ankee Gathering XII, the biennial convention hosted by the New England Magic Collectors Association (NEMCA), will be held November 13-15, 2008 at the DoubleTree Hotel in Westborough, Massachusetts, USA.  After a recent $8M investment, the hotel features 223 recently renovated guest rooms (including a limited number of smoking rooms), a fine restaurant and bar, complimentary parking, all convention areas on the same floor, and a special room rate for our event of only $99/night (shared by up to two people per room) with breakfast included.  The three-day schedule of events will include Lectures, Performers, Auction, Dealers, Exhibits, a Banquet, and a Flea Market.  For those arriving early, there will be a special "late night" moderated forum on collecting magic posters on the evening of Wed. November 12.  Two optional events are offered on November 16, the day after the convention: the Le Grand David Spectacular Magic Company will be performing at 3:00pm at the Cabot Street Cinema Theatre in Beverly, Mass., and Ray Goulet's Mini-Museum of Magic in Watertown, Mass. will be open starting at 12:00noon.

The Guests of Honor at the convention will be Eddie & Amy Dawes of England.  Dr. Edwin A. Dawes is a prominent member of The Magic Circle and without a doubt the most prolific writer on the history of magic alive today.  His column, "A Rich Cabinet of Magical Curiosities" has appeared in more than 200 issues of The Magic Circular, he has authored nine books (including The Great Illusionists, Charles Bertram: The Court Conjurer, and Stodare: The Enigma Variations), he has contributed to every issue of NEMCA's The Yankee Magic Collector since 1988, and his articles and reviews have appeared in many other magical periodicals.  Eddie was inducted into the Hall of Fame of the Society of American Magicians in 1984, and was awarded The Magic Circle's John Nevil Maskelyne prize in 1988.  One of the most knowledgeable and respected magic historians and collectors, Eddie will be lecturing at this Yankee Gathering and has also been a lecturer at past Gatherings.  Amy Dawes is a magician, both in a double-act with Eddie and as a solo practitioner, she authored the biographical material on British female magicians in Frances Marshall's Those Beautiful Dames, and she has been a great supporter and contributor to magic and magic history for more than 50 years.  We are delighted to salute Eddie & Amy Dawes as our Guests of Honor at this year's Yankee Gathering.