World Fantasy Convention

World Fantasy Convention was first held in 1975, and has been held yearly since. In the words of the convention's website:
The convention is run in a similar way to the Worldcon science fiction conventions; a different convention committee is selected by the World Fantasy Convention Board each year and holds the convention according to the Board's requirements. Features of the convention include the Art Show, dealers tables, autograph sessions, readings, panels and two Board meetings, to review bids and choose the next convention committee. There is also the annual banquet, hosting the World Fantasy Awards ceremony.
The convention was organised by Kirby McCauley, Donald Grant, Charles Collins"The World Fantasy Convention" by David Drake in <I>Whispers</I> Volume 2, Number 4 (1975); posted by Zaharoff on The Nightmare Network forum, Thomas Ligotti Online, Jun 14/22. and others as a response to the perceived snubbing fantasy and horror literature received by the World Science Fiction Convention (Worldcon), as well as the lack of a separate convention for fantasy fans. In the first flyer outlining plans for the convention, McCauley explained:
==1975==
Location: Providence, Rhode Island
Dates: October 31-November 2, 1975
Theme: “The Lovecraft Circle”
*Guest of Honor: Robert Bloch
*Toastmaster: Gahan Wilson
*Chair: Kirby McCauley
=== Program ===
Daily events:
*Huckster/dealer room
*Art show "of superior quality"1st World Fantasy Convention flyer - Digital Collections - University of Houston 
*Special exhibition of original Lovecraft materials
Friday Oct 31
*"Meet The Authors" Party, including Manly Wade Wellman, Donald Sidney-Fryer and Ramsey Campbell. Included readings by Joseph Payne Brennan, Wellman and Campbell, various poems (Howard, Smith, etc) read by Ugo Toppo and Sidney-Fryer and a reading of Ray Bradbury's "October Game" by Jay Gregory.
*Autographing Party for Gahan Wilson
*Auction.
*Party Room
*Midnight film - "Die, Monster, Die!", based on Lovecraft's "The Colour Out Of Space", followed by a one-hour television film of Robert Bloch's "Waxworks".
Saturday, Nov 1
*A bus tour of "Lovecraft's Providence", with commentary by Professor Harry Beckwith.
*Panel discussions:
**"Investigating Lovecraft" with panellists Barton St. Arnaud, T.E.D. Klein, Dirk Mosig, George Wetzel and Tom Collins.
**"Fantasy and Horror: Present and Future" with panellists Robert Bloch, Gahan Wilson and Donald A. Wollheim.
**"New Voices in Fantasy" with panellists Ramsey Campbell, Karl Edward Wagner, C.L. Grant and David Drake.
**"Epic Fantasy" with panellists Fritz Leiber, L. Sprague de Camp, Lester del Ray and Andrew J. Offutt.
**"Writing Supernatural Tales: The Whys Explored" with panellists Robert Bloch, Gahan Wilson, Manly Wade Wellman, Frank Belknap Long and Joseph Payne Brennan.
*Fantasy Program: readings from Lovecraft by Fritz Leiber, Edmund Spenser's The Faerie Queene by Donald Sidney-Fryer and Gahan Wilson read from his own work. Plus a one-act play from the repertoire of the Grand-Guignol Theater of Paris.
*Autographing party for Andrew J. Offutt.
Sunday, Nov 2
*Panel discussion:
**"Lovecraft the Man" with panellists Frank Belknap Long, L. Sprague de Camp, Willis Conover, Fritz Leiber and Harry Beckwith.
*Banquet: Guest of Honour and Toastmaster speeches, and the First World Fantasy Awards presentation.
The attendees were limited to 500 in number, with 200 for the awards banquet. 
=== Con Reports/Photos ===
*The First World Fantasycon, A Pictorial Sketch by Eric Carlson (1976) - convention photographs
*1st World Fantasy Convention by Hunding - Flikr (via Wayback Aug 20/24) - convention photographs
*Panel Recordings at The Internet Archive
== 1976==
Theme: Unknown Worlds
*Guests of Honor: C. L. Moore, Michael Moorcock
*Toastmaster: Gahan Wilson
* Magister: Thom Anderson
==1977==
Theme: Clark Ashton Smith
*Guest of Honor: Richard Matheson
*Toastmaster: Gahan Wilson
*Chairman: Dennis Rickard
==1978==
Theme: Robert E. Howard
*Guest of Honor: Fritz Leiber
* Guest Artist: Alicia Austin
*Toastmaster (Scheduled): Gahan Wilson; Toastmaster (Actual): Andy Offutt
*Chairman: Michael Templin
==1979 ==
Theme: Reunion
*Guests of Honor: Stephen King, Frank Belknap Long
* Guest Artist: Michael Whelan
*Toastmaster: Charles L. Grant
*Chairman: Bob Booth
==References==