NEW ORLEANS – The second convention themed around New York Times’ best-selling author Deborah Harkness’ “All Souls Trilogy” will be held in New Orleans on Saturday, September 23.
The 2017 All Souls Con offers a day of history and a deep dive into the books’ adventures around witches, demons and vampires, including their adventures in historic New Orleans. Hosted at the new NOPSI Hotel, proceeds from the event benefit Bodley’s American Friends, the American organization providing support for the Bodleian Library in Oxford. All Souls Con already has attendee registrations from more than 30 countries.
Harkness’ first book, “A Discovery of Witches” (2011), debuted at No. 2; then, went to No. 1, on the New York Times’ best-seller list. “Shadow of Night” (2012) and “The Book of Life” (2014) debuted at No. 1 on the prestigious list. Known as the “All Souls Trilogy,” more than 3.5 million copies have sold through Viking and Penguin Books, imprints of Penguin Random House LLC, and 37 publishers worldwide.
Harkness is the first author to have her own conventions hosted and promoted by her fans prior to her books being produced for television or movies. This convention features a series of speakers with expertise on Harkness’ books. This year, attendees get the first glimpses into the upcoming insider’s guide to the trilogy, “The World of All Souls,” slated for debut in early 2018. Authors Colleen Madden, Claire Baldwin, Jill Hough and Lisa Halttunen will greet fans and offer a preview of the book’s magnificent illustrations.
Another highlight will be a workshop by Dr. Shelli Carter titled: Are You Descended from Witches? Dr. Carter is a biologist and associate professor of science at Colorado Technical University, College of General Education and Psychology. Dr. Carter also taught at the University of Alabama’s LifeTrack program where she designed a course on “The Science of the Supernatural,” which examines whether there is any scientific or medical basis behind the characters in Harkness’ books.
Professor and Geographer, Richard Campanella, from the Tulane School of Architecture, will take to the stage to give an illustrated lecture on the history, geography, architecture and culture of New Orleans, as the city approaches its Tricentennial (1718-2018). Professor Campanella is the author of nine books and more than 150 articles on the geography, history and culture of the New Orleans region and related topics. His research, which integrates the mapping sciences and spatial analyses with the social sciences and humanities, has been praised by The New York Review of Books, Journal of Southern History, Urban History, Places, Louisiana History, The Journal of the Abraham Lincoln Association and other forums. The only two-time winner of the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities Book of the Year Award (2006, 2009), Campanella has also received the Tulane Honors Professor of the Year Award (2016), Louisiana Literary Award (2015), the HNOC Williams Prize for Louisiana History (2011), Mortar Board Award for Excellence in Teaching (2010), the Monroe Fellowship (2011-Present), and the Hannah Arendt Prize for Scholarship in the Public Interest (2014). In 2016, the Government of France named Campanella Chevalier dans l'Ordre des Palmes Academiques (Knight in the Order of the Academic Palms).
A fan panel will kick off the day with a robust discussion on “Empathy for The Devils.” It will be hosted by Angela Hutter, Jean Siska and Valerie Grendell, operators of the fan site, Daemons Domain, and its wildly popular podcast, “Daemons Discuss.”
As fans excitedly wait for the premier of the television show that is in development with Bad Wolf, attendees will have the unprecedented opportunity to see behind-the-scenes details about the show, event organizers said. Harkness also plans to take the stage and share information about her next book.
One, all-inclusive on-site pass is available for $99.
Attendees who register before June 15 receive a $20 discount.
Free live-streaming passes, sponsored by Viking and Penguin Books, will be available for those not able to attend in person.
All attendees must register.
The special breakfast with Harkness on Sept. 24 has already sold out.