter at @JCareyAuthor.
Sana Takeda is an Eisner and Hugo Award winning illustrator and comic book artist from Japan, known for her work on the Monstress series. At age 20 Takeda started working as a 3D CGI designer for the Japanese video game company, SEGA. Her comic book career includes work for Image Comics, Aspen, and Boom Studios, among others. She has worked on several titles for Marvel, including X-23, X-Men, Venom, Civil War II, and Ms Marvel. Sana Takeda lives in Tokyo, Japan.
For more information, visit Sana's website at sanatakeda.com.
Susan is the State Underwater Archaeologist for Maryland, a Dive Safety Officer, and a Master Scuba Diver Trainer through PADI. She received her B.A. in anthropology from the University of Toronto with a minor in Far Eastern Art and Architecture, her M.A. and Ph.D. in archaeology, and a Certificate in Heritage Resource Management from the University of Calgary. She teaches undergraduate and graduate courses for several colleges and universities on maritime archaeology and the anthropology of piracy. In addition to maritime archaeology and the history and anthropology of piracy, she is a recognized authority on textiles and beekeeping, both past and present.
For more information, visit https://www.zegrahm.com/field-leaders/susan-langley
More Guests of Honor will be announced soon!
Now that everyone has all the information they needed from last year's website, our friendly neighborhood webmonkeys have worked their magic on the website and spruced things up a bit for Norwescon 43! While much information is still in the very early stages, we would like to call attention to the new Socialize page at http://www.norwescon.org/get-involved/socialize, where we will list all the ways you can keep your Norwescon experience going beyond just the convention weekend! Take a peek at the new design and if you notice anything that looks odd, feel free to let us know at webmonkeys@norwescon.org.
Did you volunteer at Norwescon 42? Are you curious about volunteering at Norwescon 43? Then please join us on Saturday, August 3rd for our annual Norwescon Volunteer Picnic! This year the picnic will be at Steel Lake Park in Federal Way, in the covered picnic area closest to the beach, from noon until 5 p.m. We will be providing hamburgers and hot dogs with fixings, along with soda and water. If you can please bring a side dish or dessert for everyone to share, that would be great! Friends and family are welcome. Parking is available, first-come, first-parked!
For more information, please visit the Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/events/301228923885087/
The 3rd Annual Norwescon Summer Camping Trip will be at Taidnapam Park on the shoresofscenicRiffeLake! JoinusonFriday,August23rdthroughSunday,August 25th. There is space for tents and RVs and/or campers. There will be games, s'mores (burn ban permitting), and shenanigans! RSVP required. Please email sunnyjim@norwescon.org for more information. See you outside!
Norwescon is thrilled to announce the new Norwescon Board Game Days! These will be recurring events held at Fantasium Comics and Games in Federal Way. Please join us on Saturday, July 6th from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Bring a board game that you would like to play, or you can choose one from Fantasium's game library. We will have two tables set aside for us to use.
Fantasium Comics and Games is located at 1500 S 336th #12A, Federal Way, WA 98003. Norwescon Board Game Days will be held every first Saturday from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Please join us in hanging out, playing games, and promoting Norwescon!
Come join us on Sunday, June 23rd from 4 pm to 6 pm at Panera Bread in Kent for our monthly book club! This month we will be reading the second in our sub-genre of fairy tale re-tellings with a a re-telling of Sleeping Beauty from award-winning author, Robin McKinley.
Panera Bread at Kent Station (521 2nd Place North, Kent) is easily-reached by bus lines and there are several other restaurants, plus an AMC theater. Come down and make a day of it!
This month's book is Spindle's End by Robin McKinley. Follow the book club on our events page on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pg/Norwescon/events/
Come join Norwescon and other local fandom conventions as we march in the Seattle Pride Parade. If you can, please wear a Norwescon shirt!
Our starting parade position is at 4th & Seneca.
8 am: Meet up to decorate the "float". Norwescon has volunteered to be responsible for decorating the Pacific NW Non-Profit Conventions community float.
10 am: Everyone must be at the group site and ready to march.
We'll have our Norwescon banner and treats to hand out along the parade route! We hope to see you there!
GOHs!
Website Update!
Picnic!
Camping!
Board Games!
Book Club!
Pride!
Registration for Norwescon 43 is open! Get your 4-day memberships now for only $70!
CLICK HERE!
Norwescon Website
Memberships
Hotels
Outreach and Charities
Open Volunteer Positions
Norwescon History
Contact Information
Stay Connected
Your purchases can make a difference! AmazonSmile will donate to Norwescon when you do your online shopping! Set your preferences at smile.amazon.com/ch/91-1042303
Guidebook App Programming materials are still available on the Norwescon 42 guide!
"The Longest Night"
Announcing the Norwescon 43 Guests of Honor! New York bestselling Author, Jacqueline Carey (Writer), Eisner and Hugo Award-winning, Sana Takeda (Artist), Underwater Archaeologist for the State of Maryland, Dr. Susan Langley (Science), and multiple award-winning Maryland, Dr. Susan Langley (Science), and multiple award-winning science fiction publisher, Tor Books (Spotlight Publisher), represented by Executive Editor, Claire Eddy. Watch for more about our GoHs in the upcoming months, and for bios visit the GoH page on the website.
Norwescon 43 Theme: The Longest Night
In Jacqueline Carey's Kushiel's Legacy series, The Longest Night is the major holiday of Terre d'Ange and it is celebrated on the winter solstice each year with a Midwinter Masque. Check out this article over at Tor.com for Everything You Need to Know About Kushiel's Dart and prepare to celebrate at Norwescon on Saturday night when we hold our own Longest Night Ball!
TIP: Start planning and shopping for your masquerade costume now! Halloween is coming up and local stores are filled with masquerade masks and accessories. Represent one of the Thirteen Houses of the Night Court or create your own house and themed costumes! For inspiration, visit Norwescon on Pinterest.
We are now accepting panelist applications and panel suggestions for Norwescon 43! We're looking for panelists or your creative panel ideas in these areas: art, biology, costuming, editing and publishing, fanfiction, gaming, hands-on workshops, history, horror, lifestyle and culture, meetups, military, music, pop media and culture, science fiction, space, technology, teen activities, writing, young adult lit, and youth activities. You'll find the forms in the Programming section of our website.
NWW accepts short story or novel excerpts in the science fiction, fantasy, and horror genres. Deadline is December 1. More information and guidelines are available at norwescon.org.
Please join us this coming Saturday, October 5th, at Fantasium Comics and Games (1500 S 336th St #12A, Federal Way, WA 98003) between 5 p.m. and 9 p.m. to play Arkham Horror, 3rd Edition. Feel free to bring a different game to play if you do not want to play Arkham Horror, or grab a game from Fantasium's game library.
For more information about Arkham Horror please check out https://www.fantasyflightgames.com/en/products/arkham-horror- third-edition/
GOHs!
