This weekend, the debut run of Scotland’s Science Fiction and Fantasy Festival, CYMERA, kicks off in Edinburgh. If you’re planning on heading up, down, or over, here’s where you can catch me.
Tag: Edinburgh
The 70th annual Eastercon, Ytterbium, has finally released its programme to the public! The Programme Committee for Ytterbium has been working their socks off to bring this year’s line-up to you, and we can’t wait to see you all over 19th – 22nd April at the Park Inn Hotel, Heathrow.
While I’m on Guest of Honour Helper duties this weekend, I will be taking a break for three panels. Click here for my full schedule on Grenadine, or check out the details below.
(15/04/19 – Now updated with the latest panel line-ups.)
Maps, Place, and Landscape in Fantasy
Saturday 2:00pm-3:00pm
Judith Mortimore [Mod], Ruth EJ Booth, John Clute, Frances Hardinge, Teresa Nielsen Hayden
I’m overjoyed to share a panel with not just Frances Hardinge and Teresa Nielsen Hayden, but John Clute, whose work in the Encyclopedia of Fantasy was instrumental in my Fantasy Masters thesis about Heroic Landscapes.
Beyond Studio Ghibli
Sunday 10:15am-11:15am
Ruth EJ Booth [Mod], Mad Elf, Jessica Meats, Sarah Ash, Zoe Burgess-Foreman
Like Studio Ghibli? Want to try other Anime but don’t know where to start? Bring your pens, paper, and preferences, as we’ll be easing you into Sunday with the best movies, great studios to watch out for, and more.
You can also click here find my full programme for the weekend.
I nearly forgot – there’s also this:
BSFA Awards Ceremony
Saturday 6:00pm-6:45pm
Ytterbium will also host the annual BSFA Awards, where my 2018 columns for Shoreline of Infinity are up for the Best Non-Fiction Award, to my utter delight! If you’re a voting member of the BSFA, you should have received the voting pack already, but if you’re attending Ytterbium, check the awards booklet in your registration pack to read some of my columns from 2018. If you enjoy them, please consider voting before midday on Eastercon Saturday. The results will be announced at the BSFA’s Official Awards Ceremony at 6pm on Saturday 20th April.
Talking of which, Ytterbium attendees will also have the chance to read my new column in the latest Shoreline of Infinity, if they drop by the stall in the Dealers Area! This issue features the first part of my new Noise and Sparks column on my visit to the Arctic Circle this winter, and how this experience has changed my perspective on writing goals. There are also stories from Cat Hellisen, Ken MacLeod, Eris Young, and the poetry of the inestimable Harry Josephine Giles. Click here for more on Issue 14.
Finally, if you’re in Scotland, don’t forget that Oliver Langmead and I are back at Edinburgh Science Festival this Saturday 13th April with our writing workshop ‘Discover New Worlds through Writing’. Whether you’re a beginner, returning to writing again, or you’d like to develop your SF worldbuilding skills, join us in exploring the solar system and beyond! The workshop kicks off at 2pm on Saturday 13th April at the Pleasance. Click here for tickets.
And if you’re planning on heading to CYMERA Festival in June, watch this space for more on that soon!
2018 already has a bunch of events in the works, and the first is in Edinburgh on Thursday 8th February.
Event Horizon will feature a showcase of writers from the GSFWC, including magnificent speculative and slipstream author Hal Duncan, the masterful “Laureate of Loss” Neil Williamson and, well, me. It’ll be another splendid night from the folks at Shoreline of Infinity, and you can find the full line-up in the image below – or by clicking here. The night kicks off at 7:30pm on Thursday 8th February at Frankenstein Edinburgh.
In the meantime, my Horror flash piece ‘The Anniversary’ has had some very kind comments as part of reviews of Black Static 61. So, if you need a little incentive to come out to Edinburgh next month, here are a few of them so far:
TANGENT ONLINE
“Beautifully written, it is elegant, timeless, and deeply painful in all its tragedy… It is the high note within this issue.”
https://www.tangentonline.com/print–bi-monthly-reviewsmenu-260/219-black-static/3703-black-static-61-novemberdecember-2017
GRIM READER REVIEWS
“A work of poetic yet ugly storytelling and one that will stay with you for some time after.”
https://beavisthebookhead.com/2017/12/10/magazine-review-black-static-61/
And possibly the most poetic review I’ve ever had:
DES LEWIS’ GESTALT REAL-TIME REVIEWS
“A tantalising pearl of fiction as love’s requital – a pearl to scry, to smile or to gurn?”
https://dflewisreviews.wordpress.com/2017/11/17/black-static-61/#comments
Thank you to Seraph, Adrian, and Des for your kind comments.
