SFWA - The Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers Association

First Ever Aspen Literary Festival!
2025-09-26 - 2025-09-28 | Aspen, CO, United States
Aspen, CO (June 24, 2025) — Aspen Words, a program of The Aspen Institute, is excited to announce the inaugural Aspen Literary Festival (ALF), a multi-day celebration of books and ideas taking place September 26–28, 2025, in downtown Aspen.
This year’s festival features a special conversation that highlights science fiction and fantasy. Acclaimed authors Leigh Bardugo, V.E. Schwab, and Victor LaValle, will explore how they craft immersive worlds, create complex characters and tackle universal themes that resonate with readers of all ages.
“Our goal is to highlight the ways that sci-fi and fantasy expand our understanding of the world and offer a space for imagination and reflection,” said Adrienne Brodeur, Executive Director of Aspen Words.
Produced by Aspen Words and presented by Book of the Month, the festival will welcome over 40 authors from across the literary landscape. Many events will be free and open to the public, with additional details, including a growing lineup and schedule, available at aspenliteraryfestival.org.
For sponsorship opportunities or more information, visit www.aspenwords.org or contact ALF@aspeninstitute.org.
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Aspen Words was founded in 1976 as a literary center based in Aspen, CO. A program of the Aspen Institute, its mission is to encourage writers, inspire readers and connect people through the power of stories. For more information, visit www.aspenwords.org.
The Aspen Institute is a global nonprofit organization whose purpose is to ignite human potential to build understanding and create new possibilities for a better world. Founded in 1949, the Institute drives change through dialogue, leadership, and action to help solve society’s greatest challenges. It is headquartered in Washington, DC and has a campus in Aspen, Colorado, as well as an international network of partners. For more information, visit www.aspeninstitute.org.
Book of the Month is the leading U.S. book subscription service with a mission to bring the best new fiction forward to readers. Founded in 1926, Book of the Month has a long history of inspiring and shaping culture by championing works that have gone on to become American classics. For more information, visit bookofthemonth.com/about-us.
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Indie Author Meetup: What Did and Didn't Work (3rd Q, 2025)
2025-10-04 16:00 - 17:00 (America/Los_Angeles)
The SFWA Independent Authors Committee invites you to join us at our virtual meetup. Each month, the meetup features an expert speaker for thirty minutes of programming followed by opportunities to ask questions and network with the SFWA indie authors community. This month’s topic: What did and didn’t work for you in Third Quarter 2025? Sales, other industry stuff–what’s changing?
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Office Hours with Day Al-Mohamed (SFWA Director-at-Large)
2025-10-12 17:00 - 18:00 (America/Los_Angeles)
One of SFWA’s newest board members, Day Al-Mohamed, is a Director-at-Large. This means that she’s one of the team not so behind-the-scenes.
A Director-at-Large is here to field SFWA member questions, concerns, and desires for the organization.
And that’s just what Day will be doing every second Sunday of the month, during Office Hours.
From 5-6 PM Pacific Time on October 12, you can join Day on Zoom and touch base about SFWA business. If Day doesn’t know the answer to your question, she’ll run it up the chain!
We look forward to seeing you out.
[NOTE FOR RSVPs: The first guest is you. Only change that number if you plan to bring a friend!]

