Newsletter 2020.1: Voices Rising, Kwame Mbalia, Scott Reintgen, Kim Stanley Robinson, Madeline Miller, and more
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Newsletter 2020.1: Voices Rising, Kwame Mbalia, Scott Reintgen, Kim Stanley Robinson, Madeline Miller, and more
Posted on 2020-01-21 at 17:34 by montsamu
Vol 10 No 1. Friday, January 10, 2020: Well. It's been a while, eh? It's a good thing absolutely nothing happened since May of last year, or else this newsletter would get quite unwieldy! Seriously though, there will needs be omissions from the second half of last year to get this out sometime this (new) decade, but what a year we had and are going to have, with books, readings, conventions, awards, and more.
First, if it feels like we should have been meeting up in person this past weekend, but somehow weren't, that's because illogiCon took a year off to reorganize and secure a new hotel for 2021.
Second, do see the last section of the newsletter for the complete upcoming events listing, but before the end of January we'll see the multi-author "Voices Rising" reading at Flyleaf, Kwame Mbalia at the Chapel Hill Library, a Jeremy Whitley comics workshop at Quail Ridge Books, and the launch party for Scott Reintgen's newest book, Ashlords. And! Some highlights of the further-ahead events include Kim Stanley Robinson's February appearances at the NC Book Festival, the Flyleaf Books reading with Dept. Of Speculation author Jenny Offill for Weather, and (again at Flyleaf) Madeline Miller visits for the paperback release of Circe.
HAPPENINGS
There's too much in terms of events to list that's gone on since the last newsletter, so I'll do my best to sum up. We had conventions (ConCarolinas with Aaron Rosenberg and David Weber; Animazement; ConGregate with Michael A. Stackpole, Valentine Wolfe, and Toni Weisskopf; GalaxyCon Raleigh; and NC Comicon Bull City), out-of-state author readings from Margaret Atwood, Sarah Rose Etter, Cadwell Turnbull, Randall Munroe, John Hodgman, and more, and more new books galore than I will even attempt to summarize here. We even had a pair of fairly unique events, the Geek Garage Sale at Atomic Empire, and an absolutely fantastic, fireplace-lit evening of ghost stories at Quail Ridge Books with Nathan Ballingrud, John Kessel, Jesse Bullington, and Natania Barron.
At ConGregate in July, the North Carolina Speculative Fiction Foundation is proud to announce the winner of the 2019 Manly Wade Wellman Award for North Carolina Science Fiction and Fantasy as Empire of Silence by Christopher Ruocchio. The fantastic slate of finalists included:
- In the Night Wood by Dale Bailey (John Joseph Adams Books)
- Pride and Prometheus by John Kessel (Saga Press)
- The Bond by Robin Kirk (Goldenjay Books)
- The Crossing by Jason Mott (Park Row)
- Empire of Silence by Christopher Ruocchio (DAW)
- Finders by Melissa Scott (Candlemark & Gleam)
And speaking of the Wellman, the 2019-2020 season is now also underway with the announcement of a 77-title preliminary eligibility list. Look for an announcement on finalists at ConCarolinas in late May, and the presentation of the winner(s) at ConGregate again in July.
NEW BOOKS
Out already since the new year from NC authors: Sellsword's Oath by Gail Z. Martin; These Marvelous Beasts: The Complete Frost & Filigree Series by Natania Barron; and Hoods: The Beginning by David Niall Wilson.
UPCOMING EVENTS
JANUARY 2020
9 (Thu) 7 pm -- Golden Fig Books hosts the Redbud Writing Project's Literary Trivia night: https://www.goldenfigbooks.com/event/literary-trivia-redbud-writing-project
18 (Sat) 11 am -- Flyleaf Books hosts Caroline McAlister for Finding Narnia: https://www.flyleafbooks.com/finding-narnia
22 (Wed) 7 pm -- Flyleaf Books hosts Jeff Jackson, Worth Parker, John Dailey, and Michael Venutolo-Mantovani for "Voice Rising No. 8". https://www.flyleafbooks.com/voice-rising-8
23 -- Falstaff Books to re-issue Michele Berger's Reenu-You.