NWC 43 Theme!
Panels!
Writers Workshop!
Board Games!
Pre-Registration for Norwescon 43 is open! Get your 4-day memberships now for only $75!
CLICK HERE!
Norwescon Website
Memberships
Hotels
Outreach and Charities
Open Volunteer Positions
Norwescon History
Contact Information
Your purchases can make a difference! AmazonSmile will donate to Norwescon when you do your online shopping! Set your preferences at smile.amazon.com/ch/91- 1042303
Guidebook App
Programming materials are still available on the Norwescon 42 guide!
"The Longest Night"
The Norwescon Writers Workshop submission deadline is rapidly approaching! Get your submissions in by December 1st!
Visit the workshop page on the website for guidelines. Questions? Email nww@norwescon.org.
NWW is a Milford-style workshop: a peer-to-peer critique facilitated by professional writers, editors, and agents. We are pleased to announce our first two distinguished moderators! Claire Eddy is an executive editor at Tor/Forge Books. Working primarily in fantasy, science fiction, and horror, she has worked with such authors as Jacqueline Carey, Juliet Marillier, and Sherrilyn Kenyon. Curtis Chen () writes speculative fiction and his debut novel Waypoint Kangaroo was a 2017 Locus Awards Finalist. Additional moderators will be announced soon!
Step aside parents, the teens are running the show! Programming is inviting teens ages 13-19 to help plan and run panels and events for our teen programming track. If you or someone you know would like to apply, please fill out this form. Parents and applicants, if you have any questions email programming@norwescon.org.
Please join us for the Norwescon 43 ConCom holiday party potluck following the December ConCom meeting on December 14th. Our holiday party potluck celebrates the terrific Convention Committee and their commitment to planning and executing a terrific convention.
The Norwescon 43 Executive Team will provide turkey and a vegetarian option for main dishes, plus beverages. (No adult beverages.) ConCom members are encouraged to bring side dishes and desserts. As a courtesy to those with allergies, please provide a list of ingredients in your dish.
If you are participating in the gift exchange, we suggest a value of no more than $25, and gifts should be wrapped. They should also be marked if they are not child-appropriate.
The Norwescon 43 Art Show is now accepting applications from artists and we would love to hear from you!
Headlined by our artist guest of honor, Sana Takeda, and featuring many of the Northwest's most accomplished and recognized artists, the Norwescon Art Show's goal is not only to feature the most well-known and successful of artists, but also to supply a venue for up and coming artists to hone their crafts, and to provide exposure and help them build a successful career.
We would like you to be part of our community! Please go to http://www.norwescon.org/con/exhibitors/art-show/artist-registration/ for more information on how you can sign up with the Norwescon 43 Art Show.
As part of our goal to keep Norwescon a welcoming and inclusive community, we'd like to take a moment to remind our members of our harassment policy and give a brief overview of how we handle incidents that are reported to us.
Norwescon strives to provide a safe and welcoming space for persons of all descriptions. Everyone should be able to have a great time, in their own way, at the convention-but not at the expense of others. As a community, we insist on behavior that respects the autonomy of each individual member.
Norwescon members and convention staff have the right to be free from unwanted harassment at the convention and while performing convention-related duties throughout the year. Harassment is behavior which focuses unwelcome attention on a person and either inappropriately crosses reasonable expectations of social boundaries, or continues after a clear showing of disinterest or a request to desist. Harassment during the year may be reported to the Personnel executive, the person's immediate supervisor, or the chair or vice chair. At the convention, reports of harassment are handled by convention security or the Personnel executive. Any staff member wearing a convention badge may receive a report of harassment. It is each staff member's responsibility to treat a person making such a report with respect, and to offer to accompany the person to convention security or the Personnel executive. The Personnel executive may designate a person to receive reports of harassment on his or her behalf.
Violations of this policy may lead to a range of consequences based on the circumstances, from a warning to more serious steps, such as revocation of convention membership or banning from future conventions.
Convention staff are required to report all incidents brought to their attention. These incidents should be reported to convention security or the Personnel executive as soon as possible.
Steps taken when there is a report include, but are not limited to:
Each month, we pick another SF/F book to read, then meet and discuss the book. Please join us this Sunday, November 24th, at 4-6 p.m. We will meet at Panera Bread at 521 2nd Place North, Kent, WA
This month we are reading: Boneshaker by Cherie Priest. RSVP on Facebook, and discuss on Goodreads. See you there!
Writers Workshop Deadline
Teen Pros Wanted
Holiday Party!
Art Show!
Harassment Policy
Book Club
Pre-Registration for Norwescon 43 is open! Get your 4-day memberships for $75 until December 31, 2019!
CLICK HERE!
Norwescon Website
Memberships
Hotels
Outreach and Charities
Open Volunteer Positions
Norwescon History
Contact Information
Your purchases can make a difference! AmazonSmile will donate to Norwescon when you do your online shopping! Set your preferences at smile.amazon.com/ch/91-1042303
Guidebook App Programming materials are still available on the Norwescon 42 guide!
"The Longest Night"
We are excited to announce our beloved NorwesKids Arts & Crafts Show at Norwescon! Young artists (ages 0-12) are encouraged to bring (or make) arts and crafts that we will put on display in Olympic 1 during the convention. All convention members will be welcome to vote on favorites in age-group categories.
The submission window begins Thursday morning, April 9th, and will continue throughout the convention until Friday evening, April 10th. If you have any questions, please contact Norwescon Youth Track lead Danielle Gembala at: ddmgembala@gmail.com. We are looking forward to seeing more fabulous creations!
During Norwescon 43, we will open Olympic 1 for young artists (ages 0-17) to bring their creative works to display and/or sell. Sign-up is required and will be done on a first-come, first-served basis. Contact Norwescon Youth Track lead Danielle Gembala at ddmgembala@gmail.com for details and to sign up your artists!
Don't forget to purchase your tickets for the Guest of Honor Banquet! Ticket prices are $80 each, which is a great deal for a chance to sit with one of our amazing guests and dine on fabulous food. To purchase tickets, just log back in to our registration page and add the GOH Banquet.
Are you a music fan? If so, you'll be thrilled with our concert lineup this year. [Check it out here]!
And don't forget to prepare for The Longest Night Masked Ball on Saturday night at the con. Celebrate The Longest Night in D'Angeline fashion - by attending a masked ball! This isn't just a dance, it's a chance to spark your imagination. Attendees are encouraged to camouflage their faces in intriguing masks and deck themselves in their most delightful outfits. There will be music throughout the night, as well as some immersive theatrical elements. Come and join the revelry!
The holiday sales are over and we're here to tell you about the new games we have added to the LAN this year.
Half-Life Co-op: Get your crowbars ready and step back into the HEV suit of Gordon Freeman in the 1998 classic sci-fi shooter that revolutionized the genre. An accident at a secret government facility causes a tear between dimensions and brings us into contact with a hostile alien race. Team up with a group of friends and experience this landmark game in full co-operative mode!