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SFWA AUTHOR EVENT: Apprehension / Red Star Hustle, with Mary Robinette Kowal and Sam Miller
2025-10-22 17:30 - 19:30 (America/Los_Angeles) | The Twisted Spine, 306 Grand St, Brooklyn, NY, 11211, United States
Celebrate with Mary Robinette Kowal and Sam J. Miller at their New York City launch event. They will be in conversation to discuss their new Saga Double release, APPREHENSION / RED STAR HUSTLE, a two-in-one bind-up of speculative crime novellas in NYC’s first bookstore and cafe dedicated to the horror genre.
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Apprehension by Mary Robinette Kowal
A family vacation arranged by Bonnyjean, a grieving mother, her son-in-law Jax, and her six-year-old grandson Tristan, quickly becomes disastrous as Tristan is kidnapped by a terrorist operation that is hoping to affect the planet’s upcoming elections between rival parties. They believe Bonnyjean was given a secret by the double agent who died in her arms. However, not only is this a deadly misunderstanding, but it’s also a dangerous one as Bonnyjean was last on Nahatanau when she was a special forces operative. Unfortunately, that was over thirty years ago, but she won’t let the years nor her bad hip get in the way of rescuing her grandson. Beloved Hugo Award–winning author Mary Robinette Kowal has crafted an intricate mystery of mistaken identity on an alien planet.
Red Star Hustle by Sam J. Miller
Aran, a happy-go-lucky high-class escort, is on the run after he’s framed for the assassination of his famous filmmaker client. The last thing he needs is to fall for the studly and noble clone of a murderous puppet monarch while he’s trying to stay one step ahead of an ace bounty hunter, who is trying to keep a fatal secret from her toxic boss/mom, which means she can’t stop to worry about a little thing like whether her target might actually be innocent. Set within a universe of epic mech battles, and billions of human-made wormholes that make traveling to a distant star as easy as walking through a door or scheduling car service. This science fiction thriller by Nebula Award–winning author Sam J. Miller is a crisscross of heartbreak, addiction struggles, queer messiness, and resisting evil empires, coming together in a space-hopping fight with the whole damn galaxy.
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SFWA AUTHOR EVENT: Apprehension / Red Star Hustle, with Mary Robinette Kowal and Sam Miller
2025-10-28 17:00 - 19:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Eagle Eye Books, 2076 N. Decatur Road, Decatur, GA, 30033, United States
Two expertly crafted crime stories set in a far-future science fiction universe, from two award-winning authors known for their gripping plots and unforgettable characters — a short novel and a long novella that will thrill fans of space adventures, mystery, and intergalactic intrigue in this Saga Double.

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Apprehension by Mary Robinette Kowal
A family vacation arranged by Bonnyjean, a grieving mother, her son-in-law Jax, and her six-year-old grandson Tristan, quickly becomes disastrous as Tristan is kidnapped by a terrorist operation that is hoping to affect the planet’s upcoming elections between rival parties. They believe Bonnyjean was given a secret by the double agent who died in her arms. However, not only is this a deadly misunderstanding, but it’s also a dangerous one as Bonnyjean was last on Nahatanau when she was a special forces operative. Unfortunately, that was over thirty years ago, but she won’t let the years nor her bad hip get in the way of rescuing her grandson. Beloved Hugo Award–winning author Mary Robinette Kowal has crafted an intricate mystery of mistaken identity on an alien planet.
Red Star Hustle by Sam J. Miller
Aran, a happy-go-lucky high-class escort, is on the run after he’s framed for the assassination of his famous filmmaker client. The last thing he needs is to fall for the studly and noble clone of a murderous puppet monarch while he’s trying to stay one step ahead of an ace bounty hunter, who is trying to keep a fatal secret from her toxic boss/mom, which means she can’t stop to worry about a little thing like whether her target might actually be innocent. Set within a universe of epic mech battles, and billions of human-made wormholes that make traveling to a distant star as easy as walking through a door or scheduling car service. This science fiction thriller by Nebula Award–winning author Sam J. Miller is a crisscross of heartbreak, addiction struggles, queer messiness, and resisting evil empires, coming together in a space-hopping fight with the whole damn galaxy.
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SFWA AUTHOR EVENT: Apprehension / Red Star Hustle, with Mary Robinette Kowal and Sam Miller
2025-10-29 16:00 - 18:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Little District Books, 737 8th St SE, Washington, DC, 20003
Mary Robinette Kowal and Sam J. Miller will be in conversation to discuss their new Saga Double release, APPREHENSION / RED STAR HUSTLE. Fans of space adventures, mysteries, and intergalactic intrigue will enjoy two expertly crafted crime stories set in a far-future science fiction universe, from two award-winning authors known for their gripping plots and unforgettable characters.
—
Apprehension by Mary Robinette Kowal
A family vacation arranged by Bonnyjean, a grieving mother, her son-in-law Jax, and her six-year-old grandson Tristan, quickly becomes disastrous as Tristan is kidnapped by a terrorist operation that is hoping to affect the planet’s upcoming elections between rival parties. They believe Bonnyjean was given a secret by the double agent who died in her arms. However, not only is this a deadly misunderstanding, but it’s also a dangerous one as Bonnyjean was last on Nahatanau when she was a special forces operative. Unfortunately, that was over thirty years ago, but she won’t let the years nor her bad hip get in the way of rescuing her grandson. Beloved Hugo Award–winning author Mary Robinette Kowal has crafted an intricate mystery of mistaken identity on an alien planet.
Red Star Hustle by Sam J. Miller
Aran, a happy-go-lucky high-class escort, is on the run after he’s framed for the assassination of his famous filmmaker client. The last thing he needs is to fall for the studly and noble clone of a murderous puppet monarch while he’s trying to stay one step ahead of an ace bounty hunter, who is trying to keep a fatal secret from her toxic boss/mom, which means she can’t stop to worry about a little thing like whether her target might actually be innocent. Set within a universe of epic mech battles, and billions of human-made wormholes that make traveling to a distant star as easy as walking through a door or scheduling car service. This science fiction thriller by Nebula Award–winning author Sam J. Miller is a crisscross of heartbreak, addiction struggles, queer messiness, and resisting evil empires, coming together in a space-hopping fight with the whole damn galaxy.
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SFWA AUTHOR EVENT: Apprehension / Red Star Hustle, with Mary Robinette Kowal and Sam Miller
2025-10-30 14:30 - 16:30 (America/Los_Angeles) | Murder by the Book, 2342 Bissonnet St, Houston, TX, 77005

