Tag: Sarah Ash

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Academic Conventions Eastercon Eastercon

Beyond Studio Ghibli Anime Recommendations and News

At Eastercon 70: Ytterbium, I moderated a panel called Beyond Studio Ghibli, where myself, Anime UK News reporter Sarah Ash, Japanese culture scholar Zoë Burgess-Foreman, Anime fan Mad Elf and author Jessica Meats presented a guide to wider Anime for fans of Studio Ghibli movies. Over an hour, we covered genres, directors to watch for, and even gave some recommendations based on specific Studio Ghibli movies.

If you’d like to know more about what we discussed, Zoë will be uploading a video of the panel (minus Q&A) to her youtube channel soon. Click here to subscribe

In the meantime, we also produced a list of Anime (and two JRPGs) that we think you should check out.

Jessica Meats

  • Wolf Children (Fantasy film)
  • Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood (Fantasy series)

Sarah Ash

  • Shōwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjū (Rakugo culture series)
  • Lu Over the Wall (Fantasy/Folklore film)

Mad Elf

  • Zipang (Military SF series)
  • Akanesasu Shōjo (Magical Girl series, game)

Zoë Burgess-Foreman

  • Mawara Penguin Drum (Urban Fantasy series)
  • Perfect Blue (Thriller, Psychological film)

And here are my recommendations for fans of JRPG series Ni No Kuni, for which Studio Ghibli provided animation sequences in two of the games (Dominion of the Dark Djinn and Wrath of the White Witch):

Me

  • Final Fantasy X
  • Kingdom Hearts (series)

While we’re talking Anime, at the recent ‘Thistle and Sakura’ event at the University of Glasgow, Dr Rob Maslen revealed news of a special event marking ten years of the Scotland Loves Anime festival this October. For more on this, plus his full talk on ‘Anime as Fantastic History’, click here.

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Awards Awards Conventions Eastercon Edinburgh International Science Festival Events Fiction New Column Shoreline of Infinity Workshop

Eastercon 2019: Ytterbium Schedule

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!

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Conventions Eastercon Eastercon

Eastercon 2018: Follycon schedule – UPDATED

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!