Half-Life 2 Co-op: Set years after the first game, Gordon Freeman emerges from stasis into a dystopian nightmare where an alien civilization has taken over the planet. Fight your way through City 17 with your friends!
Borderlands 2: Legends of a mystical Vault has summoned hunters to the planet of Pandora, but a betrayal by their tyrannical leader leaves them half dead in a frozen wasteland. Step into the boots of one of four heroes as you explore a hostile, alien planet and blast your way through gunfights with a bazillion different guns!
Diablo: The original isometric dungeon crawl game is back and ready for LAN play. The city of Tristram was built on top of a large 16-level dungeon. In you must go, battling hideous monsters and finding lost treasure on your quest to enter hell itself!
Warcraft 2: Another classic real time strategy game set in the fantasy world of Azeroth. Build up an army and go to war with up to seven other players!
We look forward to seeing you all at Norwescon 43!
The Philip K. Dick nominees have been announced and the Norwescon Goodreads group has issued a challenge! Can you read all six nominated books before this year's award ceremony on April 10th? Give it a shot and join the challenge, post in our discussion group to let us know what you thought of the books, and then join us on Friday evening of Norwescon 43 to hear authors or their representatives read from their work and find out who wins this year's Philip K. Dick Award and Special Citation!
Sana Takeda is an Eisner and Hugo Award winning illustrator and comic book artist from Japan, known for her work on the Monstress series. At age 20 Takeda started working as a 3D CGI designer for the Japanese video game company, SEGA. Her comic book career includes work for Image Comics, Aspen, and Boom Studios, among others. She has worked on several titles for Marvel, including X-23, X-Men, Venom, Civil War II, and Ms Marvel. Sana Takeda lives in Tokyo, Japan. We look forward to meeting her at Norwescon 43!
Remember to join us on Sunday, January 26 from 4-6 p.m for the Norwescon Book Club. We will meet at Panera Bread at 521 2nd Place North, Kent, WA
January's selection is The Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi. RSVP on Facebook, and discuss on Goodreads.
If you've already read that one and want to get a jump on February, they will be reading Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler and meeting on February 23.
Remember that Norwescon is a volunteer-only organization and the convention committee members donate a huge amount of time and energy to put on the events and panels that you love. You can help! Feel free to come to a convention committee meeting and volunteer for one of the open positions. Registration, the convention lounge, and the cloak room are only a few of the areas that could use your assistance to keep the convention running smoothly. You, too, can be assimilated!
NorwesKids!
Young Artists' Alley!
Special Events
LAN Games!
PK Dick Challenge!
GOH Spotlight
Book Club
Volunteer
Pre-Registration for Norwescon 43 is open! Get your 4-day memberships today for only $80!
CLICK HERE!
Norwescon Website
Memberships
Hotels
Outreach and Charities
Open Volunteer Positions
Norwescon History
Contact Information
Anti-harassment Policy
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Find us on Google+ Find us on Pinterest Follow us on Twitter View our photos on flickr
Your purchases can make a difference! AmazonSmile will donate to Norwescon when you do your online shopping! Set your preferences at smile.amazon.com/ch/91-1042303
Programming materials are still available on the Norwescon 42 guide and Norwescon 43 will be available soon!
"The Longest Night"
Join us on Sunday, April 5th for the annual Norwescon Stuffing Party! Be the first in your neighborhood to see what sort of goodies everyone will receive in their swag bags! We might even have the latest programming grids on the wall for your perusal.
Working at the stuffing party counts towards hours worked at the con. Stuffing will start at approximately 1:00 pm, although volunteers are advised to arrive a bit early to find a good spot.
If you or your organization has fliers or other material that you wish to include in the packets, you may either arrange to get them to the Norwescon Logistics Department by Thursday, April 2, or bring them to the hotel on April 5th no later than noon.
If you wish to mail in materials, please email info@norwescon.org.
Many thanks to our attending artists for signing up to guarantee another amazing art show at Norwescon 43! If you procrastinated and missed out entering on the show this year, we always need volunteers to help out, and don't forget to sign up early this fall for next year! Check out our awesome lineup at the Norwescon Art Show page.
Norwescon is hosting an official Catan US Nationals Qualifier Tournament! The Qualifier Champion will win a guaranteed seat at the 2020 Catan US Nationals Tournament at Origins Game Fair in Columbus, OH, June 2020.The Champion will join the other Qualifier Champions and Catan Studio for a celebratory dinner on Saturday night of Origins. The Catan US National Champion will be sent to the 2020 Catan World Championship in Malta, courtesy of Catan Studio. Want to sign up? Be sure to Register for Norwescon. The qualifier will be held on Saturday, April 11th. Once you register, you'll be eligible to join the qualifier hosted at the convention. Sign up here to reserve your seat before we fill up!
For more information, see Catan's tournament player information page. For any questions, contact donna@catanstudio.com.
You must be 18+ and a US Citizen/Permanent Resident to participate.
Once again we will be hosting the Single Pattern Contest and the Props Contest for all of you skilled with needles, thread, and crafty tools! For the Props Contest, prepare for the masked ball for the Longest Night, as we await the sun's return! Contestants are invited to create a mask or spear for this event.
This year's Single Pattern Contest features a cloak using Simplicity Pattern 8770: Unisex Costume Capes! A cloak can protect your fantastic garb on the way to a celebration, or protect you on an arduous trek across strange and dangerous lands. Functional, fashionable, or both--it's up to you!
If you want to help out the convention in between attending panels and events, consider volunteering! We would love to see your talents shine in these positions:
Info Table: Want a chill volunteer position that puts you front & center for costume watching? The Info Table needs YOU. Two-hours slots are available Thursday through Sunday, April 9 - 12. Contact Jennifer@norwescon.org to see if it's the right fit for you. Volunteer!? It's what the cool kids are doing.
Registration: The registration team is in need of a few hearty souls to assist as registration cashiers. A cashier shift is scheduled for 4.5 hours including a 30 minute break. We are particularity desirous of help on Thursday night and Friday morning. If you are old enough to work at McDonalds, can count change, compare a person's legal ID to text on a computer screen, and like talking to other fans, then volunteering at registration is the gig for you. Don't have 4.5 hours? Coordinate with a friend to split a shift or reach out to registration@norwescon.org for accommodations. Have a friend who needs a staff position? If they can commit to three cashier shifts during the convention they can be official registration staff! Sign up to help at https://www.signupgenius.com/go/5080b4aa8a72ba6fd0-norwescon2
Fan Wranglers: We also need people interested in being registration kiosk guides / fan wranglers. This position entails being stationed on the member side of the registration kiosks and helping people navigate the system. Includes line management and resetting of passwords. Contact felice@norwescon.org for the sign up link.
