Quick blog for you all, especially if you’re a member of the British Science Fiction Association. My column, Noise and Sparks, published by Shoreline of Infinity, has made the Best Non-Fiction longlist in the BSFA Awards for works published in 2019. This is the second year in a row my column has made the longlist, and I’m delighted! My humble thanks to all the BSFA members who have enjoyed my work over the past 12 months!
If you’re in the Edinburgh area, attending Eastercon: Ytterbium, or a member of the BSFA, I’ve got news for you:
First of all, I’m thrilled that my Noise and Sparks columns for Shoreline of Infinity have been shortlisted for the BSFA Awards 2018 in the Best Non-fiction category!
Joining me in this category are the Sleeps with Monsters (Tor.com) and Time Pieces (Interzone) columns by Liz Bourke and Nina Allan respectively, Adam Roberts’ latest book Publishing the Science Fiction Canon: The Case of Scientific Romance (Free online from Cambridge University Press until 22nd February), and Aliette de Bodard’s lauded article on the Intellectus Speculativus blog, ‘On motherhood and erasure: people-shaped holes, hollow characters and the illusion of impossible adventures’. The full shortlist really is incredibly strong this year, so if you’re looking for great short stories, novels, art or non-fiction that you may have missed last year, I really do recommend checking those out.
The results will be announced at the 2019 Eastercon, Ytterbium, which takes place at the Park Inn Heathrow, London, over 19th – 22nd April. For more details, including how to vote for BSFA and Eastercon members, head to https://bsfa.co.uk/bsfa-2018-awards-voting-form/.
And here’s news for Scottish pals: the Edinburgh Science Festival has just released details of this year’s programme – and I’m delighted that Oliver Langmead and I will be back with ‘Discover New Worlds Through Creative Writing’!
Last year’s attendees found our popular workshop “brilliantly creative… very comfortable and relaxed”, “thought-provoking” and “inspiring”, so do join us in exploring the galaxy and building new worlds from 2pm on Saturday 13th April at the Pleasance.
This event is ticketed, so make sure you register online now at https://www.sciencefestival.co.uk/event-details/discover-new-worlds-through-creative-writing or click here for more ways to book.
For more details of this year’s Edinburgh Science Festival programme, check out the full brochure at https://www.sciencefestival.co.uk/.
The official programme for Follycon is now up! Here’s where you can find me over 30th March – 2nd April.
SATURDAY
4:00pm – Posters Exhibiton (Half Moon Room)
Ruth EJ Booth
Follycon is holding a poster exhibition across the event, including my poster ‘Mapping the Way: Taoism and Landscape in Ursula Le Guin’s Earthsea Quartet’. If you’ve got any questions about the poster, this is the first of my two half-hour sessions where I’ll be available for chat.
7:00pm – BSFA Awards Ceremony (Dining Room)
Nnedi Okorafor, Kieron Gillen, Christina Lake, Kim Standley Robinson, Claire Boothby, Dave Lally, Ruth EJ Booth (MC), Niall Harrison, Rosie Oliver
I’ll be MC for this year’s BSFA Awards ceremony – and, as it’s the 60th anniversary of the awards, this one’s bound to be a bit special. Do join us, if only to see if I managed to find summat proper to wear. In the meantime, if you want your say in this year’s vote, please note that advance online and postal voting for BSFA members is open until 26th March, while Follycon attendees (BSFA members and non-members) can vote at the convention until 12 noon on Saturday 31st March.
SUNDAY
4:00pm – Posters Exhibiton (Half Moon Room)
Ruth EJ Booth
If you’ve got any questions about my poster, ‘Mapping the Way: Taoism and Landscape in Ursula Le Guin’s Earthsea Quartet’, this is the second of the two half-hour sessions where I’ll be available for chat.
MONDAY
2:00pm – Remembering Ursula K. Le Guin (Dining Room)
Edward James (M), Nnedi Okorafor, Patrice Sarath, Ruth EJ Booth, Sarah Ash, Matthew Colborn
If you’re still about, come join us for a celebration of the life and works of the late, great Ursula K. Le Guin. Looking at the line-up for this panel, it’s bound to be an interesting and insightful hour’s chat.
ALL WEEKEND
As previously mentioned, Follycon is holding a poster exhibition across the event in the Half Moon Room , and this will include my poster ‘Mapping the Way: Taoism and Landscape in Ursula Le Guin’s Earthsea Quartet’. It’s based on work I completed as part of my MLitt in Fantasy, and this poster was last displayed in August at Worldcon 75 in Finland. So, if you missed it then, now’s your chance to see it!
You can click here for my main schedule in Grenadine. Outside of these times, I’ll likely be in the bar, if you’d like to say hi. Hope to see you there!