PROGRESS REPORT 2: QUARTERCON SF-Con in Bergen, Norway, August 15 to 17, 1997 Foreign Guest of Honour: Katharine Kerr Norwegian Guest of Honour: Ingar Knudtsen Price: NOK 200 until June 23, and NOK 250 after that. Please make cheques or money orders payable to: Address: Quartercon Bank: Den Norske Bank c/o Bjørn Tore Sund Acc #: 5212.05.12471 Løbergsveien 100 A Solheimsgt 39 5032 Minde 5037 Solheimsviken Norway Norway When paying your attendance fee, make sure that you give the following information in large, clear, typed letters, for all persons being registered: · Full name · Full address · Email address (if applicable) More info at address listed above, or: Web: http://www.ii.uib.no/~bjornts/quartercon/ Email: bjornts@ii.uib.no A discount may be arranged for East European fans on request. --------------------------------------------------------------- QUARTERCON PROGRESSES Quartercon progresses Quartercon is still a few months away, and the members of the committee have to admit that we are quite happy that it is so. Things are coming along, but quite a few things are not yet ready. An agreement has been reached with regards to the site, but we are still discussing solutions with regards to technical equipment with the management at The Academic Quarter. We have received answers to our app lications for financial support, and while the city and the Student's cultural fund have responded positively, our request for support from the county was turne d down. On the other hand we have had more luck than we expected in finding alternative sources of income, a work that is still going on. Consequently, we will have to put some work into revising the budget soon. The area where most work remains, is in promotion. Contact with, and response from, existing fandom organizations have been positive. But for reasons that have nothing at all to do with Science Fiction or Fantasy, Progress Report 2 represents the launch of our promotional work towards people who have not been active in fandom in the Bergen area and surrounds. We have initiated contact with the press, and the number of requests for information which have come in merely as a result of an active jungle telegraph is very encouraging. GUESTS OF HONOUR/MEMBERSHIP Katharine Kerr ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Our American Guest of Honour is still very much in arrival. She has just finishe dher latest book in the Deverry series, Red Wyvern. Ever since we got the confirmation that she was interested in participating at Quartercon her homepage and her emails to members of the convention committee has announced how much she is looking forward to her trip to Norway. Another indication of this is the fact that Kit, all on her own, has made certain that we now have more paying members from the US than from any other country except Norway - she is bringing quite a few of her friends for the trip. Ingar Knudtsen ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Our Norwegian Guest of Honour has not got cold feet with regards to Quartercon yet either. He has just finished book number two in a trilogy about the societal changes caused by ideologies in our century, a book that will be released in Aug ust. At the time of writing this PR he is recuperating from what he calls post-manuscript depression and is preparing to start working on the third volume in the series. Membership list ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 1. Katharine Kerr 2. Ingar Knudtsen 3. Alis Rasmussen 4. Gerd Knudtsen 10. Olaf Heggdal 11. Bjørn Tore Sund 12. Anders Frihagen 13. Liv Margareth Alver 14. Sissel Borgen 20. Ingrid Jonsson 21. Sidsel Horvei 22. Otto Skrove Bagge 23. Christer Johannesen 24. Rosvita M. Alver 25. Herman Ellingsen 26. Johannes H. Berg 27. Guttorm Vik 28. PC Jørgensen 29. Kjartan Clausen 30. Martin Hoare 31. Eckh. D. Marwitz (EDM) 32. Lars-Olof Strandberg 33. Wilf James 34. Cristina Walstad Pulido 35. Tor Christian Ulvang 36. Jürgen G. Marzi 37. Thomas Gramstad 38. Barbara Denz 39. Øyvind Eide 40. Jorunn Karin Erfjord 41. Karen Williams 42. Ketil Z. Malde 43. Espen Riskedal 44. Stig Erik Sandø 45. Bjarte S. Hansen 46. Boris Sidyuk 47. Vera Alexandrova 48. Andy Croft 49. Richard L. Jenkins 50. Barbara Jenkins SITE/PROGRAMME The Academic Quarter ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Quartercon's site is still The Academic Quarter, the social activities house for the students in Bergen. With a large number of rooms of various sizes, this is very well suited to our purpose. Sound and video equipment is available, and the building is organized so as to make sure we won't be disturbed by people not part of the convention. Because there is a bar in the part of the building at our disposal, Norwegian alcohol legislation forces us to enforce an age limit at 18 years for attending