DisCon III, the 79th World Science Fiction Convention (Worldcon), has announced John Harris will be their Artist Guest of Honor. The convention will be held August 25-29, 2021 at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel in Washington, DC, USA.

“It is a great pleasure to add John to our already exciting line-up of guests. His art has inspired thousands worldwide, decorated so many memorable covers, and is collected by some of our committee and staff. He has truly earned this honor,” said DisCon III co-chairs Colette Fozard and Bill Lawhorn.  

Harris was born in London, England in 1948 and studied at Exeter College of Art, graduating in 1970. Over the last 40 years and more, John has created book covers for many of the most iconic authors in science fiction such as Arthur C. Clarke, Isaac Asimov, Frederik Pohl, John Scalzi, and Orson Scott Card. His work is collected internationally, and a piece commissioned by the United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Aftermath, T+60 (1984), hangs in the Kennedy Space Center.

In 2015 he received the Chesley Lifetime Achievement Award. He was also nominated for a Hugo Award for Best Professional Artist in 2014. Three films about him can be seen online at www.alisoneldred.com. The latest book of his work, Beyond the Horizon, is currently in its second edition.

Harris joins the list of previously announced DisCon II guests: Author Guest of Honor Kress, Editor Guest of Honor Toni Weisskopf, Fan Guest of Honor Ben Yalow, and Special Guests Malka Older and Sheree Renée Thomas.

The Worldcon is a five-day event that has been held annually since 1939 (apart from a four-year break during the Second World War). DisCon III (www.discon3.org) is the 79th Worldcon, and the third to be held in Washington, DC. Previous DC-based Worldcons were held in 1963 (DisCon I) and 1974 (DisCon II). DisCon III will be held at the Washington Marriott Wardman Park from August 25-29, 2021. DisCon III is sponsored by the Baltimore-Washington Area Worldcon Association, Inc. (BWAWA, Inc.), a 501(c)3 non-profit organization based in Maryland.

[Based on a press release.]