Author: Jan@HSFCon

Remco Meisner has been around for quite some time, mostly by publishing fantastical detective stories (Snuffel series), novellas, novels and short story collections (Rare Boekjes series), and magazines such as Fantastische Vertellingen and Tjonge (the latter being the smallest glossy in Europe, at only 35×40 mm). He started doing this in 1979 while still in secondary school, and still doesn’t know that it’s wiser (and pays more) to publish Common Literature. Perhaps it’s better this way, because artists and authors in the fantastical world are a pleasantly fascinating lot.With their talk on the yearbook Ganymedes, how one might end up in same, and a couple of bizarre actions undertaken between 1979 and 2003 Paul van Leeuwenkamp and Remco Meisner jointly hope to entertain the esteemed crowd at HSFCon. And remember: we love it if our chat is interrupted by a question or a random remark, so feel free and do so without constraint.

Like a spider in her web, that’s how Marieke weaves together all the various aspects of her life. A number of those crisscrossing silver threads stand out, thick and shining, because they mean so much to her. Some threads connect her to the stage, a place she likes to be. A musical here, a dinner show there, or maybe just to sing a pretty song somewhere. She also records audio books and is a voice actor in films, TV series and ads, among other things. She helps other people feel better with her Morning Magic and her advice on healthy living, and she offers coaching on spirituality and personal development.

The strongest of all threads is the story thread. Stories come out as silvery lines, curving and twisting through the web of her life. Her stories have been published in Pure Fantasy, Upturn and The S-word, among other publications. She has written eleven books and has seen her stories appear in various anthologies.

New books are on their way. All of them will contain a glimmer of magic, because Marieke just loves to grab the little bits of everyday magic and let them shine through in her stories.

Pen Stewart (Ghent, 7 April, 1977) is a fantasy, scifi and YA author and an artist, editor and speaker. In 2015 she published two short story collections: ‘Nanokanaries en olifantenhersenen’ and ‘Tijd M.A.N.Chine’. These were followed in 2016 by ‘Opgejaagd’, a gothic horror story published as part of the ‘splinters’ series by publishers Quasis, and in 2017 by her first fantasy novel ‘Wintercode’, which was illustrated in colour. In 2020 appeared her novel ‘Onderuniversum’, set in a dystopian future. Thanks to ‘Wintercode’ Pen became the first fantasy author in Flanders and the Netherlands who was awarded a scholarship with Literatuur Vlaanderen for an epic fantasy novel.

As a teacher of writing she started the first school for fantasy writers in Flanders, through ‘Creatief Schrijven’ in Antwerp. She collaborated on various short story collections and was nominated for awards at a good number of Flemish and Dutch writing competitions. In 2013 she won the Phoenix Award at the Harland Awards. Pen is also the founder of ‘Artistic Chapters by Pen Stewart’, which offers training in writing, training in reading (secondary schools), proofreading services, workshops and editing services. Teachers and librarians can book lectures by authors with financial support from Literatuur Vlaanderen through auteurslezingen.be, or in the Netherlands through De Schrijverscentrale. Pen also organises long-term writing courses to help schools stimulate reading in children and she helps the schools find the necessary financing.

For the Buckminster College project of the Vrije Universiteit in Brussels she is “Praeceptrix Phantasiae”, and in the school year 2023-2024 she will start teaching a course on how to write fantasy, aimed at highly gifted students.

In 2022 we announced the first (honorary) guests for HSFCon 2023. We are happy with Kees van Toorn, Martijn Lindeboom, Teun Joshua Brandt and Ghostbusters Dutch Division.

There will, of course, be more announcements in 2023. A new guest of honor today. And new guests on January 2, 9 and 16.

We wish everyone a fantastic new year and a great HSFCon, where we look forward to seeing you!

See you HSFCon!

Team HSFCon

The Ghostbusters Dutch Division (GBDD) has been the Dutch Ghostbusters cosplay group run by fans for fans since 2012. Apart from having costumes and props that seem to come straight from the film, GBDD are also a group that celebrates Ghostbusters fandom with anyone who wants to join. Whether you’re a fan of the classic films, the cartoons, the reboot or the games, there’s a place for everyone with GBDD. Members of the group have been keeping both big and small events free of ghosts for years and also support various charity initiatives with their cool props and of course Ray Parker Jr.’s iconic theme tune.

Unfortunately Teun Joshua Brandt cannot be present.

Teun Joshua Brandt is studying for a PhD at the University of Groningen, researching symbiosis in contemporary science fiction. His fascination for the consensus within the scientific community about the profound symbiotic entanglement of humans and microbes drives him to try and find out how this impacts the way we view ‘being human’. He achieved his Master’s degree in 2022, graduating summa cum laude with his dissertation on deep sea narratives in the Anthropocene. In his spare time he plays with one of his bands in small music venues or at parties, unless he’s busy watering his city garden.

Unfortunately Teun Joshua Brandt cannot be present.

We have not made a lot of announcements lately, but that does not mean that we’ve been doing nothing.
Over the next few days we will start announcing a number of guests. The announcements will be made on Wednesday 14, Friday 16 and Monday 19 December.
We would love to hear what you think of these guests!

Are you coming to HSFCon and do you want to stay at the con hotel? Use the link below to book your hotel room(s) for Friday 24 and Saturday 25 March 2023.

https://www.hotelsneek.nl/valk-event/horror-science-fiction-fantasy-conventie/
(in Dutch only)

Enter the code: HSF2023

Please note: this link will take you to a special booking environment where you can book a non-refundable room. You will be required to pay at once, but it is possible to cancel without any additional costs up to 8 weeks before arrival.

Martijn Lindeboom made his debut as an author with the historical fantasy De Legende van de Zwarte Wolven. Ten more books by him have appeared since then. Five historical stories (based on archaeology and/or history), a thriller, a collection of fantasy stories, a collection of horror stories (published by Luitingh-Sijthoff), two books around a specific theme (a collection of climate fiction stories and a book on witches) and a non-fiction book on writing fantasy and science fiction (published by Atlas Contact).

His book Lagen in Stad (written in collaboration with archaeologist Gert Kortekaas) won the title Best Book from Groningen in 2014. Besides his books Martijn has had over ninety short stories published in magazines, anthologies and as audiobooks or e-books. His new collection of speculative fiction, entitled De Komeet (edited and partially written in collaboration with Vamba Sherif) is due out in February 2023, published by De Geus.

Since 2010 Martijn has been involved in the organisation of the largest writing competition for science fiction, fantasy and horror stories in the Low Countries: the Harland Awards (formerly known as the Paul Harland Prize), in later years acting as the co-ordinator for writing competitions at online readers’ community Hebban.nl, for which he also acts as an editor.

Together with Heidi van der Vloet and other people he helps organise the Middag van het Fantastische Boek (Afternoon of Fantastic Fiction) at the Utrecht City Library.

He has been giving workshops and classes on writing fantasy and scifi since 2013.This experience, combined with the huge pile of books he has read, prompted him to write a book on how to write fantasy and scifi (Hoe schrijf je fantasy en sciencefiction?) for publishers Atlas Contact. He did this together with his partner Debbie van der Zande, who as an editor and avid reader, brought her own experience to writing the book.

As a teacher of creative writing at the Dutch Writers’ Academy Martijn specialises in ‘Writing fantasy and science fiction’ and he teaches the subject ‘Other Worlds’ at ArteZ Creative Writing University.

Apart from being an author, editor and creative writing teacher, Martijn is also a legal expert and a Teakwon-do master (7^th dan) with his own school in Groningen: Sung Zang.