Glasgow 2024, a.k.a. the 82nd World Science Fiction Convention (Worldcon), concluded on Monday 12 August, finishing five days of celebrating science fiction, fantasy and speculative writing, in the shadow of the Finnieston Crane, a symbol of Glasgow’s industrial past, at the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre (SEC), a futuristic emblem of its present. By a long chalk, it was the most vibrant, impressive and successful Worldcon I’ve attended, and a big cultural win for the city and for Scotland.
For one thing, the scale of the event was daunting. Attendance figures are hard to quantify, given the number of no-shows and the added complication of virtual attendance categories, but this year’s convention was definitely one of the largest Worldcons ever held in Europe, and even one of the largest Worldcons, period. Over 8,000 attendance badges were sold for the convention. The last couple of European Worldcons – Helsinki and Dublin – were both criticized for venue overcrowding and queues, although I attended both and didn’t find my own experience suffering. Glasgow’s SEC had few such problems, with a wide variety of spaces that were almost always rightsized for the events – though yes, there were queues. Half-hour intervals between panels and sessions also allowed people to take a break, grab a bite or a coffee, and find their way to the next location in good time. The space and versatility of the venue was also welcome when dealing with weather that swung wildly from baking to traditional Scottish smirr, with cold grey drizzle in mid-August.
Feedback from the myriad dealers on the trade floor, and the publishers who were both presenting their wares and participating in the panels and launches, was very positive. “Congratulations to Esther MacCallum-Stewart, Meg MacDonald, and everyone involved in staging the event. It was a triumph,” said Ian Whates, speculative fiction author, co-founder of the independent publisher NewCon Press, and a director of the British Science Fiction Association (BSFA). NewCon had its own launch event during the convention, including the first collection for 18 years from writer Guest of Honour Ken MacLeod, illustrated by artist Guest of Honour Fangorn.
Much comment settled on what a job the con did to put the Hugo Awards and other controversies behind it. Xiran Jay Zhao, recipient of this year’s Astounding Award for Best New Writer, was one of the writers censored out of eligibility for the award at the Chengdu Worldcon, and had her eligibility extended to make sure she still got a chance to receive her due. Statements before, during, and after the Awards ceremony affirmed how determined the organizers were to address issues such as the attempted voting fraud this year, and tackle them directly and transparently. Reform of the voting procedures is a question for future conventions: the organizers of this one certainly did all they could, openly and pro-actively, with the current system.
There was plenty of activity to involve the local writing community and the Scottish public at large. Spinoff events included an organ recital at Glasgow’s celebrated Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, with a performance of the score from the movie Interstellar. There was also music from the Worldcon Philharmonic Orchestra, an actual philharmonic orchestra with local musicians, and a premiere of a science fiction opera, Morrow’s Isle, with a libretto by Ken MacLeod. The Hunterian Collections at Kelvin Hall also held an exhibition of artefacts and artworks by Alasdair Gray – another modern Scottish speculative fiction legend.
“Of course, with any event of this magnitude there are bound to be hiccups (including a few caused by the rules imposed by the venue, the SECC), but whenever such arose, the organisers responded swiftly and effectively, ensuring that things continued to run smoothly,” Whates continued. “I hope that in the afterglow of the convention everyone who worked so hard to produce it can look back with satisfaction and pride; they certainly deserve to.”
Worldcon Glasgow 2024 has probably had one of the most important outcomes it could – a fresh shot in the arm for Scottish speculative fiction writing, and a lot more recognition for that work when it appears. Sláinte!
