Wednesday, October 11, 2017

Party Time in “The Big Smoke”*

Look out, Toronto! Crime-fiction authors and mystery fans by the hundreds will be descending upon Ontario’s largest city this week for Bouchercon 2017: Passport to Murder, the 48th World Mystery Convention, named in honor of American critic, author, and editor Anthony Boucher. Sadly, I won’t be on hand for those festivities, but The Rap Sheet will be most ably represented in Toronto by Quebec-based contributor Jacques Filippi.

The schedule of events is here. Convention registration begins tomorrow, Thursday, at the Sheraton Centre Toronto Hotel. Other Bouchercon highlights will include: Thursday night’s opening ceremonies (during which the recipients of this year’s Macavity Awards and Barry Awards are to be declared); a Friday Pub Quiz Night, hosted by Crime Writers of Canada; and Sunday morning’s brunch, which will feature announcements of the 2017 Anthony Award winners.

If you’re wondering which authors you might bump into during this three-day event, check here. Almost as interesting is the list of writers who had to cancel their participation.

The Rap Sheet will do its best to keep track of the awards presentations and other news coming out of this Toronto convention. And the aforementioned Mr. Filippi has promised me a wrap-up feature in the wake of the festivities. Stay tuned.

* “Ask Torontoist: Who You Calling ‘The Big Smoke’? by John Semley.

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