Convention Lounge Host: The convention lounge is a place for attendees to sit down, relax, and converse with their fellow con-goers. As a lounge host, you will assist in planning food and/or decorations for the lounge, and assist with pre-preparation. You will be responsible for at least one shift per day at-con and assist with additional shifts. For more information, contact personnel@norwescon.org.
Don't forget! Teens can also help out with many convention positions! Be sure to check the Open Positions Page or email volunteers@norwescon.org.
Dr. Langley is the State Underwater Archaeologist for Maryland, a Dive Safety Officer, and a Master Scuba Diver Trainer through PADI. She received her B.A. in anthropology from the University of Toronto with a minor in Far Eastern Art and Architecture, her M.A. and Ph.D. in archaeology, and a Certificate in Heritage Resource Management from the University of Calgary. She teaches undergraduate and graduate courses for several colleges and universities on maritime archaeology and the anthropology of piracy. In addition to maritime archaeology and the history and anthropology of piracy, she is a recognized authority on textiles and beekeeping, both past and present. We look forward to hearing about her many adventures at the convention!
If you're a fast reader, there is still time to devour Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler before the Norwescon Book Club meeting on Sunday, February 23 from 4-6 p.m. We will meet at Panera Bread at 521 2nd Place North, Kent, WA
RSVP on Facebook and discuss on Goodreads.
Come join our Guests of Honor for a light dinner and interesting conversation at the Guest of Honor Banquet. In addition to our Guests of Honor, you will meet other fans in a relaxed setting. To purchase, simply click the registration button and add it to your cart! This works even if you've already registered and paid--you will only need to pay the ticket fee before exiting.
Stuffing Party!
Art Show Sold Out!
Catan!
Single Pattern & Props Contest!
Volunteer Positions
GOH Spotlight
Book Club
GOH Banquet
Pre-Registration for Norwescon 43 is open! Get your 4-day memberships today for only $80!
CLICK HERE!
Norwescon Website
Memberships
Hotels
Outreach and Charities
Open Volunteer Positions
Norwescon History
Contact Information
Anti-harassment Policy
Your purchases can make a difference! AmazonSmile will donate to Norwescon when you do your online shopping! Set your preferences at smile.amazon.com/ch/91-1042303
Guidebook App
The Norwescon 43 guide and materials will be available soon! Download the app now!
To all of our fans, friends, and family,
For the health and safety of our community, due to the ongoing concerns about the coronavirus situation, and in accordance with the recent proclamations by Washington State Governor Jay Inslee and the King County Public Health Department, we have decided to cancel this year’s convention. We appreciate your patience as this has not been an easy decision to make.
We have spent much of the past two weeks monitoring the news, tracking announcements, keeping up with recommendations from local and governmental health organizations, and monitoring your questions, comments, and concerns on social media and those sent by email. While we had hoped to continue as planned, it has become clear that this would not be best for our community.
We know that you were all looking forward to this year’s convention just as much as we were, and we hope you all will be able to join us again next year. We also hope that you will continue to keep an eye on our website and social media outlets (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest), as we will be working on highlighting the many professionals, authors, artists, and vendors who were looking forward to introducing you to their projects, books, creations, and wares.
Memberships for this year’s convention will be automatically rolled over to next year’s convention. If you have concerns or questions regarding this, please contact us at registration@norwescon.org.
At this time if you had a reservation in the Norwescon room block your room has been canceled and your deposit will be returned by the hotel.
We deeply and sincerely thank you all for the enthusiasm and support you have for Norwescon and look forward to your rejoining us in 2021. In the meantime, we hope you all stay safe, healthy, and keep washing those hands.
Yours,
The Norwescon 43 Executive Team
To all of our fans, friends, and family,
The following is an FAQ for issues related to the cancellation of our April 2020 convention. This information has also been posted to our website, and we will update the website post as necessary when new or updated information is settled.
Unfortunately, yes. For the safety of our guests, pros, staff, members, and everyone involved, we announced on March 13, 2020 that our planned April convention would not be held this year.
Yes! We have every expectation of running our convention as normal next year. As Norwescon is always held over Easter weekend, next year's convention will be held from April 1–4, 2021.
All excellent questions! As can be expected, we don't have answers to announce just yet, but we will as soon as possible. Since it's only been a few days since we confirmed that this year wasn't happening, we have a lot of work to do wrapping things up with this year's plans, and announcements for next year will come along when we have them ready. Thanks for understanding!
Obviously, this is difficult to plan right now, and we won't really be able to pursue plans until social distancing and isolation restrictions are lifted. We will be reviewing various options as the situation progresses, and will make announcements as and if we can.
All existing memberships for this year's convention are being automatically rolled over to next year's convention. If you have any concerns or questions, please contact our registration department at registration@norwescon.org.
Absolutely! Please contact our Charities department at charities@norwescon.org to make arrangements.
There are! The easiest way is to donate to us directly through PayPal by using the link at the bottom of every page on this site.
You can also use Amazon Smile for your online shopping and designate Norwescon as your charitable organization of choice. From then on, every purchase you make through Amazon Smile will make a small contribution to us!
For other donation options, please contact our Charities department at charities@norwescon.org.
If you reserved a room at our host hotel, the DoubleTree by Hilton Seattle Airport, through the links on our website, then the hotel is automatically canceling all reservations and refunding the one-night deposit. You should receive your cancellation receipt soon, if it hasn't arrived already.
If you reserved a room at our host hotel through any other service, your reservation may not be flagged as part of our negotiated room block and you will need to contact your booking agent or the hotel directly to cancel the reservation.
If you need or want to contact the hotel regarding your reservation, we recommend calling the hotel directly at 206-246-8600 to ensure you speak with someone familiar with the situation. Calling one of the national numbers may be less effective.
If you reserved a room at any other location, you will need to cancel your reservation yourself.
Art Show fees are being refunded. Dealers' Room fees are either being refunded or rolled over to next year.
You will be contacted by our Dealers' Room and/or Art Show heads soon to confirm the details of how we are handling these situations. Please be patient if you haven't heard from us yet, as there are a number of moving pieces involved in these processes. We are doing our best to ensure all concerns are satisfactorily resolved.
We are also in the process of discussing ways we can help promote the many artists, authors, and dealers who were counting on the income from vending at Norwescon this year. We will announce more about this as we can; in the meantime, we encourage all of our members to visit our Art Show and Dealers' Room pages, click through the links, and support the people listed there!
We are currently planning on hosting the Philip K. Dick Award ceremony as scheduled on April 10, 2020, through virtual means. We are in the midst of planning the details, and will make more announcements as soon as we can.
The Norwescon Writers Workshop is proceeding. Feedback sessions will be conducted through virtual means. Participants will receive details on this process as soon as we have them confirmed.
