Anton Petersen
I am honored and thrilled to be invited as a Fan Guest of Honor at Capricon 47! This is my first adventure as a Guest of Honor so please be patient with me as I navigate the unknown.
My convention experience started by attending a few creation cons back in the 80’s and early 90’s. My first convention on staff was a local Minneapolis event called Convergence in 1999. Since then I have added more conventions in multiple genres from steampunk to anime.
My main area of expertise is working with the Guests of Honor at an event which is the reason I am a bit anxious about being an actual guest. Over the years I have worked with many wonderful people from actors to authors to game designers and musicians.
I live in the Minneapolis area and four years ago I decided to take the plunge and start my own convention. I run Quantum-Con which takes place May 21-23, before Memorial Day weekend. It is a smaller convention which focuses on the Paranormal for programming but the event runs the gamut from Sci-Fi to Anime to Rock bands!.
I am really looking forward to speaking with all of you so make sure to say hi!
Mary Robinette Kowal
Mary Robinette Kowal is the USA Today Bestselling author of twelve novels, including Apprehension, The Spare Man, and the Lady Astronaut series. Her novel The Calculating Stars is one of only eighteen works to achieve the “triple crown,” winning the Hugo, Nebula, and Locus awards in a single year. She is also a four-time Hugo winner, a recipient of the Astounding Award for Best New Writer, and a former President of SFWA.
Her storytelling is uniquely shaped by a twenty-year career as a professional puppeteer. Performing for Jim Henson Productions and LazyTown, she earned two UNIMA-USA Citations of Excellence—the highest honor in American puppetry. This background in physical performance informs the body language and characterization found in her prose.
Mary Robinette is a core cast member of the Hugo-winning podcast Writing Excuses and an acclaimed audiobook narrator for authors such as Neal Stephenson and Seanan McGuire. A collector of vintage manual typewriters, she lives with her husband Robert, their dog Guppy, and their cat Elsie, who uses Augmentative Interspecies Communication buttons to “talk.” She also has the distinct honor of having an asteroid, (52691) Maryrobinettek, named after her.
Shay DeBosco
AKA Lady Elina
Who is Lady Elina? Simply put, she is a character who developed from her creator’s need to express herself, connect with others, and share a little hope and joy with the world.
Shay DeBosco is a disabled veteran who has continued to push forward through the physical challenges she experienced during her years of military service. She is currently furthering her education and nearing completion of her first master’s degree. Shay is also a transgender woman, a wife, and a proud pet parent to three cats and a dog with her amazing husband.
Her journey as a puppeteer began long before dragons entered the picture. As a child, Shay had a yellow bird marionette that she loved using to entertain others. She was always fascinated by the possibilities of bringing a character to life and finding new ways to make people smile.
In August 2023, that dream finally became reality when Glykera, the Hope and Pride Dragon, was born.
Glykera’s colors were inspired by the transgender pride flag. Shay intentionally chose those colors as a representation of an important part of herself and as a symbol of hope, pride, and perseverance. Bringing Glykera to life also set Shay on the path toward creating something bigger: her own business and a way to share her passion with others.
As Shay continues to grow as a performer and creator, she hopes to expand Ye Olde Dragons Den into an even greater source of hope, joy, and acceptance—especially for members and allies of the LGBTQ+ community.
Lady Elina is more than a character. She is a reflection of Shay’s journey, her resilience, her imagination, and her belief that sometimes a little bit of magic can help someone remember that they are not alone.