Banner displaying the Can Con Carolina 2025 sponsor list.

My feet hurt. But my ears don't.

#CanCon2025

a black and white drawing of a stack of books with the words `` my tbr list '' written on it . Alt: a black and white drawing of a stack of books with the words `` my tbr list '' written on it .

*not much of a list because I just loaded up with non-heist books at #CanCon2025 😬

A photo of my hand holding my name tag, which has a purple volunteer ribbon and a multicolored "first time attendee" ribbon

Me with Louise Koren!!

Me with Erin Rockfort!!

Me with Claudie Arsenault!!

#CanCon2025 photo dump!! What a wonderful experience full of long-awaited in-person meetings, new connections, entertaining/enlightening panels, and lots of laughs (also a fair bit of nerves being a first-time volunteer, but hey, I did the thing and it turned out alright 👌)

Picked this up at #CanCon2025 and can't wait to read it!

To all the amazing writers, readers, Guests of Honour, panelists, concom members and attendees: thanks for making #cancon2025 such a great time.

I will now lurch back into my regularly scheduled work week.

I have this “Who, what, when, where?” kinda post-con feeling. Anyone relate? #CanCon2025

A white person’s wrist, upon which there is a wristwatch, and also a green silicon bracelet

I looked down just now and realized I am still wearing this green “I’m cool with hugs” bracelet from #cancon2025 lmao

somehow people keep adding their observations, the list of weirdnesses continues to grow???

#CanCon2025

A dark purple sticker that says "Keep punk and hope on." Yes.

Notes from #CanCon2025

14. A final note to share: A lesson while listening to the lively conversation between Derek Newman-Stille and @caitgauthor.bsky.social.

Taking time to rest is punk.

Period.

Go rest, everyone.

And thank you, @canconsffh.bsky.social, for inspiring me to keep on writing.

Picture of a bookmark with Sienna Tristen's kickstarter for The Heretic's Guide to Homecoming orchestrated audiobook. It is sitting on my piano keyboard.

Notes from #CanCon2025

13. You end your sessions with speculative songwriting. Where else can you experience a panel like this, featuring live music and a discussion on poetry, theatre, and leitmotifs? The perfect mashup for a theatre kid who self-published a spec fic book about a singer.

Picture of Augur Volume 6, featuring a giant golden space telescope that gleams because of the metallic cover. So gorgeous!

Notes from #CanCon2025

12. There are so many volunteers. People supporting book launches. Toronto SFF Writers is reaching out for new members. You joke Brampton is better.

You get teary-eyed when you hold the gleaming golden sixth volume of something you helped kickstarter.

CanCon = community.

Featuring two books from the speakers: The Baker Thief by Claudie Arseneault, which features the silhouette of a long-haired figure with a cape perched on a roof, the wind blowing. The Annual Migration of Clouds by Premee Mohamed, which features a black and white bird with silver eyes and green roots growing out of its body.

Notes from #CanCon2025

11. There were so many mic drops in the panel on friendship arcs that the floor dented. (Brookstreet ambience!) It's all your fault @gregoryawilson.com @premeemohamed.com @clh2oars.bsky.social

"Stop oversimplifying the human experience. We live in an existence of nuance."

Picture of the panelists from my perspective as someone sitting on the floor to the side. Felt like we were going to camp together, or a slumber party. Lydia M. Hawke is speaking, Christy Climenhage has her chin tilted up and is looking like she is contemplating inspiring things, and Lynn Hutchinson Lee is looking down with a secretive smile. They are all clearly up to something. Watch out.

Notes from #CanCon2025

10. You can have a coming of age story at any age! Just ask @lydiamhawke.bsky.social @cclim.bsky.social @lynnhutchinsonlee.bsky.social

In fact, you can't fit all the crones and baby crones in the meeting room to share this. And yet somehow it happens. Baba Yaga knows how.

A picture of a CanCon metal mug with black plastic lid sitting on a white table. This mug was everywhere. I salute you, fellow caffeine lovers.

Notes from #CanCon2025

9. Speaking of tea. This was the best mug. Tea was kept contained and hot, which was essential when travelling through all the room portals!

Picture of a Kindle displaying the cover of Tea and the Transcendent: A Novel in Stories, by Genevieve Clovis, which features a cup of tea surrounded by stars with the tea's steam transforming into elaborate scrollwork above.

Notes from #CanCon2025

8. You will see people you haven't talked to in years. One of them has won a Nebula - looking at you, @vriccithode.bsky.social!

And you will meet their friends! And discover books published by them you don't know about! (Looking forward to it @cloviseditorial.bsky.social!)

