Swancon is over for another year.
It was just as much fun as I expected. I enjoyed the panels I was on - some were better than others. I enjoyed even more the panels I listened to. Robert Shearman and Ken MacLeod were great guests - knowledgeable, funny, friendly and extraordinarily approachable. Rob may have been a last minute replacement, but he did a great job.
My Oz Guest of Honour speech was a mish-mash of stuff - mostly about how my life has impacted my work, I guess. So lots of pretty rainforest pix...and others showing me writing in some unusual places.
The writing workshop I gave was fun from my PoV, and I just hope that some of those who attended will get some benefit from some of what I said.
Getting together with old friends was a highlight of course - Karen Miller and I had some interesting conversations in the middle of the night. Fabulous to see Trudi and Paul again; Satima and Helen Venn (first time I've seen the latter since we were in uni together, and that's more years than I want to admit to.) Seeing people I know from other conventions in the past like some of the Swancon committee - Ju, Dave, Anna and Art, and Davina. Talking to other writers and editors: Cat Sparks, Jonathan Strahan, Joel Shepherd, Simon Haynes, Dave Luckett, Sean Williams, Ian Nichols, Bevan MacGuiness, Marianne de Pierres. Meeting Sue and Steve, the Duff guests, from Kentucky - who never did get all their luggage! Sara and Geneva, Danny, Dianne de Bellis - ah, I could go on and on. All in all, far too many interesting, intelligent, witty people to be able to mention them all.
It is hard to explain just how much I appreciate the opportunity to meet like-minded people. To talk about sff, and not feel that the audience is half-expecting you to apologise for having such a (weird) interest. I feel as if I have just had a dose of inspiration, and now I have to make it last until the next con I go to.
So my deep gratitude to the committee for inviting me as the Australian Guest and so enabling me to participate in the experience. I am honoured to have been part of Swancon 2008 - thank you. Thank you to everyone who came to my panels/workshop/speech prepared to listen to me rabbiting on...
Just: thank you.