Readercon 33 this past July was a standout Science Fiction convention, but it looked different and felt more intimate than any other typical Sci-Fi convention I’ve attended. There were no flashy costumes, sprawling vendor halls, or multimedia displays vying for attention. Instead, I was surrounded by people deeply engaged in conversations about character development, world-building, and the art of writing itself. The hotel’s meeting rooms were filled with discussions on themes and symbolism, and I was struck by how much more cerebral the experience was. Wandering into the dealer room, tables were stacked with books, and it was clear this was a place for those who love the written word. 

For the four days attendees spent at the event, there was no distraction from media or pop culture—just the pure connection between authors and readers, united by a shared passion for storytelling.

Readercon is a New England regional literary conference that focuses on the Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror genres. Its thirty-third annual event took place in Quincy, Massachusetts, July 11-14 earlier this year and attracted authors and poets of all levels in the Speculative genre.

While other Science Fiction conventions focus on fandom, media, and cosplay, Readercon features a near-total focus on the written word. The program hosts panel discussions, author readings, and solo talks or workshops. It also features kaffeeklatsches—intimate gatherings with an author—autograph sessions, and award presentations. Two major awards are also presented at the conference: the Cordwainer Smith Rediscovery Award, which honors under-read Science Fiction and Fantasy authors, and the Shirley Jackson Awards for Dark Fantasy and Psychological Suspense.

I had heard of Readercon for many years before I attended the conference virtually as a panelist. The panelists at Readercon are on par with bigger conventions such as Worldcon or World Fantasy Convention, and as a panelist moving up through the ranks, I didn’t rate more than a single slot at first. As a poet laureate, I found myself invited to be a panelist and attended virtually again. But this year’s event was the first time I decided to go in-person. I wanted to experience what made Readercon special to my fellow authors and learn why this conference came highly recommended by them.

Panels

Readercon spans four days and is packed with many panels, making it a dream for any book-focused writer or reader. The panels themselves cover a wide range of topics, but this year a lot of the conversations seemed to orbit around the ethics of AI—both the potential benefits for authors and the growing concerns about how it might affect creativity and publishing. There were also lively discussions on fanfiction, along with sessions offering general writing tips, from plot structure to dialogue. The vibe was cerebral and intimate, with a strong emphasis on the craft of writing.

The high quality of experienced panelists meant these were not panels for beginners. Everything was intermediate to advanced in level. Although I am an experienced panelist of many years, I certainly was kept on my toes and learned a great deal. 

Most of the panels were designed with authors in mind, offering insights to appeal to anyone serious about the craft. There was a balanced mix of topics tailored to both indie and traditionally published authors, though you could feel a subtle elevation of traditional publishing in some discussions. While indie authors were certainly respected, the conversations often leaned into the prestige that comes with being traditionally published. Still, panels provided valuable information for both sides, whether you were interested in self-publishing or navigating the traditional path with agents and publishers.

Guests of Honor

This year’s guests of honor were Amal El-Mohtar, a Hugo and Nebula Award winner and author of This is How You Lose The Time War, and Rebecca Roanhorse, also a Hugo and Nebula Award–winning author. Both authors were featured on panels, gave interviews, and hosted kaffeeklatsches at the conference.

Dealer Room

Even outside of the panels, the event was a literary lover’s dream. Readercon’s dealer room was more of a bookstore than a standard convention dealer room. Only books were for sale—no jewelry, crafting goods, or non-book-related items. The booksellers ranged from Larry Smith Booksellers and Clarkesworld to Bayside Books of Maryland. Small presses, such as Fantastic Books, Small Publishing in a Big Universe, Dragonwell Publishing, and more, had tables, along with smaller reader groups.

One table at the event was hosted by Broad Universe, a group of female Science Fiction and Fantasy authors who support women in the male-dominated genre. Every year at Readercon, they host a group reading, which they call a “rapid-fire reading.” Each author reads for around five minutes. At the end of the reading, they raffle off books of the authors and give gifts of chocolate to the audience. Broad Universe is a nonprofit organization for new authors to make connections and gain a reading slot even if they are new to the field. They accept women and people who identify as women as members. You can find them at all major conventions, but Readercon is where they got their start, and they consider it their home.

There were also many authors selling books on their own. If they were in programming, they would either have a friend watch their table or close it briefly while they were away. Most of the authors I spoke to were positive about their book sales and were happy to be in the venue.

Solo Events

Finding ways for authors to connect with their readers was high on the agenda at Readercon. At the same time regular programming was going on, there were individual readings, kaffeeklatsches, and workshops. There were far more personal readings at the conference than I normally see at Science Fiction conventions, which was a real draw for Readercon. It is designed to allow an author more access to readers and the readers to the authors.

Kaffeeklatsches were held in a small room behind the bar of the hotel. Each session was an hour long, and there were always a pair of tables going at the same time. Readercon set up a free coffee service with cookies for all participants. Attendees signed up to join the author for a more personal meeting. The authors answered questions, talked about their future projects, and often performed a short reading of their work if requested. Since it was for signups only, the location did not need to be in a high-traffic area of the conference. Kaffeeklatsches were more for authors with a following than for beginners. However, it was a wonderful way to gain readers’ attention and create a memorable experience for those that met those standards.

Autograph sessions were held in the main hallway between the panel and reading rooms. A table was set up with a sign showing when each author would be available to sign books. It was a busy area of the conference, and people were always passing by, which made it easy for an author to sell and autograph their books during their time slot. They could also ask readers to purchase their book from a bookseller via consignment and then offer to autograph the books.

Workshops and meetups were in the same spaces as the panels. Workshops were casual classes, completed in an hour to ninety minutes and including a variety of literary topics, including writing poetry. One or two people led the meetups, but these were more for a group of people to express their interest in a hobby such as bookbinding. The meetups were interactive with the entire room, including the hosts.

The most common solo events were single author readings. I attended several of them during the conference in addition to my own. Every author had a sizable audience for their thirty-minute reading. The attendees relished the opportunity to hear authors reading their own work. Each author was asked intelligent questions by their audience and treated respectfully.

Additional Features

Readercon featured a con suite, where food and drink were offered for free to all attendees. They also stocked a green room with coffee and snacks for the panelists. Safety was top of mind; all participants were asked to wear a K95 mask in the conference area, and Corsi-Rosenthal boxes were added to rooms to aid the hotel’s air filtration systems.

One night during this year’s conference featured a “speed-dating for authors” event. Participants joined a table and took a ticket. At twenty-minute intervals, you moved to a new table and met another set of people. I found it to be quite the icebreaker, but my main chatting happened after the event, when I and a group of authors closed down the room late at night as we relaxed and talked about writing, life, and more.

Conclusion

Overall, this was an impactful experience for me as a writer and a poet. The quality of panels was great enough to interest me, even after years of speaking at conventions and feeling I had heard it all. I learned many new techniques to help me as a writer and made new connections in my genre, which will be an asset in the future. 

If you are interested in attending next year’s Readercon, tickets are available via the event website at https://readercon.org. The event will be held at a new hotel for 2025, Boston Marriott Burlington in Burlington, Massachusetts, July 17-20, 2025. However, it should still be a wonderful conference with plenty of literary vibe in the new location.

Wendy Van Camp