Boing Boing reports that highly respected science fiction writer’s workshop Clarion West (based in Seattle) is aiming to help their cousins in Clarion South (which is held every couple of years in Brisbane, Australia), who have encountered a number of problems in their most recent workshops which have drained their coffers. Clarion West is aiming to match donations: “For every dollar a Clarion or Clarion West grad or supporter sends to Clarion South, we’ll send a dollar too, up to a total of US$500. ” I know from several writers that they have found the Clarion workshops invaluable in honing their craft, which results in even better books for us to read (and aren’t we spoiled with an embrassment of riches in good science fiction and fantasy reading right now?). Tutors for Clarion South’s 2009 programme included the wonderful Margo Lanagan (an author who held me utterly spellbound from the very first short tale of her’s that I ever read) and the equally brilliant Jeff VanderMeer.
Leave a Reply