Previous Appearances

• April 6-11, 2008: Water World. Nisi co-taught "Water World" in Port Townsend, Washington, as part of Centrum's Young Artists Project. 5th and 6th graders wrote stories, poems, and dialogues extrapolating from their hands-on experiences with marine life. With movement artist Christian Swenson and visual artist Diem Chau. Centrum, Port Townsend, WA
• April 5, 2008: Rainbow Bookfest. Community discussion on future Rainbow Bookfests; book signing; "New Beginnings" reading with Ken Mochizuki, Antonio Hopson, Fred Su, and Carletta Carrington Wilson/
• March 1-2, 2008: Potlatch 17, Seattle. Octavia E. Butler's Parable of the Sower panel, with Eileen Gunn, Mary Rosenblum, and Suzy McKee Charnas; Reading: Filter House; Talk: Carl Brandon Society and the Octavia E. Butler Memorial Scholarship Fund.
• November 16-18, 2007: OryCon 29, Portland, Oregon.
  • Friday 11/16, November 16-18, 2007: OryCon 29, Portland, Oregon. Friday 11/16, 4 to 5 p.m., Nisi participated in a panel discussion titled "How to Win a Nebula (Or Other Award) with David D. Levine and Eileen Gunn.
  • Saturday 11/17, 10 to 11 a.m, Nisi will participate in a panel discussion titled "Clarion Writer's Workshop." She'll appear with Kate Wilhelm, David D. Levine, and Kate Schaefer. Ursula K. Le Guin will moderate.
• May 25-28, 2007: Wiscon. Panels: Genre Tokenism Today: The New Octavia, with Nnedi Nkemdili Okorafor-Mbachu, Candra K. Gill, K. Tempest Bradford, and moderator Nora Jemison. Call and Response: Reading, with Aqueduct Press writers Nicola Griffith, Kelley Eskridge, and Eleanor Arnason. Carl Brandon Society Update, with Victor Raymond, M. J. Hardman, and Candra K. Gill. Little Girls on the Hero's Journey, with Kerrigan Valentine, Rebecca Marjesdatter, Kate Elliott, and Kelly D. Link. Writing as Spiritual Practice, with Patrick James Rothfuss, Lori Buschbaum, and moderator Susan Palwick.
• 28 April 2007: 2007 Rainbow Bookfest: Nisi Shawl moderated the panel "Revolutionary Women in Revolutionary Times."
• 24 April 2007: "Invisible Universe" Premiere. Nisi Shawl introduced the premiere screening of Asli Dukan's film on Blacks in speculative fiction, "Invisible Universe," at the Langston Hughes African American Film Festival. "Invisible Universe" includes footage of Seattle SF author Octavia E. Butler and other major African American writers, scholars, and artists. Afterwards, Nisi and the film's director/producer will discuss "Invisible Universe" and related subjects with audience members.
• March 1, 2007: Nisi Shawl, Nalo Hopkinson, Vonda N. McIntyre, Jerry Large, Timeca Briggs, and Leslie Howle: Tribute to Octavia E. Butler and a celebration of her work, combined with the reading and signing of Nalo's latest novel, The New Moon's Arms. Seattle Public Library
• February 16 - 18, 2007: Festival Sundiata. Nisi led a tribute to the late, great writer Octavia E. Butler.
• November 8-10, 2006: Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts, in conjunction with the college's celebration of the registration of their first African American student, Otelia Cromwell Day. Panels: "Magical Negroes: Narrative, Identity, and the Future," with by Andrea Hairston; featuring Nisi Shawl, Nalo Hopkinson, Sheree Renée Thomas, Nnedi Okorafor-Mbachu; "Breaking out of the Caricature Warehouse," organized by Andrea Hairston; featuring Nisi Shawl, Nalo Hopkinson, Renée, and Nnedi Okorafor-Mbachu. Reading: "Talking to Tomorrow: Black Women Speculative Writers" — Readings by Nisi Shawl, Sheree Renée Thomas, Nalo Hopkinson, and Nnedi Okorafor-Mbachu.
• February 18, 2006, 2:00 p.m.: Nisi Shawl will discuss black science fiction and creative mythology with noted mythologist Clyde W. Ford at the upcoming Festival Sundiata, Seattle, WA. Seattle Center's Center House, Conference Room H.
• March 3, 2006, 7:00 p.m.: "Taste of Writing the Other," University Book Store, Seattle.
• Saturday, April 8, 2006: Nisi speaks with Bob Johnson about her friend Octavia E. Butler and the scholarship fund created in her honor. 10 to 11 a.m., PST, on Second Saturday Magazine, WPKN/WPKM (Bridgeport, Connecticut 89.5FM/ Montauk, NY 88.7FM).
• Saturday, April 8, 2006: Nisi speaks at the gala "Food as Art" fundraiser dinner for the Central District Forum for Arts and Ideas. 6 p.m., Bell Harbor Conference Center, Seattle, WA.
• Saturday, April 29, 2006: Nisi participates in a panel on "The Power of Storytelling." 12 noon to 1 p.m., the Rainbow Bookfest, Asian Resource Center, 1025 S. King St., Seattle, WA.
• May 27-30, 2005: Wiscon
• Friday, June 17, 2005, 7:00 p.m., University Bookstore, Main Branch: Escaping Slavery: Science Fiction Fugitives