Indie Author Meetup: Effective Promotional Graphic Designs - Slides, Reels, Arrows, and More!
2025-11-01 16:00 - 17:00 (America/Los_Angeles)
The SFWA Independent Authors Committee invites you to join us at our virtual meetup. Each month, the meetup features an expert speaker for thirty minutes of programming followed by opportunities to ask questions and network with the SFWA indie authors community. This month’s topic: Effective graphics for promotion keep changing…so what’s working right now? Excerpts? Review Quotes? What kind of backgrounds, what kind of fonts, what colors are currently effective?
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Cider at Six (GMT+1) with SFWA President Kate Ristau
2025-11-01 18:00 - 19:00 (Europe/London) | Metropole Bar, Kings Rd, Brighton and Hove, Brighton, BN12FU, United Kingdom
Stop by the Metropole Bar on Saturday at 6PM local time before the British Fantasy Awards on November 1. Join SFWA President Kate Ristau and your SFWA colleagues and friends for happy hour to kick off your evening. The first round of drinks is on us!

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Winter Worlds of Giving: Kickoff Event with the SFWA Board (PACIFIC TIME)
2025-11-02 13:00 - 14:00 (America/Los_Angeles)
From November 1 to January 31, SFWA is running a major fundraising campaign to support our tremendous volunteer teams, and the projects and services that they provide to so many brilliant and aspiring fellow writers, SFWA Members and otherwise.
But our Winter Worlds of Giving cannot exist apart from the phenomenal creative practice that makes it all necessary and possible. So we’re inviting you to join us on the campaign – by setting your own writing goals for one month, two months, or the full campaign season with us.
After all, your Winter Worlds of Writing are what SFWA’s all about!
On November 2 at 1pm Pacific Time, we’re kicking off the campaign with SFWA’s Board of Directors, in a virtual event conveniently set an hour before SFWA’s usual Sunday Writing Date. Join us to set creative goals and be cheered on, then get cracking on your word count… immediately, if you like!
You’ll be joined by Vice President Anthony Eichenlaub, who’s currently wrapping up a final chapter in an urban fantasy game set Prohibition-era Seattle. Also present will be Secretary Steven D. Brewer, who’s filling the final wait on an upcoming novel with a full slate of November conference events, thoughtful writing posts, and a wealth of story pitches! Oh, and you’ll see Curtis C. Chen, our Director-at-Large who’s “hopping” to get a start on his next two Kangaroo Series space thrillers, after finishing revisions on Book 4. And keep an eye out for Director-at-Large Day Al-Mohamed, who already invites SFWA Members to join her in a virtual call the second Sunday of every month… and uses the time for her own works in progress, otherwise!The rest of our Board has campaigns on the go, too―including CFO Jonathan Brazee‘s upcoming fantasy novel and works in translation, and President Kate Ristau‘s latest reimagining of Greek mythology and… Oreos? (the cookie, not a god, or so we’re told!)―so our call to action is deeply personal.
Join us this November 1 through January 31 not only to signal-boost and support SFWA’s work through our Winter Worlds of Giving campaign―but also your own. We’re here for you, and we’re so excited to learn more about the work you’re doing in genre.
Use this link to participate in our kickoff event on Sunday, November 2.
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SFWA AUTHOR EVENT: Apprehension / Red Star Hustle, with Mary Robinette Kowal and Sam Miller
2025-11-03 19:00 - 21:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Powell’s Books at Cedar Hills Crossing, / 3415 SW Cedar Hills Blvd, Beaverton, OR, 97005

