We are very pleased to be welcoming New York’s Sheila Williams as Can*Con 2016 Editor Guest of Honour. Of the current editors of the professional science fiction and fantasy magazines, Sheila is the longest serving, having taken over as Editor of Asimov’s Science Fiction in 2004. She’s been nominated for a Hugo for editing every year since 2006 and won the Hugo in 2011 and 2012.
Sheila has influenced the science fiction and fantasy field with her own taste in literature, showcasing in Asimov’s Science Fiction such talents as Mike Resnick, Paul Cornell, Kij Johnson, Mary Robinette Kowal, Nancy Kress, Robert Reed, Greg Egan, Kelly Robson, Connie Willis, Elizabeth Bear, Matthew Johnson, Paolo Bacigalupi, Ian McDonald.
Sheila has also been a leader in two influential awards on the field: the Asimov’s Reader’s Award and the Dell Award for Undergraduate Excellence in Science Fiction and Fantasy Writing. The later helps promote new young writers, and includes such talents as Ottawa’s Eric Choi, who was a Dell Award recipient early in his career.
We’re very fortunate to have Sheila’s voice on panels at Can*Con to discuss publishing, editing and to provide her perspective on the state of the science fiction field.