On October 8th of 2013, Europa SF celebrated one year of existence and we’re proud.
On October 8, 2012, we set out to provide the European community with a dynamic, current and interesting news and information site for writers and readers keen about the literature of the fantastic. Looking back, I am proud of what we’ve accomplished during that time.
From its inception in 2012, over 340 articles and 1400 comments were posted on the site. We’ve had enthusiastic input and reports from countries throughout Europe. These included France, Germany, Italy, Croatia, Spain, Holland, Switzerland, Poland, UK, Romania, Sweden, Finland, Austria, Russia, Brataslava, Estonia, Greece, in addition to input from farther away such as Canada, USA, Australia and others I forgot to mention (apologies; I’m writing this fast and hard, but from the heart.) Keep them coming, please!
Here are some of the things we accomplished together, with your help:
Anthology of European SF: Europa SF and the International Speculative Fiction (ISF) launched a digital format Anthology of European SF, comprising twelve SF writers from eight European countries. Well-known names like Ian R. MacLeod, Hannu Rajaniemi, Aliette de Bodard, Jetse de Vries together with rising stars from various parts of Europe rounded out an rich and diverse example of truly European SF. EUROPA SF’s Cristian Tamas and Roberto Mendes (International Speculative Fiction) edited the anthology. The publication received deserved accolades. Katherine Farmer of Strange Horizons said, “the anthology ends on a high note, with a story so painfully true it brought tears to my eyes. I can honestly say that I laughed and I cried while reading these stories, that I was kept wondering what would come next, that I discovered something new with every story…This is the first anthology of European SF that I’ve come across. I hope it won’t be the last.” Europa SF is dedicated to continuing to bring together quality literature from throughout Europe for the world to enjoy.
2013 Eurocon Award: Europa SF won the 2013 Eurocon Award for the Best European website. In April 2013, Nina Horvath accepted the Eurocon Award in a ceremony at the convention, held at the Kiev’s Medvin Kiev Book Fair, Ukraine. Eurocon goes back to 1972 in Trieste, Italy, where the first European Science Fiction Convention was organized as a natural extension of the Trieste International Science Fiction Film Festival. The Convention gathered science fiction writers from all over Europe, a divided continent then between the Free Western Europe and the Soviet Occupation Zone in Eastern Europe.
The editorial staff and regular contributors of Europa SF look forward to another year of fascinating information, events and issues of interest to science fiction fans.
As Marian Truta said in the opening editorial October 8th 2012, the vision of Europa SF is to bring the members of the European fandom together to build a continental-scale data network. Said Truta, “Editors, writers, fans, anyone with an interest in SF will be able to see what is happening in any European country and will inform, in turn, the entire SF community about their own major [events]…In time, EUROPA SF will be able to initiate cross-border and even continental events.”
We hope you will help us keep this important gateway and nexus for our science fiction community alive and vibrant and current. Let us know what we’re doing right and what we could improve on. Let us know what you want to know more about. Tell us about your community. Drop us a line! Tell us about your favorite things.
In the future, we will also give you more information about the publishing industry and how it is changing (at the speed of light). Science fiction is the future and the future is science fiction.
Nina Munteanu is a Canadian ecologist and novelist. In addition to eight published novels, she has authored award-winning short stories, articles and non-fiction books, which were translated into several languages throughout the world. Recognition for her work includes the Midwest Book Review Reader’s Choice Award, finalist for Foreword Magazine’s Book of the Year Award, the SLF Fountain Award, and The Delta Optimist Reviewers Choice.
Nina regularly publishes reviews and essays in magazines such as The New York Review of Science Fiction and Strange Horizons, and serves as staff writer for several online and print magazines. Nina currently teaches writing at the University of Toronto and George Brown College. She also teaches and coaches writing online through her website Nina Munteanu. Her books on writing “The Fiction Writer: Get Published, Write Now!” and “The Journal Writer” (Starfire) were translated into Romanian and published by Editura Paralela 45.