And we miss you too! We're all very disappointed to miss out on our annual gathering. However, if you'd like to keep in touch with all your Norwescon friends and family, we have opened a Norwescon community Discord server! We invite you to stop in and start chatting -- think of it as the con that doesn't end! Norwesconline, if you will.
However, please be aware that our Discord is a community gathering and conversation space only, and we will not be using it for convention planning or formal, official communication purposes. No Exec Team or ConCom members are required to participate, and many may not. For formal announcements, please continue to watch our website and social media channels; to get questions answered, please use our Contact Info page. Thank you!
Finally, we at Norwescon would like to pass on our most sincere and heartfelt thanks to all of the people and parties involved in this process for their understanding of and assistance with the situation. This includes (but is by no means limited to) the staff and management of the DoubleTree by Hilton Seattle Airport, Civet Solutions, all of our pros, panelists, performers, artists, authors, dealers, and lobby table groups, our other community partners, all our volunteers, with particular thanks to our editors, social media, and website staff, and last but by no means least, our membership. The support we have received from everyone over the past days has been immeasurably helpful, and has gone a long way to make a difficult and unfortunate situation easier to deal with.
Our thanks to you all, and we'll see you in 2021!
Just like you, we miss our Norwescon family. Unfortunately, we don’t expect it will be wise (or legal) for us to gather together in a hotel by early 2021. Rather than risk missing out, we’re taking the convention to a new frontier—online!
Join us on April 1–4, 2021, for Norwescon 43: The Longest Night, from the comfort and safety of your home. We will bring you the things you love about Norwescon—interactive panel discussions, hands- on workshops, scheduled games, meetups, a curated art show, dealers with the latest and greatest in fandom wares, the Norwescon Writers Workshop, Philip K. Dick Awards, and more. We’re planning virtual events to gather, hang out, meet up with old friends, and make new ones while celebrating science fiction and fantasy together. Which is what it's all about!
If you haven’t heard, our guests of honor scheduled for 2020 are all returning. We will be excited to welcome Jacqueline Carey (writer), Sana Takeda (artist), Susan Langley (science), and Tor Books (spotlight publisher). We may even add some special guests to the list, so continue to watch this space!
Moving online allows us to reduce our budget, and we are happy to pass those savings along to our members. Norwescon 43 membership fees will be $35 for adults and $20 for youth ages 13-17. If you already have a membership, we will contact you about your refund options.
Interested in helping us turn virtuality into virtue? There are many new positions that need to be filled this year. Please check out the “Get Involved” tab on our website for open positions and other ways to volunteer.
"The Longest Night"
Norwescon goes virtual! But... what does that even mean?
We have to level with you. While we all really want to come together in person, we also want flying cars. Our crystal balls, psychics, and tea leaves are unable to guarantee that stuffing thousands of people into a hotel will be a good idea by next April. Instead, we will make a virtue of virtuality, and gather online, rather than stand in line.
Norwescon 43 will be held at its accustomed time. We will have much of what you love about our in-person con, and other things that can best, or only, be done in cyberspace. We are at least as excited by the possibilities as we are bummed by the limitations.
We expect this to be a limited time offer, because as soon as it's safe to do so, we will plan once again to brush elbows with all of you fine fans in person.
Norwescon 43 is, even more so than usual, a Work in Progress, and we would love to have you involved. If you would like to volunteer, please leave us a note at volunteers@norwescon.org, or check out the open positions listed here. If you have an idea for programming tell us about it at programming@norwescon.org. You can join us on Facebook here.
Submission Deadline December 1
It's time to polish up your short story or novel, because the Norwescon Writers Workshop (NWW) deadline approaches! Now in its third year, NWW is a Milford-style workshop: a peer-to-peer critique facilitated by professional writers, editors, and agents. Past participants have had their work critiqued by Claire Eddy (Tor), Neil Clarke (Clarkesworld), Carol Berg, Curtis C. Chen, Craig Gidney, Nancy Kress, Cat Rambo, and Nisi Shawl. The moderators for Norwescon 43 will be announced soon!
Visit the workshop page on the website for guidelines. Questions? Email nww@norwescon.org.
The Norwescon 43 Accessibility Team is seeking suggestions for strategies to make our online convention more accessible for our members with disabilities. If you are interested in joining the team, or have suggestions for technology solutions that have either worked well or were an absolute disaster, please let us know by contacting us here.
Norwescon Goes Virtual
Norwescon Writers Workshop
Accessibility
Pre-Registration for Norwescon 43 is open! Get your 4-day memberships today for only $35!
Norwescon Website
Memberships
Outreach and Charities
Open Volunteer Positions
Norwescon History
Contact Information
Anti-harassment Policy
Your purchases can make a difference! AmazonSmile will donate to Norwescon when you do your online shopping! Set your preferences at smile.amazon.com/ch/91- 1042303
"The Longest Night"
The Norwescon 43 Virtual Art Show is now accepting applications. We'd love to hear from you! Headlined by our artist guest of honor, Sana Takeda, the Virtual Art Show is an online platform allowing you to exhibit your work and provide links to Norwescon members and the viewing public connecting to your own website, sales sites, and social media. There is no fee for entering; submissions are juried. We are working hard to develop a fun and informative platform that will be rewarding for both our artists and members. Help us feature your work!
If you'd like to apply, or have any questions, please visit us at https://www.norwescon.org/con/exhibitors/art-show/ or e-mail artshow@norwescon.org.
Refunds Available to Reflect the Lower Cost of the Virtual Con Emails have gone out to Norwescon 43 members who registered before April 2020 describing the refund you will receive based on the lower cost of Norwescon 43 as a virtual convention. These memberships have rolled over to apply to the online convention Norwescon 43: The Longest Night, which will take place from April 1- 4, 2021.
The refunds are based on the difference between the $35 virtual adult membership price ($20 for youth) and what you paid for your 2020 membership. For example, if you paid $75 for an adult membership, you will receive a $40 refund by the end of 2020. If you have not received this email, check your inbox and spam folder and if you can't find it email us at the email below.
You can also donate this refund to Norwescon! Norwescon is a 501(c) (3) organization and every dollar we retain will be put to use to provide the best virtual Norwescon experience for everyone and assure our financial future. While we are trying to keep costs low, we incurred costs from our cancelled 2020 event and will be expending more funds for the 2021 virtual event. To donate the difference between the price of your regular membership and the virtual membership, or to ask questions, email business@norwescon.org with your name and the email address associated with your membership by November 10, 2020. You may also use this address to request a full refund if you are unable to attend the convention in 2021.
Just in time for the holidays, our friends at Offworld Designs have reduced prices on all Norwescon items by 50%. Check out the sale here: https://www.offworlddesigns.com/norwescon/
Additionally, non-Norwescon items are 20% off with code 20conpc
New York Times bestseller Jacqueline Carey is the author of the critically acclaimed and award-winning Kushiel's Legacy series of historical fantasy novels, The Sundering tragedy duology, postmodern fables "Santa Olivia" and "Saints Astray", the Agent of Hel contemporary paranormal trilogy, Shakespearean adaptation Miranda and Caliban, and the epic fantasy standalone,Starless.
