Guests of Honor

We are thrilled to announce our guests of honor for Norwescon 48!

Writer Guest of Honor – Ursula Vernon, aka T. Kingfisher

Ursula Vernon, aka T. Kingfisher is the author and illustrator of far more projects than is probably healthy. She has written over fifteen books for children, at least a dozen novels for adults, an epic webcomic called “Digger” and various short stories and other odds and ends.

The daughter of an artist, she spent her youth attempting to rebel, but eventually succumbed to the siren song of paint (although not before getting a degree in anthropology.) Ursula grew up in Oregon and Arizona, went to college at Macalester College in Minnesota, and stayed there for ten years, until she finally learned to drive in deep snow and was obligated to leave the state.

Having moved across the country several times, she eventually settled in Pittsboro, North Carolina, where she works full-time as an artist and creator of oddities. She lives with her husband and his chickens.

Her work has been nominated for the Eisner, World Fantasy, and longlisted for the British Science Fiction Awards. It has garnered a number of Webcomics Choice Awards, enough Junior Library Guild Selections to allow her to cosplay as a six-star general, and a mention in the New York Times, which she did not get tattooed to her forehead, despite her mother’s insistence.

Her webcomic “Digger” won the Hugo Award for Best Graphic Story (2012) and the Mythopoeic Award (2013.) Her short story “Jackalope Wives” won the Nebula for Best Short Story, the Coyotl Award, and the WSFA Small Press Award (2015.) Her series Dragonbreath won the Sequoyah Award for Children’s Literature, and her series Hamster Princess has been nominated for the Texas Bluebonnet Award and made the Amelia Bloomer List for feminist children’s literature. Her novel Castle Hangnail won the Mythopoeic Award for Children’s Literature in 2016. Her novelette “The Tomato Thief” won the Hugo Award for Best Novelette in 2017. (Are you tired of reading about all these awards yet? I am feeling weird writing them all down. It is beginning to seem immodest…) Her novel A Wizard’s Guide To Defensive Baking won the Andre Norton Nebula, the Lodestar, the Dragon, the Locus and another Mythopoeic in 2021, and her short story “Metal Like Blood In The Dark” won the Hugo in 2021, whereupon she gave a speech about slime molds.

In addition to writing and making art, Ms. Vernon gardens, feeds the birds, and has an unhealthy obsession with mulch.

Artist Guest of Honor – Geneva Bowers

Geneva Bowers is a Hugo Award–winning illustrator. Her work focuses on atmosphere and magic realism, giving a sense of calm and nostalgia. It is inspired by growing up in Appalachia, caught between glorious nature and geeky interests. She aims to make people smile while showing a piece of how beautiful life can be.

Science Guest of Honor – Summer Ash

Summer Ash is an astrophysicist, rocket scientist, and freelance science communicator. She enjoys Jupiter, Orion, supermassive black holes and advocating for equity, accessibility, and inclusion across all STEM fields.

As a self-professed space cadet, Summer grew up dragging friends and family out at all hours of the day or night to look up at the sky. She has a bachelors in mechanical engineering from Stanford University and a masters in space studies from the International Space University and worked as an aerospace engineer on the X-34 Program at Orbital Sciences Corporation (now Orbital ATK) before making the jump from low-earth orbit to intergalactic scales. Summer did graduate research at the Cavendish Laboratory at the University of Cambridge on the evolution of radio galaxies and the effect of active galactic nuclei (a.k.a. AGN or supermassive black holes) on galaxies and galaxy clusters.

After academia, Summer transitioned to education and outreach and has worked for the World Science Festival, Columbia University, and the Very Large Array (VLA) at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO). Her written work has been published online in The Atlantic, Smithsonian, Scientific American, Atlas Obscura, Slate, Nautilus Magazine, SyFy.com, and Now.Space. She has hosted web videos for NBC.com, science videos for the Science Forward program at CUNY’s Macaulay Honors College, and NRAO’s Baseline video series. She moderated Virtual Astro Live for the Intrepid Air & Space Museum 2020 – 2023 and she was the “In-House Astrophysicist” for The Rachel Maddow Show 2009 – 2016. Summer is also consultant for the Science & Entertainment Exchange, an arm of the National Academies of Science.

Spotlight Publisher – Orbit

Orbit is a division of Hachette Book Group, comprising the Orbit, Redhook, Orbit Works, and Run For It imprints. Launched in 2007, Orbit has established itself as one of the market-leading speculative fiction publishers in the US. Orbit US authors include New York Times bestsellers James S. A. Corey, Iain M. Banks, John Gwynne, Rachel Gillig, Alix E. Harrow, N. K. Jemisin, Ann Leckie, Kim Stanley Robinson, Andrzej Sapkowski, Brent Weeks, and Hannah Whitten. Learn more at orbitbooks.net.

Bradley Englert, Orbit Representative

Bradley Englert is an Executive Editor at Orbit Books where he acquires for the Orbit, Redhook, and Run For It lists. He has edited numerous New York Times bestsellers and has the privilege of working with authors like James S. A. Corey, Brent Weeks, John Gwynne, Joe Abercrombie, Andrzej Sapkowski, Riot Games, and many, many more. He is also working to build Run For It, Orbit’s new horror imprint, into a premiere destination for diehard horror readers.

Special Guest of Honor – Dutch Bihary

Dutch Bihary is a renowned figure in the world of face and body art, a highly respected international instructor whose foundation was laid in the rugged beauty of the Pacific Northwest mountains. From his earliest memories, art has been an intrinsic part of who he is. While his beginnings were humble and his childhood presented its challenges, Dutch held a steadfast vision of becoming an art teacher. This ambition fueled years of dedicated self-study and an unwavering commitment to mastering a vast spectrum of artistic mediums.

The depth of knowledge brought to his instruction is undeniable. His experience encompasses the precise artistry of tattoo work, the narrative power of comic book illustration, the transformative skills of face and body painting, the techniques of special effects makeup and prosthetics, and the craft of practical special effects for television and film. Furthermore, his expertise extends to large-scale murals, 3D chromadepth attractions, and the commanding presence of large-scale prop sculpting.

Widely recognized from season one of Skin Wars, the competitive reality series focused on body painting, and his return as a celebrity mentor on “Fresh Paint,” Dutch’s accomplishments speak for themselves. His most significant achievement lies in the reputation as a highly qualified and skilled educator that is sought after globally, evidenced by invitations to lead courses at esteemed institutions such as MBS Academies in Korea and the iconic Stan Winston Studios.

Dutch finds profound satisfaction in sharing his hard-earned knowledge with the next generation of dedicated artists, creators, and innovators. His commitment to their growth and understanding is unwavering.

Do you have suggestions for people you’d like to see as future Norwescon Guests of Honor? We’d love to hear from you about who you’d like us to invite. You can check out the guidelines we use on our FAQ page, and at any time during the year, you can contact our Guest of Honor Committee to send in your suggestions!