Shepard DiStasio

Guest of Honor & Speaker

Shepard DiStasio (he/they) is a trans, disabled author with an affinity for dark fantasy and the gothic. He is a Swarthout Award winner in poetry, and his debut novel, VEIL US IN GOLD, was an Indie Ink Awards finalist for Trans/Non-Binary Representation. They have poetry in Passionfruit Review, DOG TEETH, Reverent: An Anthology of Divinity, and Wasteland Review. He has two cats with his partner, and loves to translate Attic Greek poetry between writing gay angst and replaying their fav video games (gay, always).

2:30PM - 4:00PM EDT

Saturday July 11th

Fantasy as Social Commentary

Fiction has always been a medium through which authors can explore real-world issues through the filter of fantastical people and places. From escapism to political parallels, tune in to Fantasy as Social Commentary to learn how to write it effectively and why it's important. (Moderator: Jesse Pohlman)

4:00PM - 5:00PM EDT

Saturday July 11th

Guest of Honor: Shepard DiStasio

Join us for an exclusive interview with Guest of Honor Shephard DiStasio! We'll talk about his writing journey, influences, challenges, and more! Shepard DiStasio (he/they) is a trans, disabled author with an affinity for dark fantasy and the gothic. He is a Swarthout Award winner in poetry, and his debut novel, VEIL US IN GOLD, was an Indie Ink Awards finalist for Trans/Non-Binary Representation. They have poetry in Passionfruit Review, DOG TEETH, Reverent: An Anthology of Divinity, and Wasteland Review. He has two cats with his partner, and loves to translate Attic Greek poetry between writing gay angst and replaying their fav video games (gay, always). (Moderator: Nicholas W. Fuller)