I’ll be in Indianapolis, Indiana the weekend of May 3 through 5 attending Mo*Con VIII. This is a small convention founded in 2006 by my friend, and writer, Maurice Broaddus. (http://mauricebroaddus.com). Mo will tell you it’s become more like a ‘family reunion’ to those of us who attend the event every year. I wouldn’t miss it for the world. Whether you’re a writer, an artist, or simply a person who enjoys reading speculative fiction, this convention has something for everyone and never fails to entertain. (Not to mention, the wonderful food provided to attendees all through the weekend is included in your entrance fee.)

Special guests this year are Jim C. Hines, Saladin Ahmed, and Gary Braunbeck. Below is an excerpt from Maurice Broaddus’ blog with more details about the event:

Mo*Con 8: The Mind and Spirit of the Artist

Mo*Con has always been about the “intersection of art, faith, and social justice” and this year is no different. There’s no easy way to describe the Mo*Con experience, except as perhaps as a convention room party extended for a whole weekend, except held in a church. Its aim has always been to be fairly small and intimate, yet retaining the feel of a family reunion.

Part of what makes Mo*Con a different sort of convention is that it revolves around a series of conversations (and food and art). Mo*Con has a two part vision. The first, inspired by many a late night at conventions, is to provide a forum for publishing professionals to get together and discuss some of the larger issues which affect their writing and their social conscience. Discussions can be had in a spirit of respect. The second is that too often the artist is underappreciated and here they are spoiled.

This year’s theme is “The Mind and Spirit of the Artist,” revolving around a discussion on Saturday the 4th about the struggles many writers have with mental health issues and what that means for their craft, their lives, and their community. The featured writer guests of honor have all written publicly about their struggles with issues from depression to anxiety to other issues. As the countdown for Mo*Con begins, several will be posting part of their stories.

This is the first year the event will be held at Broad Ripple United Methodist Church. The convention has expanded to include a First Friday event featuring the art of Steve Gilberts and Kristin Fuller. There will also be a spoken word performance from prominent poets: DDE the Slammer, Devon Ginn, Pope Adrian, Bless, Theon Lee Jones, Dizz, Reheema McNeil, ParaLectra, and Mr. Kinetik, hosted by Ill Holiday. These events will be open to the public. The spoken word event will be a fundraiser event for the local non-profit group, Second Story.

We’ll be debuting a few projects at this year’s Mo*Con. Seventh Star Press is the featured publisher this year.

The event is expected to draw over 100 writers, artists, editors, and publishers and many networking sessions. A half dozen workshops will be offered ranging from topics like privacy issues for writers to post-apocalyptic fiction to hands on demonstrations.