Pyrkon


Multigenre Fan Convention Pyrkon is a Polish fan convention held annually in Poznań on the first weekend after the spring equinox and dedicated to an integration of Science fiction fandom and a promotion of science-fiction/fantasy literature, comics, film, television, video games, RPG, LARP, board games, collectible card games and miniature wargaming. Pyrkon is the biggest event of this type in Poland and one of the biggest in Europe.

History

Pyrkon has been held by the Second Age Science Fiction Club every year since 2000, except 2005 when they held Polcon. Pyrkon has been a non-profit convention from its beginning, and all organizers, lecturers and gofers are volunteers.
Initially Pyrkon was held at the Dębiec district of Poznań in the following places
*
Due to the increasing number of visitors, in 2011 the convention moved to the present location, the Poznań International Fair and the Liceum ogólnokształcące nr 2 in Poznań.
On 6 March 1999, Second Age organised "Science Fiction Day" in the "Sun" District House of Culture in the Przyjaźni district in Poznań. It was the direct predecessor of Pyrkon.
The tradition of holding Pyrkon on the first weekend after the spring equinox started in 2006. Usually it is also the weekend when Daylight saving time begins – participants are informed in a convention guide book and on posters of the need to adjust their timepieces.

Etymology

According to one theory, the name "Pyrkon" comes from the 10th Book of Pausanias' "Guide to Ancient Greece", where he quotes "Eumolpia", a hexameter poem attributed to Musaios, a son of Antiophemos, which states that Delphic Sibyl belonged to Poseidon and Gaia in common, and that Gaia gave her oracles herself, but Poseidon used Pyrkon as his mouthpiece in giving responses.
According to the other theory, the name "Pyrkon" is derived from pyra and the suffix -kon, which is added to names of all Polish fan conventions.

Program

Main Attractions

Pyrkon's goals are realized in
The following also take place on Pyrkon:
Attractions on Pyrkon are divided into thematic sections. Most attractions are held in Polish.
Pyrkon 2019 had 19 program sections, which are listed below:

Time and place

Coordinators

YearName and surname
1999Daniel Kosse
2000Piotr Derkacz
2001Maciej Witkowiak
2002Daniel Kosse
2003Tomasz Barczyk
2004Paweł Ostrowski
2006Paweł Matuszak
2007Paweł Matuszak
2008Paweł Matuszak
2009Paweł Matuszak
2010Anna Brożyna, Michał Karzyński
2011Anna Brożyna, Michał Karzyński
2012Anna Brożyna, Piotr Derkacz, Michał Karzyński
2013Piotr Derkacz, Michał Karzyński
2014Piotr Derkacz, Michał Karzyński
2015Michał Karzyński
2016Michał Karzyński

Awards