24 (Fri) 6 pm -- Flyleaf Books presents Kwame Mbalia for Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky at the Chapel Hill Library: https://www.flyleafbooks.com/mbalia-chpl
24-25 (Fri-Sat) 7 pm to 8:30 pm -- Quail Ridge Books hosts a 2-day How to Write for Comics Workshop with Jeremy Whitley: https://www.quailridgebooks.com/event/how-write-comics-workshop-jeremy-whitley
28 (Tue) 7 pm - Quail Ridge Books hosts Scott Reintgen for ASHLORDS.
28 -- Book release for Ashlords by Scott Reintgen.
28 -- Book release for The True Confessions of Fandingo the Fantastical by John G. Hartness [and E. M. Kaplan] (Falstaff Books).
FEBRUARY 2020
2 -- Book release for The Laws of Entanglement by Maya Preisler (Mocha Memoirs Press), a debut magical realism novel from a new Greensboro author.
3 (Mon) 7 pm -- Flyleaf Books hosts Laura DeNardis in conversation with Alice Marwick for The Internet in Everything: https://www.flyleafbooks.com/internet-in-everything
17 (Mon) 7 pm -- Flyleaf Books hosts Karla Slocum for Black Towns, Black Futures: https://www.flyleafbooks.com/black-towns
18 (Tue) 7 pm -- Flyleaf Books hosts Clifford Garstang in conversation with Marjorie Hudson for The Shaman of Turtle Valley: https://www.flyleafbooks.com/clifford-garstang
NEW-NEW: 21 (Fri) 5:30 pm -- Quail Ridge Books hosts Kim Stanley Robinson for a reading and signing: "Reserved seating with the purchase of any book by Kim Stanley Robinson at Quail Ridge Books or with a subscription to the Arts & Lecture Series. This is a North Carolina Book Festival event."
21 (Fri) 7 pm -- Quail Ridge Books hosts the Raleigh Review 10th Anniversary Party: https://www.quailridgebooks.com/event/raleigh20
21-23 (Fri-sun) -- NC Book Festival with Kim Stanley Robinson, John Kessel, Mur Lafferty, and more: https://ncbookfestival.com/2019/11/18/announcing-wave-one-of-our-2020-lineup/
22 (Sat) 12 to 3 pm -- Durham's Atomic Empire hosts its next Geek Garage Sale! "Got a closet full of games and toys that you're ready to trade for other, different games and toys? Want to get a great deal on someone else's barely-used merchandise? Come out to our Geek Garage Sale to find new-to-you treasures or turn your spare items into Atomic Empire store credit! Sellers may reserve a four-foot space with one chair for free! Upgrade to eight feet of table space for $10. Bring anything to sell as long as it fits our themes of comics, games, toys, and general-geeky-interest items. You decide what your stuff is worth and can adjust prices or haggle at your discretion." Setup and preview 11 am to noon.
25 -- Book release for Carved from Stone and Dream: A Los Nefilim Novel by T. Frohock (Harper Voyager).
MARCH 2020
1 (Sun) 2 pm -- Quail Ridge Books hosts Erik Larson for THE SPLENDID AND THE VILE: A Saga of Churchill, Family, and Defiance During the Blitz: https://www.quailridgebooks.com/event/larson20
6-8 (Fri to Sun) -- SAGA: The Professional Development Conference for Genre Fiction Writers, at the Charlotte Hilton University Place: http://sagaconference.com
10 (Tue) 7 pm -- Quail Ridge Books hosts Therese Anne Fowler for A GOOD NEIGHBORHOOD: https://www.quailridgebooks.com/event/fowler20
17 (Tue) 7 pm -- Quail Ridge Books hosts James McBride for Deacon King Kong. https://www.quailridgebooks.com/event/mcbride20
20-22 (Fri to Sun) -- FantaSci 2020 in Durham at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Raleigh-Durham Airport at Research Triangle Park.
