This year, I will again be a panelist at SFContario, Toronto’s only downtown SF convention. It takes place November 18-20, and in addition to being a panelist I will also be presenting an Aurora award for the Best Graphic Novel in English. (Hopefully I don’t have this same scratchy throat a month from now.) Here is my schedule:

• Targeting the Appropriate Market – Sat. 11 AM Parkview
  Often selling a story is all about finding the right market. How do
  you label what you’re selling? How do you find out about markets and
  identify the right one? Our panelists discuss sources of calls for
  submission, networking methods, using rejections to refine your
  targeting strategies, and other techniques of getting your story in
  front of the person who will buy it. (Madeline Ashby, Karen Dales,
  Stephen Kotowych, Jana Paniccia(M), Mike Rimar)
• Religious Themes in Anime – Sat. 6PM Gardenview
  Japan has a long history of mixing religious influences and making
  them Japanese. Religious themes in anime are rich, eclectic, and
  varied. They can be profound or sometimes just plain weird (Madeline
  Ashby, David Stephenson, Rene Walling(M))
• The Disaster in Japan – Sat. 8 PM Gardenview
  A discussion about the recent earthquake in Japan and its aftermath,
  local and global. (Madeline Ashby(M), Eric Choi, Dan Evans, Jana
  Paniccia, David Stephenson)
• Aurora Award Ceremony – Sun. 12 PM Shade Restaurant
  Presenter for Best Graphic Novel English
• Kitchens of the Future – Sun. 1 PM Solarium
  Microwave ovens, food processors… the 21st century kitchen is far
  different from that of 50 years ago when spaghetti was an exotic
  ingredient in a North American kitchen. What will we eat in another
  generation or two and how will we prepare it? Has SF influenced this
  development? Is it all Tang’s fault? (Madeline Ashby, Lorne Kates(M),
  Violette Malan, Shirley Meier, Merle Metalin)

I wish I had a reading, so I could give you all a taste of vN, but shikata ga nai. See you there!