Jacqueline enjoys doing research on a wide variety of arcane topics, and an affinity for travel has taken her from Iceland to China to date. She currently lives in west Michigan. We are excited to host her at Norwescon 43!
Art Show Applications Refunds Offworld Designs GOH Jacqueline Carey
Pre-Registration for Norwescon 43 is open!
Get your 4-day memberships today for only $35! CLICK HERE!
Norwescon Website Memberships Outreach and Charities Open Volunteer Positions Norwescon History Contact Information Anti-harassment Policy
Your purchases can make a difference! AmazonSmile will donate to Norwescon when you do your online shopping! Set your preferences at smile.amazon.com/ch/91- 1042303
"The Longest Night"
The Norwescon Games Department is working hard to bring you all the gaming fun you expect at Norwescon, in a virtual environment. This will include both scheduled and open games online. At this time we are excited to announce we will be partnering with Tabletopia to offer board games on their online platform! We are looking into other partnerships to offer even more online games content, including role- playing games, board games, card games, and tournaments.
Would you like to help run games or have other suggestions? Please email games@norwescon.org.
Sana Takeda is an Eisner and Hugo Award winning illustrator and comic book artist from Japan, known for her work on the Monstress series. At age 20 Takeda started working as a 3D CGI designer for the Japanese video game company, SEGA. Her comic book career includes work for Image Comics, Aspen, and Boom Studios, among others. She has worked on several titles for Marvel, including X-23, X-Men, Venom, Civil War II, and Ms Marvel. Sana Takeda lives in Tokyo, Japan. We look forward to meeting her at Norwescon 43!
In our last newsletter, the link to Offworld Designs' Norwescon page mis-directed. Sorry about that! Here's the correct link for reduced prices on all Norwescon items:
https://www.offworlddesigns.com/norwescon
Additionally, non-Norwescon items are 20% off with code20conpc
Games at Norwescon GOH Spotlight: Sana Takeda Offworld Designs
Pre-Registration for Norwescon 43 is open! Get your 4-day memberships today for only $35!
Norwescon Website Memberships Outreach and Charities Open Volunteer Positions Norwescon History Contact Information Anti-harassment Policy
Your purchases can make a difference! AmazonSmile will donate to Norwescon when you do your online shopping! Set your preferences at smile.amazon.com/ch/91-1042303
"The Longest Night"
This year, Norwescon is thrilled to offer a new and exciting guest of honor event, the GoH Tea Party. The GoH Tea Party will provide a great way to spend time with our honored guests in an intimate setting. In addition to the opportunity to hang out with our GoHs, each attendee will have a special package shipped to them containing hand-selected teas, a commemorative Norwescon mug, and a delicious baked good from a local pastry chef. This event is open to all Norwescon members. Tickets are available now for only $35 through the convention registration kiosk here.
Dr. Langley is the State Underwater Archaeologist for Maryland, a Dive Safety Officer, and a Master Scuba Diver Trainer through PADI. She received her B.A. in anthropology from the University of Toronto with a minor in Far Eastern Art and Architecture, her M.A. and Ph.D. in archaeology, and a Certificate in Heritage Resource Management from the University of Calgary. She teaches undergraduate and graduate courses for several colleges and universities on maritime archaeology and the anthropology of piracy. In addition to maritime archaeology and the history and anthropology of piracy, she is a recognized authority on textiles and beekeeping, both past and present. We look forward to hearing about her many adventures at the convention!
The Norwescon Writers Workshop is open to attending members of Norwescon 43, and is held during each of the four days of the convention, April 1-4, 2021. It is a Milford-style workshop: a peer-to- peer critique facilitated by professional writers, editors, and agents. Critique sessions will be held online.
All writers workshop participants must purchase a convention membership; there are no additional fees to enter. We accept one manuscript submission per attendee, either a short story or a novel excerpt in the science fiction, fantasy, or horror genres.
The workshop's aim is to encourage the development of genre writers toward publication. We welcome participation of all skill levels from first-timers to seasoned veterans, age 18 and up. Writers of all
backgrounds, physical abilities, and from traditionally marginalized groups are encouraged to apply!
Moderators will be announced soon. Watch the workshop page for updates.
GOH Tea Party
GOH Spotlight: Dr. Susan Langley
Writers Workshop Deadline Extended
Pre-Registration for Norwescon 43 is open! Get your 4-day memberships today for only $35!
Norwescon Website
Memberships
Outreach and Charities
Open Volunteer Positions
Norwescon History
Contact Information
Anti-harassment Policy
Your purchases can make a difference! AmazonSmile will donate to Norwescon when you do your online shopping! Set your preferences at smile.amazon.com/ch/91-1042303
"The Longest Night"
A cloak can protect your fantastic garb on the way to a celebration, or to protect you on an arduous trek across strange and dangerous lands. This year's pattern is Simplicity Pattern 8770 Unisex Costume Capes. Here's a link to the pattern. Functional or fashionable or both- it's up to you! For more details on how to enter the Single Pattern Contest, click here.
In Celebration of The Longest Night, the major holiday in Jacqueline Carey's novels of Terre d'Ange, we invite you to create one of two items for the celebration to honor the Winter Queen, the Sun Prince, and the members of their court: a mask, as the Longest Night is celebrated by the Midwinter Masque; or a spear, by which the Sun Prince transforms the Winter Queen at the hour of the sun's return at the Masque. For details about how to enter the Prop Contest, click here.
Our beloved tradition of the Masquerade continues for Norwescon 43. The venue for this year's Masquerade is in cyberspace, and the imagination. This requires some changes in the format from previous years:
Further information, including a new Masquerade category, will be announced in early January. Please watch our social media and https://www.norwescon.org/con/special-events/masquerade/ for updates as they become available.
Each year, our Guests of Honor bring their special talents to Norwescon, and make that year unique and memorable. You can help our Guest of Honor selection committee decide who to invite for next year - send your suggestions to: gohcommittee@norwescon.org.
Single Pattern Contest
Prop Contest
Masquerade Rules
Guest of Honor Selection
Pre-Registration for Norwescon 43 is open!
Get your 4-day memberships today for only $35!
CLICK HERE!
Norwescon Website
Memberships
Outreach and Charities
Open Volunteer Positions
Norwescon History
Contact Information
Anti-harassment Policy
Your purchases can make a difference! AmazonSmile will donate to Norwescon when you do your online shopping! Set your preferences at smile.amazon.com/ch/91- 1042303
"The Longest Night"
Norwescon needs your help with cybersecurity. We are upgrading the security on our registration database, and our new security system requires a unique username and password for each member. If you haven't registered yet, you will be asked to supply these when you do. If you have already registered, we need you to create a username and password in the system. Please go to this guide and follow the instructions. Questions? Please contact registration@norwescon.org.