Office Hours with Day Al-Mohamed (SFWA Director-at-Large)
2025-11-09 17:00 - 18:00 (America/Los_Angeles)
One of SFWA’s newest board members, Day Al-Mohamed, is a Director-at-Large. This means that she’s one of the team not so behind-the-scenes.
A Director-at-Large is here to field SFWA member questions, concerns, and desires for the organization.
And that’s just what Day will be doing every second Sunday of the month, during Office Hours.
From 5-6 PM Pacific Time on November 9, you can join Day on Zoom and touch base about SFWA business. If Day doesn’t know the answer to your question, she’ll run it up the chain!
We look forward to seeing you out.
[NOTE FOR RSVPs: The first guest is you. Only change that number if you plan to bring a friend!]

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Quasar: SFWA's Fall Online Nebula Event
2025-11-15 - 2025-11-16
The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association is excited to present Quasar, a special continuation of the 2025 Nebula Awards Conference, through virtual programming on the November 15-16 weekend.
If you registered for the 2025 Nebula Conference, participation in Quasar events is covered in your initial ticket price.
For all other attendees, registration to our virtual panels and workshops is $50 – and we look forward to seeing you out! If you missed us in June, join us now for a taste of SFWA panels, seminars, office-hour insights, and more!
We are also pleased to present a keynote address from none other than our Grand Master Nicola Griffith!
Our Programming Team is grateful to everyone who filled out conference surveys in June; with your generous feedback we have crafted a weekend that addresses members’ requests for more seminars and office hours, along with flexible event scheduling to accommodate a wide range of attendee needs.
Signups for office hours and the programming schedule will be posted to our events page by October 15.
Let’s keep this Nebula party going! Register and spread the word today!
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If you are interested in being a sponsor, please email: sponsors@sfwa.org.
Accessibility accommodation requests can be communicated directly with accessibility@sfwa.org.
If you or someone you know needs a scholarship to participate in the conference, please email office@sfwa.org and we’ll get back to you with information as soon as possible.
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SFWA Annual Business Meeting
2025-12-11 17:00 (America/Los_Angeles)
SFWA Members, we are honored to review our year with you at our Annual Business Meeting on Thursday, December 11, 2025 at 5pm Pacific Time. Please RSVP today, and thank you for taking part in our community review this week.

NOTE: Test your login for our members-only page in advance! You are still using your Wild Apricot login for all events.sfwa.org activities until the end of 2025.

Agenda for the meeting:

Call to Order – Kate Ristau facilitating
Confirm Quorum – Steven D. Brewer facilitating
Meeting Protocols – Anthony Eichenlaub facilitating
Welcome – Isis Asare presenting
Introductions – Kate Ristau facilitating
Organizational Update – Kate Ristau & Isis Asare presenting
Financial Update – Kate Ristau & Russell Davis presenting
New Business – Kate Ristau facilitating
Member Input – Kate Ristau facilitating
Announcements – Board & Staff presenting
Adjournment – Kate Ristau facilitating

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Constellation Series: SFWA Member Working Group
2025-12-13 10:00 - 23:30 (America/Los_Angeles)
Let’s Talk Contracts!
SFWA is a strong resource for model contracts in trad-pub settings, like short stories and novels. But what about our games and comics creators? Many writers are operating under fuller employment contracts, but for our indie and small-press creators especially, it’s important to establish and uphold best practices. In this active workshop in partnership with SFWA Contracts and Legal Affairs, SFWA’s Games and Comics creators will develop draft model contracts and best-practice documents that our organization can offer as templates to support games and comics creators in 2026. And if there’s time? We’ll tackle pay rate transparency issues, too!
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Constellation Series: Career Panel
2025-12-13 13:00 - 14:00 (America/Los_Angeles)
Hard Knocks & Hidden Gems: Lessons from Our Careers in Games and Comics

