I heard of Bilcon a few years ago. Not sure when exactly, but I wanted to attend it since. Yet somehow each year since then I had some other plans and couldn’t go. This year I finally managed to do so. Bilcon is a small (up to 70 members) convention in Bílovec, near Ostrava in Czech Republic.
The Friendly Fandom
The first thing that I need to mention is the friendliness of the Czech fans. When writing on the Bilcon FB group I was encouraged to use Polish as they were able to understand it. Same happened in the conversation with one of the organizers. It made me feel a bit awkward though. I felt like “expecting” others to speak my language. Still it worked and was nice. All our conversations were bi-lingual, me writing in Polish and receiving the answer in Czech. But the most crucial was that we managed to communicate in this way.
The opening ceremony was informal and short.
Then upon the online registration I got the information that as a foreigner I can pay on the day of the arrival instead of paying in advance. It was not expected but definitely helpful. And later each time I had a question Pavel was willing to answer it or even find a new solution. Close to the con I asked him about the way to get from Ostrava to Bílovec. He did not only confirm what I spotted online but found a fan willing to give me a car ride on his own way to the con. And thus I met Martin and Marek – both very friendly.
At Bilcon itself I kept getting those nice gestures all the time. People were speaking slower so that I could process the foreign language. Sometimes they repeated what they said to help me understand. And all those small gestures made me feel welcome. I won’t be able to list all of them here but it was definitely a warm convention that felt like a good family meeting.
The Language
I don’t speak Czech and I was afraid of how Bilcon would work for me. Czech is similar enough to Polish so that I could understand some of it. The language barrier in other direction was smaller as Poles kept visiting Bilcon for years. From what I was told, thanks to Raku local fans understand Polish quite well.
There were three boxes of books to take away. Among multiple books in Czech there were a few with some Polish accennt.
So how did it work for me? Not as good as I hoped for, but not as bad as I was afraid either. Upon arrival during the registration I met the first Bilcon tradition. After registering I got a question from the broad SFF field and depending on my answer I got my badge. Sometimes I get lucky and that was the case this time. At first I didn’t understand what was happening but upon repeating I grasped it. I was asked who created the Geralt of Rivia and I knew the answer. It probably was one of the few questions which I had the chance of understanding and answering. Yet at this time I had no idea why there was a trivia contest on the entrance. It was another Polish fan – Marta, who later explained to me what it was all about and how it works.
Before the con – during my trip with Martin and Marek we kept talking and I was able to follow the conversation. With some difficulties but we exchanged thoughts and it was a good feeling.
I attended two programme items in Czech and they were a challenge. I understood part of what them, but definitely not everything. Still after one of the talks I came to the speaker and asked him about a part I was not sure about. He explained it to me, and thus now I know more about the unexpected works of H.R. Giger.
The first item I attended was a review of selected SF movies.
Over the con when I was not able to understand certain words – like at the bar, I got shown what the products were. So in the end the communication worked. It must have been hard for the fans to wait longer in the queue. Also Šárka (who managed the bar) had her work more difficult because of my lack of language skills. Still no one complained and I felt welcomed.
Having said all of that I spent most of the time talking with other fans from Poland. Without them it would be harder for sure, but still manageable. Now – back at home I keep thinking that I want to give it another try. Travel to Bílovec next year and try to understand more, and to communicate more with Czech fans. Well this is why I made the Fandom rover – to meet fandom in different countries.
Sad Aspects
My initial plan was to go visit Bilcon with Raku – a regular there. Yet, as he passed away last year it was impossible for me to do it. This made the trip even more important for me as I treated it as a tribute towards him. It was my own fannish way of showing the respect and the fact I keep missing him.
On site I understood better how appreciated he was by the Bilcon community. I knew it from the group on FB and previous conversations, yet I did not grasp the true extent of it. On site I saw how much he was cherished. In one room of the venue a niche was used to create a kind of “altar” reminding everyone of Raku. (Similar one was devoted to another fan who passed away). In the bar area, one of the tables had a plate stating that this was the table Raku used to occupy in previous years. It made me sad, but also happy, united in missing Raku with all the others.
Two ways of remembering about Raku.
Small Programme and Big Hearts
As said, Bilcon is small. It has a limit of 70 members (imposed by the venue size). This made me feel a bit worried that I am “taking place” of a Czech fan who could join should I not come. Yet Polish contingent at the con is a regular thing so I think it should be ok.
The programme of the event was small and concentrated heavily on SFF films. One of the items was held in Polish so of course it was the easiest one for me to follow. I tried two other programme items and, as said above, they were more challenging. Generally speaking a lot of the programme was celebrating movie anniversaries which gave the con a nice touch.
The venue was filled with some posters. Most were from the movies but some were from historical conventions.
Bilcon is however a very social event. As I said – it is a “family gathering”. We had the time to eat and talk together. At the registration one pays in advance for food. So that during the convention you only show your number at the bar and get whatever you want. Once you are leaving you need to check your bill. In case you overspent you need to cover the difference. But if you didn’t use all your credit you would go out equipped with some cakes or other kind of foods. Šárka was very friendly and she easily remembered who had which number. When I was leaving she equipped me with two pieces of delicious cake called frgál (https://cs.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frgál).
To add one more aspect to the friends or family gathering feeling, there was a group photo taken. It is another of Bilcon’s traditions. We all got out and posed for the picture at the stairs of the nearby Bílovecký zámek (Bílovec Castle).
Audience before one of the programme items.
Now, in Kraków I keep thinking of the con and how much I enjoyed it. Certainly it was a new and a bit challenging experience. I felt “lost” at times and trying to follow the language I didn’t speak was hard. Still looking back I see how awesome Bilcon was and I want to repeat it next year. Maybe I can do some Czech lessons and thus it will become easier for me? We will see about that but for now I am looking forward for returning.