Finnish NoFF 2010

The Finnish NoFF delegate was announced yesterday at Finnsmofcon: Mirka Ulanto will be the noffit this year, and will travel there (and back) to a Nordic convention some time this year.

Mirka is the chair of the Turku university sf club, and is also a member of the organizing committee of Finncon 2011. She has also published a few short stories in Finnish sf zines.

Zine Grants

The Ministry of Education has announced the grants for cultural magazines for 2010. In the list are several familiar names: Tähtivaeltaja (17 000 €), Sarjainfo (the zine of the Finnish Comics Society, 17 500 €), Kosmoskynä (800 €), Portti (15 000 €), and Spin (3 000 €).

Åcon 4 Program

Åcon 4 has published its preliminary program schedule. Looks like a lot of fun, again. So, gå tå the cån site and sign up to the most fun convention in the Nordic!

PhD Dissertation on the Fables Comic in Tampere

Karin Kukkonen will defend her doctoral thesis on Storytelling Beyond Postmodernism: Fables and the Fairy Tale on Saturday, February 20 at the Tampere University.

The dissertation, according to the abstract, analyses modes of storytelling beyond postmodernism’s subversion and self-reflexivity, aims to apply key terms of literary study to the narratives of comics and graphic novels, and draws methodologically on the emergent cognitive approaches in the humanities.

About Fables from the abstract, “Fables is deeply engaged with the traditional and the postmodern fairy tale, and its narration juxtaposes subversive and self-reflexive with gratifying and immersive storytelling, making the series thus a key case study for different possible modes of narrative in the comics medium.”

Festival of Living Literature

This Saturday in Tampere: the Festival of Living Literature at Finlayson Werstas. The Tampere fandom is present with a table, including the Finnish Tolkien Society, Smial Morel, the Finnish Science Fiction Writers Association, Portti, Vaskikirjat, Risingshadow, and Kontu. There’s also a “Monster Academy” for horror fans.

Åcon Travels

The Travel Info for Åcon4 is now up on the web site, along with the reservation form you can use to book your trip. The prices are very inexpensive as usual, starting with 10 €/return trip from Turku.

Vampire Operetta in Imatra

Yön ruhtinas (“Prince of Darkness”) is an operetta production by the Imatra Theater that opens next week. The Gothic thriller is located in newly-independent Finland of 1918, and tells a tale of “eternal love, treacherous jealousy, and undying passion”. With vampires. Yön ruhtinas is directed by Ismo Sajakorpi.

February Festivities

Yesterday was one of the largest pub meetings in a while–I think there were over 20 people in total present. Lots of talking, drinking, eating, and so on, until a bit too late o’clock. Some notes from yesterday, plus a couple of links I promised people:

• The February lunch is in two weeks, but on Friday, not Thursday as usual.
• It was agreed to have an ice cream mafia at some later date (probably at Nuvole). Suggestions on suitable dates are of course welcome.
• The Pakkaspaavo winter beer is yummy. Rich, chocolatey. And soon unavailable again. :-(
• The bartender at Teerenpeli took the requests for non-alcoholic drinks seriously, and the results were pretty fine.
  
• I had with me the latest Fingerpori collection I bought on the way to the pub, it was popular with people. Go buy yours at Turun sarjakuvakauppa!
  
• A couple of web comics that were recommended by people: Oglaf and Sexy Losers (both extremely NSFW, if you care about such things).
• Some talk about the ongoing row between Amazon and Macmillan. I once again recommend The Book Depository for buying books online. Good selection, good service, and the postage is included in the book prices, so ordering just a book or two to Finland is usually cheaper than from Amazon.
• Oscars speculation. Avatar and The Hurt Locker were pretty much a tie as bets on who will win best picture. My guess is that The Hurt Locker takes the Oscar with its topical subject and, well, not being sf, but could go either way easily. Hollywood loves Cameron, but I’d wager that if Avatar is rewarded as best picture, Bigelow will get best director as “consolation”. Then again, I’m usually wrong with my awards guesses so don’t go betting money based on my opinions.
• Stargate SG-1 was a fun show. I haven’t seen all of it, but based on what some were saying about the later seasons, I guess I’ll have to get my hands on them at some point.
  

Nalo Hopkinson GoH of Finncon 2011

Finncon 2011 has announced their first Guest of Honor: multiple award-winning writer Nalo Hopkinson will be coming to Turku next year. Born in Jamaica, but currently living in Canada, Hopkinson has written four novels and a several short stories, edited anthologies and taught writing at various programs. She has received the John W. Campbell award, the Locus Award, the World Fantasy Award and many others for her work.

Image: “Sherurcij”, Wikimedia Commons

Pratchett on Alzheimer, on Teema

The YLE Teema channel will show a two-part documentary about Terry Pratchett and his struggle with Alzheimer’s disease. The first part will be shown tonight at 9 and again on Sunday, half past one. Part two next week, the same times.

(Hat tip to Liisa on the Spektre list)

Snorfcon 2010

Snorfcon, the convention for Nordic conrunners, returns after a few years’ hiatus. Snorfcon 2010 is organized by Heikki Sørum, and will take place in Oslo, Norway, on August 13–15.

The theme of the third Snorfcon is “the care and feeding of a large convention” (defined as a convention with more than a thousand members/attendees). This of course excludes the majority of Nordic sf conventions, but includes a lot of anime cons (who have been invited to the event). Which is not to say the organizers of traditional sf cons wouldn’t find the programming useful and interesting, nor that they wouldn’t have valuable input for the organizers of larger conventions. Especially next year’s Eurocon has already announced interest in the event (and of course some Finncon organizers will be there).

The Snorfcon web site is not yet up to date, but if you want more information about the convention, you can join the mailing list (the common language for the convention and for the list is English).

Pub Meeting Today in Teerenpeli

Welcome once again to the Turku area sf pub meeting! Same place as last month, restaurant Teerenpeli. The meeting starts at six, everybody is welcome to join!