A conference by writers, for writers – one that talks to and celebrates all aspects of the craft and embraces the fact that vampires, detectives, dragons, serial killers, lovers and aliens populate fictional worlds. You’d like to see that?

It’s called GenreCon, Queensland Writers Centre’s annual celebration of genre fiction, which returns to Brisbane from February 19 to 21 next year.

There are plenty of workshops where you can learn how to structure a novel, sharpen your dialogue or perfect your pitch, and no shortage of conferences catering to readers.

But GenreCon goes further, right to the heart of the matter. If 2027’s theme Inner Sanctums sounds like an invitation to venture somewhere writers normally avoid, that is precisely the point.

“It’s the secrets we stash away. The stories we tell to only ourselves. The compartments that hide our dark truths.” So QWC’s publicity blurb declares. “Fling the doors open. Venture inside!” You’ll be amazed at what you find.

GenreCon has come a long way since its beginnings just over a decade ago. The first conference was held in Brisbane in 2015, created and organised by QWC and held at the State Library of Queensland. By 2026, it had reached its 11th iteration, establishing itself as the largest conference in the southern hemisphere dedicated to genre writers.

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What began as a gathering for writers working outside the contemporary literary fiction world has grown into one of the most distinctive events on Australia’s writing calendar. Its appeal is not simply that it embraces science fiction, fantasy, horror, crime, romance, history, memoir and all the other deliciously difficult-to-categorise forms of storytelling. It also, rightly, treats genre writing as a serious craft and a legitimate professional career.

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Genre is more than a popular escape from everyday life. It is a significant part of Australia’s literary economy. Crime, mystery and romance are the favourite fiction genres of almost one-third of Australian readers, with science fiction and fantasy close behind. Genre fiction was the country’s fastest-growing book category in 2024, according to Creative Australia’s Australian Book Readers Survey.

The GenreCon weekend has traditionally mixed the practical with the pleasurable: panels and workshops sit alongside publisher and agent pitch sessions, editorial feedback, networking, social events and the opportunity to spend a few days surrounded by people who understand why you want to write and what you want to write about.

The growth has been reflected in GenreCon’s venues. After years at the State Library of Queensland, the conference moved to the Thomas Dixon Centre in West End in 2026, giving the event more room for workshops, pitches, networking and social activities. The move also allowed the Aurealis Awards to become part of the GenreCon experience, bringing Australia’s premier speculative fiction prizes into the heart of the weekend.

For QWC, that expansion is about more than finding a bigger room.

“This change of scenery is about giving our community the room it needs to grow,” says QWC CEO Lori-Jay Ellis. “Having the whole venue to ourselves means we can create a focused environment for our writers, from the pitch sessions to the social events.”

GenreCon is clearly comfortable with the scale it has achieved, while retaining the community-minded character that helped build it.

Inner Sanctums will feature internationally successful authors such as Jay Kristoff and Lee Murray alongside a program of panels, workshops and special events. The 2027 event will also host the Aurealis Awards ceremony on February 20, bringing finalists and winners in science fiction, fantasy and horror together with the GenreCon community.

What is the secret of GenreCon’s longevity and success? Well, for a start, it doesn’t ask writers to leave their obsessions at the door. It asks them to bring them in, examine them, improve them – and find other people who are equally fascinated by the things lurking in their imaginations.

For a conference built around genre, Inner Sanctums sounds less like a theme than a dare. The doors are open.

Helen Roche is project officer at Queensland Writers Centre.

GenreCon will take place in Brisbane, February 19-21, 2027. Location to be confirmed. Book now at:

genrecon.com.au

This article was written as part of  The Critical Writing Program, run in partnership with Queensland Writers Centre and InReview Queensland, supported by the Queensland Government through Arts Queensland, part of the Department of Education.