Swancon: the conversational con

(Photo via Cat’s camera but pretty sure Alan Baxter took it!)

Swancon Thirty Six | Natcon Fifty is over. Actually, it finished on Monday, but I’ve needed a couple of days to become almost human again! Tuesday also saw us have a major car breakdown which meant Dirk Flinthart and I spent three and a half hours on the side of the Kwinana Freeway instead of enjoying the company of kids and friends on a lovely Rockingham beachfront, but anyway! Helen Merrick came to the rescue, taking kids home and then bringing food once we eventually MADE it home (after the most interesting tow truck ride ever!). Terri Sellen then provided more rescue, taking the Flinthart to meet his evening flight. I have good friends!

(Photo at pre-awards party by Cat Sparks) But Swancon, yes. It was a bit of a blur. We worked so hard in the lead up to the con, and during, that it was hard to actually enjoy it! Too busy I guess. Having said that, I’m glad I picked up people at the airport because it meant a little quiet conversation time. I enjoyed the guest luncheon on Thursday for the same reason, the room party in Terri’s room Friday night, and being the holder of the glow sticks for the Orbit | Gollancz sponsored pre-Ditmars cocktail party. All for the same reason – I got to chat with people. When I eventually spent some time on the TPP/FC table in the Dealer Room (which was as great as I wanted it to be!) I got to have more conversations, and if I didn’t get much time hanging out in the bar with peeps, I did still manage a few snatched minutes here and there. It was a very busy con, but it makes it worthwhile to know that the vast majority of people attending really did enjoy it!

I’ve rounded up as many con reports as I could below. Email me at fablecroft at gmail dot com to let me know of those I’ve missed or which are posted after! Happy to add them 🙂

Some entries may be friend locked, so my apologies if you can’t access those.

Ellen Datlow (photo by Cat Sparks):
http://ellen-datlow.dreamwidth.org/339174.html
http://ellen-datlow.dreamwidth.org/339444.html

Con-goers

http://philosophicallydisturbed.wordpress.com/2011/04/23/my-first-time-at-swancon/
http://prizedandreviled.blogspot.com/2011/04/swancon36natcon50-so-much-squee.html
http://www.alanbaxteronline.com/2011/04/26/swancon-36-natcon-50-report.html

http://www.alanbaxteronline.com/2011/04/29/swancon-36-natcon-50-followup-post.html
http://yiduiqie.dreamwidth.org/168504.html

http://yiduiqie.dreamwidth.org/168718.html
http://catsparx.livejournal.com/230607.html
http://mortonhall.livejournal.com/680796.html
http://randomalex.net/2011/04/26/reflections-on-natcon50/
http://petermball.livejournal.com/280745.html
http://paulhaines.livejournal.com/168191.html
http://mynxii.livejournal.com/816431.html
http://www.stephaniegunn.com/2011/04/23/swancon/
http://catundra.livejournal.com/160481.html
http://swancon.livejournal.com/188317.html

The Con of Conversations

On Awards, At Length

http://roberthoge.com/archives/573
http://gemfyre.livejournal.com/1097337.html

http://alias-sqbr.dreamwidth.org/393834.html

http://alias-sqbr.dreamwidth.org/394029.html

http://alias-sqbr.dreamwidth.org/394384.html

http://alias-sqbr.dreamwidth.org/394533.html

http://alias-sqbr.dreamwidth.org/395247.html

http://alias-sqbr.dreamwidth.org/395268.html

http://flyingblogspot.com/2011/04/in-which-i-learn-things-about-safe-spaces/

SwanCon, MegaPodcasts and Ditmar Awards

http://stephbg.livejournal.com/610310.html

http://stephbg.livejournal.com/610618.html

http://arcadiagt5.livejournal.com/368569.html

http://flinthart.livejournal.com/144190.html

Swancon, Ditmars and a darn fine time

http://blog.martinlivings.com/?p=254

http://electricant.livejournal.com/122922.html

http://battersblog.blogspot.com/2011/05/glad-i-dont-live-there-but-nice-place.html

http://waqem007.livejournal.com/36485.html

Swancon and Perth (well, quokkas mainly)

http://kaelajael.livejournal.com/92978.html

http://networkedblogs.com/hkG1W

http://yiduiqie.dreamwidth.org/169022.html

And then there was Swancon

Swancon – Part Deux (or Stop Nagging Me, McDermott)

Swancon Booty

http://swancon.livejournal.com/191290.html

http://champagneandsocks.com/?p=39

http://kaaronwarren.livejournal.com/131222.html

http://kaaronwarren.livejournal.com/131474.html

http://kaaronwarren.livejournal.com/131653.html

On the Romance Writers Stream:
http://waxings.wordpress.com/2011/04/24/finishing-the-story/
http://waxings.wordpress.com/2011/04/25/lets-write-about-sex/

http://waxings.wordpress.com/2011/04/28/the-structure-of-a-novel/

On the EduStream and more:
http://tokenskeptic.org/2011/04/26/episode-sixty-six-on-swancon-interview-with-sean-williams-and-scifi-meets-education/

http://philosophicallydisturbed.wordpress.com/2011/04/28/mad-scientists-using-the-science-in-science-fiction-in-the-classroom/

Resources from the EduStream here.

Nicole R Murphy:
http://tillianion.livejournal.com/141811.html
http://tillianion.livejournal.com/142000.html
http://tillianion.livejournal.com/142186.html
http://tillianion.livejournal.com/142510.html

http://voyagerblog.com.au/2011/04/28/voyager-and-swancon-%E2%80%93-a-happy-combination/

Leece:
http://leecetheartist.dreamwidth.org/256170.html
http://leecetheartist.dreamwidth.org/256289.html
http://leecetheartist.dreamwidth.org/256657.html
http://leecetheartist.dreamwidth.org/256936.html
http://leecetheartist.dreamwidth.org/257251.html
http://leecetheartist.dreamwidth.org/257384.html
http://leecetheartist.dreamwidth.org/257551.html
http://leecetheartist.dreamwidth.org/258024.html
http://leecetheartist.dreamwidth.org/258086.html
http://leecetheartist.dreamwidth.org/258317.html
http://leecetheartist.dreamwidth.org/258694.html

Damian Warman on the Peter McNamara Award:
http://dmw.livejournal.com/152693.html

Ditmar, Tin Duck and Special Award winners:
http://www.locusmag.com/News/2011/04/ditmar-and-other-australian-awards/

Photos

Artisanat

Tom Bicknell

http://www.flickr.com/photos/42956650@N00/sets/72157626579053570/with/5655884174/
Cat Sparks

http://www.flickr.com/photos/27513027@N06/sets/72157626479661075/with/5667457941/

The Chungs (many more to come!)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/orph3u5/sets/72157626449553187/with/5662998279/
orph3u5

Beyond the Trapdoor

http://www.lympago.com/rdm_galleries/Swancon2011/index3.html

Leece

Natcon Committee and Guests

Tin Duck and Ditmar Winners

Ellen Datlow