{"id":12871,"date":"2025-05-03T10:31:56","date_gmt":"2025-05-03T10:31:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/fantasy.glasgow.ac.uk\/?p=12871"},"modified":"2025-05-05T20:44:18","modified_gmt":"2025-05-05T20:44:18","slug":"gifcon-2025-queering-the-fantastic-crafting-your-queer-fantasy-tbr","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fantasy.glasgow.ac.uk\/index.php\/2025\/05\/03\/gifcon-2025-queering-the-fantastic-crafting-your-queer-fantasy-tbr\/","title":{"rendered":"GIFCon 2025: Queering the Fantastic – Crafting Your Queer Fantasy TBR"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Event registration can be found here<\/a> including tickets for Workshops and the Networking Event.
The full Programme can be found here<\/a>.
Paper Speaker bios and full abstracts can be found here<\/a>.
Keynotes and this year’s Reading List can be found here<\/a>.
Workshops and Roundtable information can be found here<\/a>.
Our post on How to Join the Discord can be found here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Written by GIFCon 2025 Social Media Officer Lea Warren. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Bluesky<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Discord<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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If you\u2019ve been keeping up with our social media, you might have seen our TBR recommendations over the last few weeks to brush up on some of the works that will feature at this year\u2019s GIFCon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But the books we\u2019ve highlighted are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to all the incredible texts we\u2019ll be covering over GIFCon\u2019s three days of panels, workshops, roundtables, keynotes, and more. And even with three packed days of queer fantasy conversations, we\u2019ll only manage to cover a fraction of what is out there for fantasy readers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s why, in addition to creating a TBR list for GIFCon 2025, we\u2019ve also explored the general landscape of queer fantastika today. We couldn\u2019t help but wonder \u2013 how popular are queer fantasy stories in the general market? Which titles are selling the best? Are there any new voices that we should be snagging on our next trip to the bookstore?<\/p>\n\n\n

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Image taken from the website for Category Is Books<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

To help answer a few of these questions, we took a trip to Category Is Books, a beloved queer indie bookshop here in Glasgow. Category Is Books \u2018is a space to learn about, be inspired by and share in our love of queer books, history, art, activism, writing and storytelling\u2019, which made it the perfect place to do a bit of sleuthing on queer fantastika favourites. <\/p>\n\n\n

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All following images are courtesy of Grace Worm in a visit to Category Is Books in late April. This image shows the Sci-Fi and Fantasy section of the bookstore.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
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Amongst their curated fantasy stock are some titles made familiar by their places on various bestseller lists, including Sunbringer<\/em> by Hannah Kaner, Legends and Lattes<\/em> by Travis Baldree and The Priory of the Orange Tree<\/em> by Samantha Shannon. Some of the other titles Category Is has in stock include Saints of Storm and Sorrow<\/em> by Gabriella Buba, a \u2018fiercely imaginative Filipino-inspired fantasy\u2019 and The Unbroken<\/em> by C. L. Clark, which draws on the colonial history of France and North Africa to create an epic political fantasy.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Picture of a portion of the Fantasy bookshelf<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

The Category Is shelves also feature the works of well-loved fantasy authors like Marlon James, N.K. Jemisin, Tasha Suri, and A. K. Mulford, among others, making for a booklist that is wonderfully diverse in its authors and its stories. During the visit, a staff member recommended The Jasmine Throne<\/em> by Tasha Suri and Spells: 21st Century Occult Poetry<\/em> by Sarah Shin, which our very own Deputy Chair Grace snapped up (we\u2019ll have to ask her what she thinks once she\u2019s had the chance to give them a read!).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Picture of the cover of the book The Jasmine Throne<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Picture of the cover of the collection Spells<\/em> <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Overall, exploring the shelves of Category Is not only reinforced just how broad the landscape of queer fantastika is, but also got us even more excited to dive into this year\u2019s theme at GIFCon 2025.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re in the Glasgow area and are looking for your new favourite fantasy read, we highly recommend a stop through Category Is Books! https:\/\/www.categoryisbooks.com\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re looking to brush up on queer fantasy for GIFCon, or just for fun, we\u2019ve got you covered. Check out our TBR list of some of the texts our incredible panelists, Keynote speakers, and workshop leaders will be covering at GIFCon 2025.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Books, Novellas, Short Stories & Poetry:<\/h2>\n\n\n\n