The Edge of the World Expo straddles a line between blessed and cursed. In 2019, it was scheduled and held for the first time on the 16th & 17th of March. In light of the events of the 15th March in Christchurch, the event organizers got the message out that while we would still gather to celebrate things we loved, those things were not to include realistic-looking guns nor military-like attire. I suspect this didn’t put too many people off, as decent Star Wars or Pokémon costuming doesn’t push that boundary. The event ran smoothly, only shadowed softly by the knowledge that, yes, New Zealand is awash with racism.
That year, I attended and shared a booth with four other authors, and a total of five of us did two Q&As over two days (4 each day) and read passages from our books. Those panels went well, I thought, and drew a few interested listeners. I also sold about 6 books over the course of the weekend, which felt like a success.
In 2020, by the weekend of the 14th & 15th of March, Covid-19 was circling, drawing nearer. The Expo went ahead with a few extra hygiene measures, and once again we celebrated things people love safely.