National Black Writers Conference symposium on Octavia Butler

The National Black Writers Conference Bi-Annual Symposium celebrates the life and work of renowned speculative fiction author Octavia E. Butler in a daylong symposium to be held on Saturday, March 28, 2009 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Medgar Evers College, 1650 Bedford Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11225.

"Octavia Butler was the first black woman to come to international prominence as a science fiction writer and she has influenced a generation of authors as well as a diverse general public who still eagerly look for her work," said Dr. Brenda Greene, Conference Coordinator and Executive Director of the Center for Black Literature. "Our celebration of her work and life is a testament to her impact on literature and a fulfillment of our mission to expanding the literary canon."

"Science Fiction, Globalization, and the People's Republic of China," by Lavie Tidhar

On visiting China in the summer of 2000 I was surprised at the complexity and determination I found in the SF field. Structures were forming that I would not have expected to see outside the US-UK axis, paralleling to a surprising degree the field's development in the West.

See also the mini-Chinese SF profile as part of the report on the 2007 Chinese SF conference within the 2007 autumnal newscast:

Today much Chinese SF is published by popular science publishing houses and SF authors tend to belong to a science writers association rather than a writers association.

Jamaica Gleaner report on University of the West Indies speculative fiction symposium

Michael Holgate (l), Brian Heap (r) photo by Nalo Hopkinson, copyright 2009

Poet and journalist Mel Cooke reports on the readings portion of the speculative fiction symposium recently held at the Mona, Jamaica campus of the University of the West Indies:


The physical gathering was very small but the readings at the Philip Sherlock Centre for the Creative Arts on Sunday morning were a gateway to other worlds and their inhabitants - wondrous or horrific.

IMAGINE: Toronto, Canada multicultural SF/F contest for kids

Press Release: NEW!!


February 26, 2009


IMAGINE Launches Poster Art Contest for grade 5 students!
In response to demand from Toronto school students, Visions of Science Network for Learning (VoSNL) is expanding the IMAGINE multicultural Sci-fi/fantasy Poster Art Contest to include grade 5 students.


The IMAGINE Multicultural Sci-fi/fantasy Contest series consists of short story competitions for students in grades 6-12, and a Poster Art Contest for kids from grades 7-9. Executive Director of VoSNL, Francis Jeffers, says the addition of a competition for grade 5 students is one more step in the process of making the competition a world-wide event.


Coordinator of the contest series, Nicole Georges, explains the decision to expand the contest is based on requests from students, parents and teachers. "Every year since the contest debuted in 2006, we've had kids from grades 4 and 5 asking to participate, too. So we're thrilled to finally be able to have them enter the contest and show off their creativity."


The prize for the winning student of the grade 5 IMAGINE Poster Art Contest will be a supply of Kisko Freezies for his or her class, compliments of Kisko Freezies Inc.


The theme of the grade 5 IMAGINE Poster Art contest is "The Food Chain or Life Cycle on an alien planet." Young artists should be able to draw the food chain of a planet, incorporating plant, animal or even mechanical or electronic life forms.


The IMAGINE Contest series is sponsored by the Jamaica National Building Society, Kisko Freezies, 3M Canada, The National Film Board of Canada, Bakka Phoenix Science Fiction and Fantasy Bookstore, and the Silver Snail Comic book store.


For rules and information on all competitions in the IMAGINE series, visit the IMAGINE website.

University of the West Indies speculative fiction symposium

First ever Caribbean speculative fiction symposium at the University of the West Indies, Jamaica campus

Janelle Monae video "Many Moons"

Japanese manga in English translation from VIZ Media

Cheryl Morgan reports that "Manga experts, VIZ Media, will be publishing a line of translated Japanese SF&F novels in the US. The line will be called 'Haikasoru'." (High Castle) The editor of the line is writer and editor Nick Mamatas. Here is an interview with Mamatas about the new line.

Philippine Speculative Fiction Sampler

Online Philippine Speculative Fiction Sampler

Table of Contents

Introduction by Charles Tan

Six from Downtown by Dean Francis Alfar

The Singer's Man by M. R. R. Arcega

Keeping Time by FH Batacan

Dreaming Valhalla by Douglas Candano

The Sugilanon of Epefania's Heartbreak by Ian Rosales Casocot

The God Equation by Michael A. R. Co

The Family That Eats Soil by Khavn De La Cruz

The Dues to the Unbound by Pocholo Goitia

A Ghost Story by Francezca C. Kwe

Pedro Diyego's Homecoming by Apol Lejano-Massebieau

The Forgotten City by Vincent C. Sales