Quartercon. This is the only disadvantage with the site, as far as we are concerned. Opening hours during the convention will also be according to local alcohol legislation. Unless these change over the summer (which is highly unlikely), that means that alcohol can be served until 02.00, and that the doors close at 03.00. The convention itself won't have a programme later than 21.00 any day, but who ever heard of an SF convention closing simply because the programme for the day was over? The Academic Quarter also runs a cafe, which will be open during the whole convention. They'll be selling food, including dinner, the whole weekend. And in the building's basement, if anyone should be looking for something other than an SF con, there will be a discotheque both on the Friday and Saturday nights. Far enough away from the convention that it won't disturb us, close enough for anyone wanting to be disturbed. The Programme ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ We are aiming for a programme with plenty of variation. Besides a main programme thread, there will be a slightly less extensive side programme, and a continuous video programme. The plan is to concentrate the main programme around the main theme for the convention, Building Universes. Attending authors will talk on the process they go through as they create their universes. Focus will be put both on translating stories and writing new stories that are set in an extensive and detailed universe with several predefined characteristics. And, finally, we will attempt to look closer at a few well-known universes, and what we know about their creation. The side programme will be slightly different. Both foreign and Norwegian writers have been invited to spend a bit of time here in reading from their works. This is an excellent way to get to know not only the author's work, but also how the author relates to this work, and a little bit about the author him- or herself. This being the first convention of it's sort in Bergen, we will also use a few panels to focus on how, exactly, fandom works, and on how we should proceed to build a stronger and more vital Norwegian fandom. ACCOMODATION/VARIOUS Accomodation in Bergen ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The middle of August is high season for tourism in Bergen, like most other places. Thus, most hotels are very close to being full-booked. We recommend Quartercon members who have not yet booked hotel rooms to hurry. The committee will help on request. Norwegian fans don't usually stay at hotels when attending conventi ons and so the number of people wanting hotel rooms is too low for us to have been able to negotiate discounts. The listed hotels are ones we recommend simply because we know they are of good quality, relative to their price. Prices in NOK. Park Pensjon/Steens Frokosthotell Harald Hårfagres gate 35, 5007 Bergen Phone: +47 55 31 03 34 Single: 610,- Double: 750,- Bergen Gjestehus Vestre Torgg 20 A, 5015 Bergen Phone: +47 55 31 96 66 Single: 470,- Double: 670,- Hotel Bristol Torgalmenningen 11, 5001 Bergen Phone: +47 55 23 23 44 Single: 575,- Double: 850,- Rica Travel Hotel Christies gt 5/7, Box 903, 5001 Bergen Phone: +47 55 31 54 00 Single: 555,- Double: 810,- Grand Hotel Terminus Zander Kaaes g. 6, Box 1100, 5001 Bergen Phone: +47 55 31 16 55 Twin: 900,- Single: 895,- (Double fullbooked) Hotel Norge Bergen Ole Bulls pl. 4, Box 662, 5001 Bergen Phone: +47 55 21 02 00 Single: 1125,- Double: 1495,- Those in need of cheaper accommodation can either get in touch with us to hear if we are still able to arrange private accommodation, or contact YMCA. They run a youth hostel in the centre of Bergen (Address: Nedre Korskirkealm. 4, 5017 Bergen, Phone: +47 55 31 72 52). One bed in a sleeping hall, with access to shower and kitchen, is NOK 100 per night. Convention Dinner and Costume party ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Saturday at six pm the committee, represented by our toastmaster, the Captain, proudly invites you to attend the convention dinner, followed by a glorious and glittering costume party. Here you may come as you are or dressed up as your favourite character from books or screen. The convention dinner will not be covered by the convention fee, but you can sign up and pay at the convention. The Committee ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Liv Margareth Alver, Chair, PR Bjørn Tore Sund, Finance, PR Anders Frihagen, TechOps Sissel Borgen, Secretary Olaf Heggdal, Captain, Gopher Uncle The committee has had a lot of help. In particular, Rosvita Alver has helped us a lot with the graphics for the publicity material, and we have an excellent cooperation with the people behind InterContact 1998 in Oslo. And without the members of the Bergen SF society, VIP'S, the convention would never have happened.