   |
             |
A: Bouchercon is the world mystery convention and has been taking place annually since 1970. It is open to anyone and is a place for fans, authors and professionals to gather and celebrate their love of the mystery genre. It is named for a famed mystery critic Anthony Boucher. During the convention there are panels and discussions and interviews with authors and people from the mystery community covering all parts of the genre. There are signing events for people to meet their favorite authors face to face and get books signed. Bouchercon also has the Anthony Awards which are also named after Anthony Boucher. These are voted on by the attendees and given out during the convention. In 2011 registration covers the cost of putting on the convention. As a registered participant you get unlimited access to all panels, the bookroom, a program book and book bag (with free books). There will be other events involved which will have an extra cost such as the Anthony Award ceremony. Since Bouchercon operates as a not for profit all the money goes to putting on the best convention possible. Any money left over goes to future Bouchercons.
A: We picked the Renaissance St. Louis Grand Hotel because the facilities it offers suit our need perfectly. It is also located in the heart of a wonderful area for getting around and doing some sightseeing and shopping and eating. As part of the agreement we blocked out a certain number of rooms and these rooms being booked for the weekend allow us to get the convention facilities we need. The room rate was set based on what room rates will be at the time of the convention in 2011 and then discounted for us.
A: We chose St. Louis because it is a hub city in the center of the US with easy travel access. It's also a beautiful city which has undergone a huge revitalization in the last decade. There is a lot to do and see and it's a fun city to spend time in. After one day of our initial visit we were in love.
A: It has become a tradition at Bouchercon to pick a local charity and to raise money of the charity with a live auction. Sometimes there is also a silent auction as well. The items are donated by authors and mystery fans and people in the business. Being named a character in a book is a popular item, as are baskets with books and items relating to the books. The charities are generally literacy oriented. We are still finalizing our choice for St. Louis but will have the information here as soon as it's set.
A: Click here for information (PDF).  |
|||||||||||
 |
||||||||||||
The Bouchercon website with history, bylaws and rules:
