Registration
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Awards
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What is Bouchercon?
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.
Want to know more? The Bouchercon website has history, bylaws and rules.
Why St. Louis?A: The original chairs of Bouchercon 2011, Jon Jordan, David Thompson & McKenna Jordan, 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.
As you may or may not have heard, David Thompson passed away on Sept 13, 2010. David loved the mystery genre and everyone in it. He was so excited about doing this convention, and we will be moving forward and making this a convention David would be proud of.
Why this hotel?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.
Explain about the Auction...A: It has become a tradition at Bouchercon to pick a local charity and to raise money for it with a live auction. The charities are generally literacy oriented. 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.
Our charity for Bouchercon 2011 will be the St. Louis County Library System. They are a mystery friendly bunch and do a lot to support not only mystery authors but the community of St. Louis. To raise money for them we will have a live auction, a silent auction and a bowling tournament. Find out more!
Can we help through sponsorship or advertising?A: A lot of people help support Bouchercon in a variety of ways. If you are interested, click here for more info!
How do I get things into the book bags?A: Click here for information (PDF).