2001: A Space Opera
Guests of Honour
UK Guests of Honour: Tim and Annie Walker
Annie and Tim Walker are many things. Filkfen, songwriters, parents, instrument-acquisitors and permanently late are often among those things. They've been writing and performing in filk circles since the Glasgow '95 WorldCon, but only because they didn't know what filk was up until then... They both blame Lissa Allcock for their swift education.
Since then they have rapidly become a part of the UK filk community, encouraging newcomers and giving workshops. Helping to organise Didgeri-douze proved something of a baptism of fire, but they are apparently going to continue con-running as well, though where they will find the time to do this as well as producing more wonderful music is a mystery to me.
Overseas Guests of Honour: Barry and Sally Childs-Helton
Take me. Stretch me about fifteen per cent in all directions, including along the axis of weird. Increase my musical talent to the power of infinity minus a dollop, and add a generous (double) handful of Mike Whitaker. That's Barry.
When the initial impact of Barry has somewhat subsided you may become aware that someone you hadn't noticed has been playing brilliant percussion the whole time, while simultaneously running several workshops, looking after the aforementioned Barry and possibly concocting vegetable chowder. That (in a wonderful North Carolina accent) is Sally.
-- Zander
Obliter-8/HarmonIX Special Guest: Scott Snyder
Phil and I (and Tim and Annie) just met Scott at FKO where he was the Interfilk Guest. His concert totally blew us away, and besides that he is a wonderful person - very funny and fun to hang out with - "an old friend, just met" as the line goes. We wanted you all to get to meet him and also have a chance to get blown away by his music, and we didn't want to have to wait until we ran our next convention for that to happen. Fortunately the rest of the Obliter-8 committee and the Conthirteena committee were willing to accept our recommendation, so Scott (and probably his wife Amanda, and Rudy the trout - you'll find out about him later...) will be attending Conthirteena!!
-- Lissa