SFWA is home to a wealth of talented games and comics creators. However, as with any field in SFF, there are twists and turns to the professional journey – so the road to SFWA status was not easy! Join our panel of mid-career writers for an hour of insights into some of the hardest lessons learned, and the best places to find joy, in these wild and wonderful professional paths.
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Constellation Series: Marketing Workshop, Alternatives to Crowdfunding
2025-12-14 09:00 - 22:30 (America/Los_Angeles)
A Major Workshop: Alternatives to Crowdfunding
Everyone and their pet goldfish thinks they know the one surefire trick to getting funded… but the industry is always in flux, and with the persistent scattering of social media channels, it’s harder than ever to rely on classic crowdfunding strategies to get your latest work to launch.
What other options exist? How do we diversify and innovate on the road to creative success?
We’re going to spend a morning getting into the nitty gritty of marketing for excellence. Space is limited! Let’s sharpen our strategies together before the next season of product pitches comes to pass.
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Constellation Series: Marketing Workshop, How to Optimize Crowdfunding
2025-12-14 10:30 - 12:00 (America/Los_Angeles)
How to Optimize Crowdfunding
It’s a tough market out there, but crowdfunding is still a powerful way to reach potential audiences for your work. Only, how can you make sure your campaign stands out? What are some critical errors in campaign-planning that might not seem obvious at first?
We’re going to spend a morning getting into the nitty gritty of marketing for excellence. Space is limited! Let’s sharpen our strategies together before the next season of product pitches comes to pass.
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Office Hours with Day Al-Mohamed (SFWA Director-at-Large)
2025-12-14 17:00 - 18:00 (America/Los_Angeles)
One of SFWA’s newest board members, Day Al-Mohamed, is a Director-at-Large. This means that she’s one of the team not so behind-the-scenes.
A Director-at-Large is here to field SFWA member questions, concerns, and desires for the organization.
And that’s just what Day will be doing every second Sunday of the month, during Office Hours.
From 5-6 PM Pacific Time on December 14, you can join Day on Zoom and touch base about SFWA business. If Day doesn’t know the answer to your question, she’ll run it up the chain!
We look forward to seeing you out.
[NOTE FOR RSVPs: The first guest is you. Only change that number if you plan to bring a friend!]

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The 61st Nebula Awards Conference
2026-06-02 - 2026-06-07
Thank you to everyone who made our 60th Anniversary Nebula Awards Conference so special this June 5-8 in Kansas City.
We loved our time together so much we thought, why not get a start on next year, too?
That’s why the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association (SFWA) is excited to announce that the 61st Annual Nebula Awards Conference will be held in Chicago, IL from June 2-7—and we’re inviting you along for the ride today!
On January 1, 2026, our pricing goes up again, but for $250 USD today, you can secure your place with us for all our regular programming, which will be hosted at the tremendously accessible Crowne Plaza Chicago O’Hare Hotel & Conference Center, just two miles from O’Hare International Airport. Closer to the date, we’ll circle back to see if you’d like to join us at a small top-up cost for our Nebula Banquet, too.
Sometimes called “the jewel of the Midwest,” and bordered by scenic Lake Michigan, Chicago is famous for its bustling music and comedy scenes, its diverse neighborhoods and restaurants, and its exciting historical and cultural attractions. It’s also home to many writers, and it’s especially notable as a home of comics art and slam poetry.
Register now for this discount! Price increases are scheduled for January 1 2026 and May 1 2026! More information on the Banquet add-on, as well as hotel block pricing, will be released soon.
Online tickets for 2026 are now available! The ticket for online attendance is now available, and will increase in price on January 1 2026! This ticket is only for the 2026 Conference!
And thank you again for making this year’s Nebula event so wonderful. We look forward to celebrating new directions at SFWA with you all this next year, too—so let’s give ourselves something to talk about next June in Chicago, shall we?
Miss you already! Hope to see you again soon!
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Narrativity 2026: Six Impossible Things
2026-06-04 08:00 - 2026-06-07 17:00 (America/Los_Angeles)
Narrativity 2025 is done — and this may have been our best year yet! Thank you to everyone who was a part of it. Your creativity, good humor, insights, and generosity made this a fantastic weekend full of stories, community, and fun. We’re already working on next year, so keep an eye on your email and watch this space. While it’s sad to say goodbye for now, I’m looking forward to seeing you all again next time!
Narrativity 2026: Six Impossible Things will be June 4-7. Make sure you’re subscribed to the website updates, and let us know if you need to be added to the mailing list so we can tell you when registration opens! If you’re going somewhere that nifty people who love to talk story are likely to be found, why not take along a flyer? Tell your friends, and help make the next Narrativity even better by bringing their awesomeness along with your own!
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