  Nisi Shawl shared stories inspired by the Underground Railroad, including her forthcoming novel The Blazing World. Shawl's evocative language and piercing eye make vividly real the connections between human cloning, genetic engineering, and the history and future of human enslavement in the Americas. This event was co-sponsored by the Office of Arts and Cultural Affairs, City of Seattle.

• May 14, 2005, 11:00 a.m., Nisi addressed speculative fiction's representation of minorities as part of the panel “Alternate Worlds: Science Fiction Genre Forum ,” presented by the St. Louis Public Library and the Missouri Center for the Book. Other panel participants: Mark W. Tiedemann, Robin Bailey, and Carolyn Ives Gilman.
• March 26, 2005: Writing the Other workshop at Hedgebrook.
• Friday, February 4, 2005, 7:00 p.m.: I'll host the Science Fiction Museum's showing of John Sayles's film "The Brother from Another Planet." Commentary; audience discussion. JBL Theater at the Experience Music Project in Seattle Center.
  Admission: $4.00 members, $6.00 nonmembers.
  [The Brother from Another Planet website]
• Workshop: Writing the Other, August 14, 2004, 1 - 4 p.m., International Black Writers & Artists-Los Angeles Conference 2004, EPIC Center, Los Angeles, CA.
• Saturday, June 12 and Sunday, June 13, 2004, "Black to the Future" Black Science Fiction Festival, "Writing the Other" workshop and other panels TBA, Seattle, WA
• Thursday, May 27 through Monday, May 31, 2004, WisCon Science Fiction Convention, panels TBA, "Snazzitude" reading with Eileen Gunn, Leslie What, and L. Timmel Duchamp, details TBA, Madison, WI
• Noon, Fri day, April 30, 2004, lecture "Ancestors, Ghosts, and Social Technology," Stanford University, Main Quad, History Building 200, Room 30, Palo Alto, CA FREE OF CHARGE [directions]
• Saturday, April 24, 2004, panel participant, Rainbow Bookfest, Union Station, Seattle, WA
• Thursday, April 1, 2004, instructor, writing workshop "Build a Universe Out of Chicken Bones," Garfield High School, Seattle, WA
• Thursday, March 25, 2004, instructor, writing workshop "Fun With Your New Head," Garfield High School, Seattle, WA
• Workshop: Writing the Other at Rustycon, Sunday, January 18, 2004, 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM.
• Workshop: Writing the Other, September 27, 2003, Seattle, WA.
• Westercon 56, Seattle, WA, July 3 - 6, 2003. Workshop: Writing the Other: Bridging Cultural Differences for Successful Fiction, with Cynthia Ward; Reading; Panels: Breaking Down Barriers: Minority Characters in Science Fiction & Fantasy; Kiddy Lit Fantastic; The Charge of the Light Bunnies: Spiritual Seekers & Cultural Appropriation; Women of Vision: Our Favorite Female Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers.
• Renton Technical College: Nisi Shawl taught creative writing at the Renton Technical College, July 2 through August 6, 2003.
• June 8, 2002: Build Your Own World with Chicken Bones. Writer Nisi Shawl helps participants construct exotic science fictional settings with a solid, realistic feeling out of materials easily available in the typical mind. For ages 12-16. Tacoma Art Museum
• June 1, 2002: "Fun with Your New Head": Creating a Science Fiction Character. In the first of two writing workshops, Nisi Shawl leads participants in imagining fun, interesting and believable characters who boldly go where no one has gone before. For ages 12-16. Tacoma Art Museum
• April 20th, 2002: Redmond Association of SPokenword: Nisi Shawl interviews Connie Willis