Thousands of sci-fi fans from around the world will gather in Glasgow this week when the prestigious World Science-Fiction Convention takes place at the SECC.
More than 6,000 visitors are expected to attend the event from Thursday, the biggest conference to take place in Scotland this year, which will inject an estimated £4 million into the local economy.
Usually held in the United States, it is the first time in a decade that Worldcon, as the convention is known, has been held in Europe. Glasgow previously hosted the five-day convention in 1995.
The conference is aimed at the creative side of science-fiction and fantasy rather than on the minutiae of individual series, with workshops on developing books and scripts, as well as seminars on the application of real-life science in fiction.
David Stuart, the spokesman for Worldcon, said: “This is really the science-fiction community’s big chance to come together and talk to other like-minded individuals about their ideas. There are also a lot of backroom deals done on books here, but it also gives people a chance to learn how to polish their scripts and novels.
“Also, there is the more unusual stuff,” he added. “We hold workshops for people on how to plan estates around their collections.
“A lot of them own books that are very valuable – first editions and rare titles – so they need to be able to know how to ensure that their collections are dealt with after their deaths.”
Now in its 63rd year, Worldcon also hosts the science-fiction equivalent of the Booker Prize, the Hugo Awards, the winners of which will be named on 7 August.
Among those up for the awards are the Scots authors Iain M Banks, whose The Algebraist is in the running for best novel, and Charles Stross, who has received three nominations for his work, two of them in the best novella section.
In the best long-form film section, the movie adaptation of JK Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban has been nominated.
Winners are voted for by members of the convention and capturing a Hugo can be the making of a writer’s career.
Source: The Scotsman
Guest Writer: Craig Brown