From your Norwescon family, happy holidays! The year 2020 has been a doozy for all of us. Now that it is 97% complete, we hope that your place amidst the small-pocalypse is secure, and that you roll natural 20s for any saving throws needed to bridge into the new year. As you finish your last minute holiday shopping, remember that a Norwescon gift membership is an excellent way of sharing the con experience with friends and family. We can't wait to see you in April.
Important Registration Notice
Happy Holidays!
Pre-Registration for Norwescon 43 is open! Get your 4-day memberships today for only $35!
CLICK HERE!
Norwescon Website
Memberships
Outreach and Charities
Open Volunteer Positions
Norwescon History
Contact Information
Anti-harassment Policy
Your purchases can make a difference! AmazonSmile will donate to Norwescon when you do your online shopping! Set your preferences at smile.amazon.com/ch/91- 1042303
"The Longest Night"
Norwescon 43 will be accessed via Airmeet, an online conference platform. We're still working out all the details, but Airmeet will give us some great features to make it easy for our members to go to panels, attend special events, and socialize with eachother, all in one platform. Stay tuned for more details.
As part of virtual Norwescon, we will be hosting virtual watch parties on Thursday, Friday and Saturday night of the convention. What is a virtual watch party? It is a way to watch the same movies with other Norwescon members, and have a group text chat with them at the same time. We will be using a Chrome plugin called "Scener" which will sync all the video streaming and provide the group chat functionality.
Due to licensing issues, you will need to have an account on a major video streaming service to join the watch party. We will use a different streaming service each night. The current plan is to use Netflix, Amazon Prime, and HBO Max.
As we get closer to the convention, we will announce the movies and post a list on the website.
Claire Eddy is an executive editor at Tor/Forge Books and has been with the company for over 30 years. Her many passions in genre fiction, including fantasy, science fiction, horror, and mysteries, have led her to work with many wonderful authors through the years. Her goal is to help authors make their stories and dreams the best they can be, whether through experience, support, or a kick in the butt as needed. After three decades, Claire is still excited to be working with authors to give readers new worlds to explore and puzzles to solve.
Don't miss the opportunity to get a ticket to the Guest of Honor Tea Party. The GoH Tea Party will provide a great way to spend time with our honored guests in an intimate setting. In addition to the opportunity to hang out with our GoHs, each attendee will have a special package shipped to them containing hand-selected teas, a commemorative Norwescon mug, and a delicious baked good from a local pastry chef.
This event is open to all Norwescon members. Tickets are available now for only $35 through the convention registration kiosk.
We're excited to announce MoPOP's Cosplay Club! Learn the essentials of cosplay from professional cosplayers. Join us on Zoom for live demos, expert instruction, and a chance to meet up with other youth in the cosplay community!
Are you passionate about costumes, crafting, fandoms, or learning new skills? Join MoPOP's virtual youth Cosplay Club for six weeks of collaborative creativity as we explore the art of cosplay. Each week club members will be taught by professional cosplay artists focused on a different element of cosplay: costume building, makeup, wig styling, and more! Our special teaching artists include Anna He, Abigail Gardner, Kirstie Kendall, and May Hemmer.
Club meetings will be conducted via Zoom and no specific materials will be required to participate. We are dedicated to making our education programs accessible. We encourage using found materials and DIY methods. At the end of the club, participants will have a fully formed cosplay costume and themed PPE facemask! Whether you're an avid cosplayer or you're just dipping your toe into the world, Cosplay Club is for you.
Cost: $40 per person
Ages: 11-18
When: Biweekly from February 10-April 21, 2021 | 4:00-5:30pm Register at https://www.mopop.org//programs-plus-education/education/student-clubs/
Virtual Norwescon on Airmeet
Virtual Movie Watch Parties
Spotlight Publisher: TOR Books
Reminder: GOH Tea MoPop's Cosplay Club
Pre-Registration for Norwescon 43 is open! Get your 4-day memberships today for only $35!
CLICK HERE!
Norwescon Website
Memberships
Outreach and Charities
Open Volunteer Positions
Norwescon History
Contact Information
Anti-harassment Policy
Your purchases can make a difference! AmazonSmile will donate to Norwescon when you do your online shopping! Set your preferences at smile.amazon.com/ch/91-1042303
"The Longest Night"
Our virtual Norwescon 43 games area will include plenty of amazing game content, including board games, card games, party games, and role-playing games. We are partnering with Tabletopia and Emerald City Game Masters Guild to provide a wide variety of game types for our virtual convention.
Want to help us decide what games to offer? Fill out our formhere. Want to run a game? Fill out this form and let us know what you'd like to run.
Check out our website for updates and more information.
The Virtual Dealers' Room is now accepting applications for vendors. The Dealers' Room/Writers' Row at Norwescon is a juried selection of fannish and genre products. Applications for our virtual dealers room are open through February 5th. More details, and the application, are on our website here.
Do you have a club, convention, or fan-related organization you want to promote? We offer virtual table space to clubs, groups, conventions, and organizations that promote science, science fiction, fantasy, costuming, and other fannish pursuits. Share your enthusiasm with Norwescon members who have similar interests!
You can get a basic club table for your organization for free. We offer a more dynamic version which includes video chats with convention members. The dynamic version requires you to buy a Norwescon membership for $35. Apply Here.
Specifically, we're looking for volunteers to act as room hosts for our panels and events. Room hosts will be checking in panelists to their panel, as well as starting and ending the event. Training and practice sessions will be available. Interested? Please contact personnel@norwescon.org.
There are a variety of other volunteer opportunities, as well - both before and during the convention. Check out the full list of open positions here.
Important Registration Notice
Happy Holidays! Happy Holidays! Happy Holidays!
Pre-Registration for Norwescon 43 is open! Get your 4-day memberships today for only $35!
CLICK HERE!
Norwescon Website
Memberships
Outreach and Charities
Open Volunteer Positions
Norwescon History
Contact Information
Anti-harassment Policy
Your purchases can make a difference! AmazonSmile will donate to Norwescon when you do your online shopping! Set your preferences at smile.amazon.com/ch/91- 1042303
"The Longest Night"
At Norwescon we believe in periodically reexamining policies which are important to the convention. This year's executive team appointed a committee to review Norwescon's harassment policy, adopted in 2013. After several months engaged in meetings and sensitivity review, we are pleased to announce the new policy in advance of our virtual convention.
The policy has expanded to include an antiracism statement, code of conduct, and harassment policy. The committee's work also included amending the convention's mission statement to be congruent with the new policies. Norwescon is excited to more explicitly recognize the role it plays in uplifting marginalized voices in our community and to declare that we are an antiracist organization.
You may view the new policy here.
If you have questions or feedback for us, please write to the revision committee at safe@norewscon.org.