So, see you in Edinburgh next month, then?
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Event Horizon with Laura Lam
Here’s a heads up for those of you who can get to Edinburgh next month.
I’ll be chatting with Laura Lam about her brilliant new novel Shattered Minds at the next Event Horizon (11th October) in Edinburgh. The latest in her Pacifica SF series, it’s one of those novels where the words ‘rollercoaster ride’ don’t quite cover how thrilling it really is. And if that’s not enough, Laura will also be reading from the novel. So, if you’ve not picked up a copy yet, why not pop along and hear what you’re missing?
Joining us will be wonderful Orcadian SF poet Harry Giles; artist Stephen Pickering, who’ll be giving us an insight into cover creation; and intriguing dream popsters L-Space. So, it’s sure to be another fine night from the Shoreline of Infinity folk.
Event Horizon kicks off at Banshee Labyrinth (Nidry Street) on Wednesday 11th October at 7:30pm. For more information, head to www.ShorelineOfInfinity.com.
I’ve got a bit of news. Well, quite a lot of news, actually. Earlier this year, I put in an application to the University of Glasgow’s MLitt programme in Fantasy — and to my immense delight, they accepted me. So I’m currently condensing my life into a dozen boxes, as I’ll be moving myself and them up to Glasgow this weekend. It’s both terrifying and utterly exciting (and I’m not just talking about the ability to buy a tonne of books and call it work), but I can’t wait to be living in such a vibrant, creative community of writers and artists. The hard work begins here.
September is looking to be a busy month already, with book launches, events, and two new things coming out. While I’m taking a breather from boxing up, I thought you might like to know what’s coming up in the next few weeks…
5th September: Event Horizon XI (Edinburgh)
Next Monday, join me, Bram E. Gieben, Harry Giles, Elaine Gallagher, The Spiders, and Russell Jones for stories, slam poetry and some stonking performances that’ll knock your SFing socks off. We’ll be at the Blind Poet in Edinburgh from 7pm. For more details, check out the facebook event page here, or last week’s blog.
23rd September: Shoreline of Infinity 5 is out! (Everywhere!)
The next issue, featuring my latest Noise and Sparks column, hits the shelves! Pick it up from Transreal Fiction or Deadhead Comics in Edinburgh, or order direct from www.shorelineofinfinity.com.
Additionally…
23rd – 25th September: Fantasycon-by-the-Sea (Scarborough)
This year’s Fantasycon ships up in sunny Scarborough for a weekend of fun, frolics and the world famous Fantasycon Disco Karaoke, the Karaoke is the best. Kev McVeigh, Martin Petto and I have just finished judging for the Non-Fiction Award of the British Fantasy Awards, which will be announced that weekend. I’ve also been booked for a panel, so more on that when it’s been officially announced. For now, I can say I’ll be at the NewCon Press & Glasgow SF Writers’ Circle Book Launch on Saturday (24th) at 3pm, where we’ll be signing copies of the GSFWC‘s 30th anniversary anthology, Thirty Years of Rain. If you’re about, why not join us?
30th September: Thirty Years of Rain – Glasgow launch (Glasgow, funnily enough)
Naturally, it wouldn’t be right to have a Glaswegian book without a Glasgow launch. Come join me and even more GSFWC authors at Waterstones (Sauchiehall Street) for free booze, readings — and, of course, we’ll be on hand to sign any 30th anniversary anthologies you may have just bought that evening. The event kicks off at 7pm, so do join us then.
If you’re not able to make either of the two launch dates for Thirty Years of Rain, you’ll be able to order it online nearer the time, and I’ll post details of that when I have them. In the meantime, if you’re wanting your new story fix, don’t forget Fox Pockets: The Evil Genius Guide (feat. ‘Dame Ammonia Dastardly-Truste’s Evil Genius College for Ladies Class of 2014: Graduation Speech [Transcript]’) is out now in paperback, with e-book to follow soon.
I think that’s it — until Glasgow!