24 (Tue) 7 pm -- Flyleaf Books hosts David J. Halperin for the Book Release of Intimate Alien: The Hidden Story of the UFO. https://www.flyleafbooks.com/IntimateAlien
30-(Apr) 2 -- Spring Literary Festival at Western Carolina University with (among others) Carmen Maria Machado and Jeff VanderMeer.
APRIL 2020
(Mar 30)-2 -- Spring Literary Festival at Western Carolina University with (among others) Carmen Maria Machado and Jeff VanderMeer.
1 — Book release: Now, Then, and Everywhen by Rysa Walker.
4-5 (Sat-Sun) -- NC Comicon: Oak City 2020.
7 -- Book release for Impervious by A. J. Hartley (Falstaff Books) -- "A new YA fantasy standalone novel from NY Times Bestseller and Manly Wade Wellman Award Winner A.J. Hartley."
8 -- Book release for Forest of Bones by Crymsyn Hart (Mocha Memoirs Press).
13 (Mon) 7 pm -- Flyleaf Books hosts Katy Simpson Smith for The Everlasting: https://www.flyleafbooks.com/everlasting
14 -- Book release for The Lesser Devil by Christopher Ruocchio (Recorded Books).
14 (Tue) 7 pm -- Quail Ridge Books hosts Katy Simpson Smith for THE EVERLASTING: https://www.quailridgebooks.com/event/simpsonsmith20
16 (Thu) 7 pm -- The Regulator hosts Alexis Pauline Gumbs for DUB: FINDING CEREMONY: https://www.regulatorbookshop.com/event/poetry-series-alexis-pauline-gumbs-“dub-finding-ceremony”
17 (Fri) 7 pm -- Flyleaf Books hosts Dept. Of Speculation author Jenny Offill for WEATHER: https://www.flyleafbooks.com/weather
18-19 -- Festival of Legends: Mystic Circus in Apex. "What would it look like if faeries ran a magical circus? Join The Festival of Legends and find out as we celebrate with food, games, music, fantastical characters, story tellers, and so much more!"
NEW-NEW: 22 (Wed) 7 pm -- Quail Ridge Books hosts John Scalzi for The Last Emperox. Info on purchasing a copy of the book for reserved seating: John Scalzi - 'The Last Emperox' (Reserved)
28 -- Book Release for Rebel in the Library of Ever by Zeno Alexander (Imprint).
28 -- Quail Ridge Books hosts Sue Monk Kidd for THE BOOK OF LONGINGS: https://www.quailridgebooks.com/event/kidd20
MAY 2020
12 -- Book Release for Queen of the Unwanted (The Women's War Book 2) by Jenna Glass (Del Rey).
14 (Thu) 7 pm -- Flyleaf Books hosts Madeline Miller for the paperback release of CIRCE: https://www.flyleafbooks.com/circe-pb
15 (Fri) 7 pm -- Flyleaf Books hosts Sue Monk Kidd for THE BOOK OF LONGINGS: https://www.flyleafbooks.com/kidd-2020
22-24 -- Animazement in Raleigh.
29-31 (Fri to Sun) -- ConCarolinas 2020 in Charlotte with Maurice Broaddus and Luke Gygax.
JUNE 2020
9 -- Book Release for The Damned by Renee Ahdieh ( G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers).
15 -- Book release for When the Cat's Away: Enter Haddonwood Book Two by Rysa Walker and Caleb Amsel (Starry Night).
JULY 2020
7 (Tue) -- Book release: Demon in White by Christopher Ruocchio.
7 (Tue) — Book release: Every Sky a Grave by Jay Posey.
17-19 (Fri to Sun) -- ConGregate 2020 in Winston-Salem with Timothy Zahn.
30-(August) 2 -- GalaxyCon Raleigh at the Raleigh Convention Center.
SEPTEMBER 2020
8 -- Book release: The Other Side of the Sky by Meagan Spooner [and Amie Kaufman] (HarperTeen).