Despite the virtual format, we will still have an amazing burlesque show this year. See returning favorites, including Bella La Blanc and Miss Violet DeVille, along with some new faces and special guests.
Keep an eye on the website for more: https://www.norwescon.org/con/special-events/burlesque/
Get ready for the Masquerade! Have you been spending your stay- home-stay-safe time creating a costume? It's time to show it off! Send us a short video of your costume (rules and guidelines here) to be presented at our Masquerade on Saturday evening of the convention. All skill levels are welcome. We can't wait to see what you come up with!
Our friends at OffWorld Designs - whom you've likely seen in the hotel lobby at Norwescon - have announced that they are retiring!
While we're sad to see them go, we're happy to have worked with them for many years now. They're holding a 50% off sale to clear out their warehouse, and we encourage everyone to go see what kind of good geeky t-shirts you can find!
Norwescon merchandise is here - or have fun exploring the rest of the site!
Our heartfelt best wishes to Barb, Ray, and everyone else at OffWorld!
Antiracism Statement, Code of Conduct, and Harassment Policy
Burlesque - Ripped From the Pages
Masquerade
Closing Sale at Offworld Designs
Pre-Registration for Norwescon 43 is open! Get your 4-day memberships today for only $35!
CLICK HERE!
Norwescon Website
Memberships
Outreach and Charities
Open Volunteer Positions
Norwescon History
Contact Information
Anti-harassment Policy
Your purchases can make a difference! AmazonSmile will donate to Norwescon when you do your online shopping! Set your preferences at smile.amazon.com/ch/91- 1042303
"The Longest Night"
To attend our virtual convention in Airmeet, members will log in using the email address you registered with. We need to have your correct email address to sign you up in Airmeet! If you are unsure which address we have on file for you, or would like to change the email address on file, please log in to our registration kiosk and check.
Further, each member will need a unique email address. We know that some of you, especially those with kids, have all of your household's Norwescon-related emails come to one address. If this is the case, please contact registration for assistance - someone there can help.
Our next Book Club meeting is March 7, at 4pm. Zoom details will be listed in the Norwescon's Bibliophiles group page on Facebook.
This month, we're reading Book of Koli, and new members are always welcome!
You can still get tickets to our Guest of Honor Tea!
The Guest of Honor Tea Party will provide a great way to spend time with our honored guests in an intimate setting. In addition to the opportunity to hang out with our GoHs, each attendee will have a special package shipped to them containing hand-selected teas, a commemorative Norwescon mug, and a delicious baked good from a local pastry chef. This event is open to all Norwescon members. Tickets are available now for only $35 through the convention registration kiosk.
Our tea is coming from Orange Street Storehouse, an online artisan and gourmet specialty shop owned and operated by husband and wife team Andre and Michelle Capers, located just minutes from metropolitan Atlanta, Georgia. They are known for its great gourmet coffee and specialty loose leaf teas. Their gourmet coffees are made from 100% Arabica beans imported from plantations located all over the world, all grown using environmentally friendly practices.
The event will start with tea instruction with certified tea specialist Roberta Fuhr, owner of Experience Tea Studio in Issaquah, Washington. The session will cover the botany, science, history, culture, health implications, and magic of tea. Next, our Guests of Honor will be introduced, and members will be able to have conversations with each guest in a small group setting.
Norwescon has gone digital and your performers are still out here creating acts on video! Sparkle and Doom Productions presents an evening of science fiction and fantasy themed acts. The show will be followed by a discussion about the showcase and creating your very own act, digital or on stage!
Performances created by:
Nazaneen
Mercury Divine
Mariana
Savannah Demers
Emery StoneD
Michelle Poston
Tiphany Starr
Allen Ryde
This show is ALL Ages! Looking forward to seeing your lovely faces on the computer screen!
Coming soon to the Norwescon Games page: sign up and and pre register for your favorite games to play during the convention.
Norwescon is very excited to offer a wonderful selection of games at this year's convention:
We announced this in our last newsletter, but think it bears repeating:
At Norwescon we believe in periodically reexamining policies which are important to the convention. This year's executive team appointed a committee to review Norwescon's harassment policy, adopted in 2013. After several months engaged in meetings and sensitivity review, we are pleased to announce the new policy in advance of our virtual convention.
The policy has expanded to include an antiracism statement, code of conduct, and harassment policy. The committee's work also included amending the convention's mission statement to be congruent with the new policies. Norwescon is excited to more explicitly recognize the role it plays in uplifting marginalized voices in our community and to declare that we are an antiracist organization.
You may view the new policy here.
If you have questions or feedback for us, please write to the revision committee at safe@norewscon.org.
Check your Email Address
Book Club
Guest of Honor Tea
Sci-Fi Fantasy Variety Show
Scheduled Games
Norwescon's Code of Conduct
Pre-Registration for Norwescon 43 is open! Get your 4-day memberships today for only $35!
CLICK HERE!
Norwescon Website
Memberships
Outreach and Charities
Open Volunteer Positions
Norwescon History
Contact Information
Anti-harassment Policy
Your purchases can make a difference! AmazonSmile will donate to Norwescon when you do your online shopping! Set your preferences at smile.amazon.com/ch/91- 1042303
Start planning your virtual convention! The hard work of our programming and special events departments is online now at the website here. We are thrilled to bring you the kind of schedule you have come to expect from Norwescon. Links to scheduled games, even more content, and Guidebook, our interactive scheduling app, will follow over the next several days. Watch the website and social media for announcements!
Access to Norwescon 43 for convention members will start Wednesday, March 31, just like you would come to the hotel on Wednesday before the convention starts to get settled and see your friends! There are no boxes to help carry, but you will be able to check out various areas of the convention—sit down at a table in the Lounge and start a conversation, check out the booths in the Arena, and look over our fantastic schedule. Just go to www.norwescon.org starting March 31 to find the link to join our Airmeet event.
Not a member yet? You can still register—four days of panels and events on ten stages, plus scheduled games, movies, contests, interactive activities, and more for just $35!
We can’t wait to share what we’ve been planning. For the best experience in Airmeet, please consider using a desktop or laptop computer, with one of these supported browsers: Chrome, Firefox, Internet Edge, or Brave. If you do not have a device that can use one of these free browsers, you will still be able to view panel and event content, but may not be able to access Airmeet’s social spaces, or some of its interactive features. If you have questions about platform requirements, please go to www.norwescon.org/help.
Because cons need souvenirs, we have items for pickup by registered members at one of two Western Washington locations tomorrow (Sunday, March 21):
Your convention badge, featuring artwork by artist guest of honor Sana Takeda; a Norwescon lanyard; and free books! Make your selection from up to 15 titles donated by spotlight publisher Tor books, including multiple Hugo nominees and the 2020 Hugo-winning novel, A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine.
Pickups are outdoors with masks and social distancing! Times and locations here.