A collection of CanCon books and chapbooks sitting on a green, blue, and purple quilt: Hunting a Sea-Glass Heart by Carolyn Charron, Wormwood by D.H. Nevins, an RPG called Definitely Not Doppelgangers, Shift role-playing game basic rules, Seed Beetle poems by Mahaila Smith, Speculative Shorts: Stories that fell out of my brain by Cait Gordon, Cascade by Rachel A. Rosen, Year's Best Canadian Fantasy and Science Fiction Volume 3 edited by Stephen Kotowych, Part Time Girl by Adriaan Brae, How the Rain Came to Faerie After All by Kate Heartfield, Baker Thief by Claudie Arseneault, The Stars and the Seeds by Kay Hawkins, Your Blood and Bones by J. Patricia Anderson, Augur Volume 6, and Pale Grey Dot by Don Miasek.

Notes from #CanCon2025

6. You cannot have too many Canadian SFFH books. It is in fact your assigned quest to read them all. The universe makes the rules. If you have to become a personal lending library to justify this, you will. More great reads for everybody in your orbit!

My hand is holding open the CanCon 2025 program showing the many many panels, book launches and events from just Friday and part of Saturday. Too many to describe here. There is an asterisk next to Crone Lit: The Time Has Come because I wasn't going to miss that one!

Notes from #CanCon2025

5. You can never have too many panels. Or have too many clones so you can experience all the panels. Note to self: Stop procrastinating and finish that replicator in time for next year!

Notes from #CanCon2025

4. If you want people to talk to you, wear an interesting shirt. I can't count how many comments I got on this one. Purchased in Stratford, which involved many intriguing adventures, as you can see.

bsky.app/profile/suea...

A copy of Part Time Girl by Adriaan Brae. The cover features a spray-painted wall including the phrases "no place for hate" and "Trans rights now!"

Notes from #CanCon2025

3. The people you follow on BlueSky are just as interesting and delightful IRL as they are online. You can say hi! Or just bask in being surrounded by friendly creatives.

Special shout out to @adriaan.braevitae.com who was lovely to meet and chat with at mealtimes.

A copy of Year's Best Canadian Fantasy and Science Fiction Volume 3, edited by Stephen Kotowych. Yes, you heard me. There is more than enough Canadian talent to fill three volumes. Stephen also included honourable mentions this time because there were so many great stories submitted.

Notes from #CanCon2025

2. If you feel guilty spending time and money on your creative projects, don't. It's cheaper than taking up golf. :)

Paraphrased from a kaffeeklatsch with @ourmankoto.bsky.social. Here's his latest creative project. Let's all thank him for not golfing.

A CanCon name badge featuring a castle with a heart, a cheerful pink and purple butterfly, and a button that says "Proud TBR Pile Owner" which is totally me. A ribbon underneath tells everyone I'm a first time attendee. Many people who saw that started friendly conversations to welcome me, which was awesome.

Notes from #CanCon2025

1. Your name deserves stickers. Everything is better with stickers.

See also: buttons.

The discussion of the essential role of the Spiritual and Numinous In Gothic Horror in the Gothic Horror panel at #CanCon2025 was a real needle scratch realization moment on how that also applies to early fantasy and (much like in horror) has in many ways been displaced by materialist concerns.

Screenshot of a Google Doc, showing "[Working title here]" with a woefully short numbered list of "Introduction" and "Conclusion."

When you're still processing a weekend of #CanCon2025 so it takes two hours to come up with this

Very pleased with my #cancon2025 book haul.

I arrive back home after a 6hr car ride in the dark and rain on a mostly 2 lane high way. The joys of living in Canada. Thanks #cancon2025 for a great experience and looking forward to next year already! @canconsffh.bsky.social

Just got home from #CanCon2025 in Ottawa. Couldn't check my phone on the drive, Amanda was asleep, and the radio stopped working (!?!?) So it was Schroedinger's ballgame the whole way home. Go Jays Go! #LetsGoBlueJays #Game7 #ALCS #highbloodpressure

A piles of books on a a green duvet cover

My #CanCon2025 book haul. I think I showed admirable restraint!!

Daughters of Britain by @smcarriere.bsky.social (this is a Christmas present for my daughter, who isn't on Bluesky lol)
@sarahgailey.bsky.social's Spread Me
Bury Your Gays, an anthology edited by @sofiaajram.bsky.social

1/ cont

Had a great #cancon2025!

I met so many wonderful people, plus I got to wax poetic about how romantasy and romantic fantasy are not the same thing on saturday, and today about dramaturgy and aesthetic distance when writing music for the stage.

Already looking forward to next year!

Had an absolute blast at Ottawa Can*Con this year! 🔥 Huge thanks to the organizers for choosing the beautiful Brookstreet Hotel as the new venue and to everyone who stopped by our booth to chat, discover new stories, and help us keep lighting the flame of speculative fiction. ✨ #CanCon2025 #Hopepunk

Not enough words to express how grateful I am to everyone who made #CanCon2025 absolutely freaking awesome, and engaged with our new venue w/ excitement and openness.

The heart of this con is the hundreds of you who make it special, and that was on display every minute this weekend 💜