What is the World Science Fiction Convention (Worldcon)?
The name “Worldcon” is owned by the World Science Fiction Society (WSFS), an unincorporated literary society whose purpose is to promote interest in science fiction. The annual Worldcon conventions are run by non-profit, volunteer fan organisations, which bid over several years to host the event. Worldcons have been held every year since 1939 (except for a few years during World War II) and are most often held in the United States, occasionally being held in other countries, most recently in Glasgow, Scotland (2006), Yokohama, Japan (2007), and Montreal, Canada (2009). A typical Worldcon includes: • Hundreds of hours of panel discussions, readings, and autograph sessions with authors. • The presentation of the Hugo Awards and other awards in the science fiction field, such as the Chesley Awards for artistic achievement. • One of the largest science fiction art exhibitions of the year. • A Dealers Room that sells books, magazines, prints, video tapes and DVDs, as well as a wide variety
