Anthrocon weekend is upon us and I am proud to announce I have a short story in the conbook this year.

Set in northern Pennsylvania, ‘Hemlock’ tells the tale of Lorain, who has run into the forest to be away from her family. Struggling with her trans identity, she stumbles upon The Squonk, who teaches her an important lesson in self-acceptance.

As soon as I read about The Squonk – a cryptid who lives in the hemlock forests of Anthrocon’s home state – I was immediately drawn to it. It has misfitting skin and is always unhappy, avoiding bodies of water so it never has to see its own reflection. I felt a strong wave of empathy for it, which resonated with the confused feelings I have over my own genderfluidity.

It’s quite a heavy narrative for a conbook story, but I hope you find it uplifting. If you are at Anthrocon this week, please pick up a copy of the conbook and have a read. It would be great to hear your thoughts. I know a few of my furry friends also have stories contained within, so I’m sure you’ll enjoy.

Meanwhile, there will be loads of writing panels at the convention, some of which my friends will be hosting. They are guaranteed to be interesting, so get down there if you can. Also, if you are interested in buying some furry fiction, Shiloh Skye has created a useful map of all the furry publishers in the Dealers’ Den.

To have a story included in the conbook of one of the big three furry conventions is a huge thrill, and one day I would love to travel to Pittsburgh and experience the event myself. Having done both FWA and MFF in 2024, I really should visit AC one day. And after the con, maybe I’ll try and track down The Squonk myself…

Post-con update: You can download a PDF of the 2026 Anthrocon Conbook here.