Set up last year to enable one or more international people involved in science fiction, fantasy or horror to travel to a major genre event, this year’s two recipients of the World SF Travel Fund are Swedish authors Karin Tidbeck and Nene Ormes. Both will be attending World Fantasy Con 2012 in Toronto, Ontario, also helped by the kind assistance of Cheeky Frawg Books (Ann & Jeff VanderMeer).
Karin Tidbeck has published one story collection, won a prestigious literary grant, and just sold her first novel to Sweden’s largest publisher. A graduateof the iconic Clarion Writer’s Workshop at the University of California, San Diego, in 2010, her English-language publication history includes Weird Tales, Shimmer Magazine, Unstuck Annualand the anthology Odd. Her first English-language collection, Jagannath, will be published by Cheeky Frawg books in November 2012, and has already been blurbed by the likes of China Mieville and Ursula K. Le Guin. Tidbeck blogs at karintidbeck.com and has an author page atwww.facebook.com/ktidbeck
Nene Ormes has been dubbed Sweden’s first urban fantasy author. She debuted in 2010 with the critically acclaimed novel Udda Verklighet (“Odd Reality”), a tale that draws on folklore and local legend to create a unique vision of her native Malmö. The sequel, Särskild (“Special”), is out in August 2012. Ormes was awarded a prestigious working grant from the Swedish Authors’ Fund this spring. Originally a trained archaeologist, Ormes writes part-time and works in SF-Bokhandeln, Sweden’s oldest and most popular science fiction and fantasy bookstore. Ormes blogs at neneormes.wordpress.com and has an author page on FB: www.facebook.com/pages/Nene-Ormes/163512086998912
The World SF Travel Fund Board, tasked with selecting future candidates, is composed of Lauren Beukes, Aliette de Bodard, Nnedi Okorafor, Ekaterina Sedia, and Charles Tan, with Lavie Tidhar and Sean Wallace acting as administrators for the fund, reflecting the truly international nature of the SF world today. For inquiries and further information please contact worldsftravelfund@gmail.com.
Lavie Tidhar 