Dri --
I recommend Readercon (July 8-10). A smaller regional con (near Boston) but totally focused on reading and writing sf/f (iow, no costuming, anime, or gaming) -- always excellent presenters -- and a dealers' room that's totally books.
They don't yet have the panels set for this summer -- but anyone interested can check out past years for examples:
http://www.readercon.org/
Susan
A dealer's room that's totally books? Bliss!
Yes, it's wonderful. I recall they use one corner for autographing, and the other for the Tiptree Bake Sale, but other than that -- just books, with a hefty selection of used, rare, out-of-print, etc. There may be a few art prints, magazines, comic books, etc., but all tending more to the literary and/or collectable. It's not as large as a Worldcon dealers' room, of course, but less overwhelming: easier to find things and more time for leisurely browsing and chatting with the dealers.
They already have dates and location confirmed (23-25 February 2007, Hinckley Island Hotel, Hinckly, Lancs, UK); they're just a little dazed still... it's only been a week! <g>
Dammit - I meant to go to that one.
Hinckley is in Leicestershire, not Lancashire, though. Only a hundred miles or so difference, but that's quite a bit on England.<g>
Will you go to Eastercon instead?
No, I shall be being a dutiful daughter in Llandudno, in the Land of My Fathers instead. (Have you seen the rugby results? <g>)
Yeah, but I didn't catch the error until after Dri replied, so I couldn't edit.
Well, the Truth is Now Out There.<g>
Well... Easter by the seaside sounds nicer, anyway....
If the weather holds. Otherwise Llandudno is wet and drab...
I had sixnations.com on autoreload all morning, waiting for the match report. <g> Here's hoping that they can beat Ireland next Saturday... but if they can't, they at least lose by 12 points or less.... <g>
I can see blood on the staffroom carpet whoever wins - we have some very committed Taffs and Micks.<g>
Not that I didn't enjoy the convention I went to in Lancs... but that was almost 9 years ago, and the Hinckley Island is a much better hotel than the one in Blackpool. Both had Jason Carter as guests, though....
A plus... Hinckley is a very boring town, though.
