Tag: Fantasycon

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Awards Awards Book Launch Conventions Events Fantasycon Fiction

***UPDATED*** Sept & Oct 2018: ‘The Anniversary’ Honorable Mention, plus Justina Robson, From Glasgow to Saturn, and Fantasycon 2018

Before I get onto upcoming things, some news: ‘The Anniversary’, which first appeared in last year’s Black Static #61, has received an Honorable Mention in Volume 10 of Ellen Datlow’s Best New Horror anthology. It’s a stunning achievement for a drabble that’s already been honoured with a British Fantasy Award shortlisting, and I’d like to thank Ellen and her team for considering my wee tale for this critically acclaimed series.

Here’s a quick round-up of what’s happening right now.

On 26th September, From Glasgow to Saturn will be launching Issue 41 at DRAM in Glasgow. Join us for story and poetry readings, as well as the famous From Glasgow to Saturn open mic sessions. Sadly, this will also be my last issue with the journal for the foreseeable future, so if you’d like to quiz me on what it’s like and how to get involved, please join us on 26th September from 6pm at DRAM in Glasgow. Click here for more details.

On 4th October, I’ll be interviewing Justina Robson, one of British SF’s most celebrated writers, at the launch of her new novel, Salvation’s Fire (Solaris). This is part of the After the War series, set in the same shared world as Adrian Tchaikovsky’s Redemption’s Blade — so if you’d like to hear about Justina’s first published Fantasy novel, this an event not to be missed. Please join us for wine and chat on 4th October from 6:30pm at Waterstones Argyle Street. For more information, click here. ***UPDATE: This event has now been cancelled***

Finally, on 19th – 21st October, I’ll be at The Queen Hotel in Chester for Fantasycon. The schedule has yet to be finalized (I’ll post again when it has been), but I’ll be there for the full weekend, likely appearing on at least one panel and reading that weekend. On the Sunday afternoon (21st), the winners of this year’s British Fantasy Awards will be announced, so if you’d like to know who we on the Best Artist jury picked as our winner this year, click here to grab yourself a ticket and join us there – or alternatively, follow the British Fantasy Society and Fantasycon 2018 twitter accounts for live tweeting on the day.

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Awards Awards Conventions Fantasycon Fiction

British Fantasy Awards 2018: Best Short Fiction shortlisting for ‘The Anniversary’

I’m delighted to announce that ‘The Anniversary’, which first appeared in Black Static #61 last year, has been shortlisted for the British Fantasy Award for Best Short Story.

Heartfelt thanks to everyone who voted me in to the jury stage – and in such wonderful company as Nina Allan, Stephen Volk, Laura Mauro, Joanne Hall and Stephen Gallagher too! In the face of such a strong field of contenders, I’ll take the chance now to thank Andy Cox at Black Static publishers TTA Press for taking a punt on this wee tale. This is my first shortlisting for this award, and I’m pleased as punch to say it was this one.

On an additional happy-but-heart-torn-in-two note, Black Static have also been shortlisted for Best Magazine / Periodical, alongside Shoreline of Infinity, which publishes my Noise and Sparks column. Good luck to them both, I say, along with everyone else who’s been shortlisted this year.

This year’s shortlist is a feast of wonderful things and great recommendations*, so do check out the full British Fantasy Awards 2018 shortlist here.

The awards will be announced over 19th – 21st October at the British Fantasy Society’s annual Fantasycon in Chester.

*I can definitely say this as a juror for the Best Artist category this year.

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Academic Awards Conventions Fantasycon worldcon

The Legend of the Kick-Arse Wise Women, Worldcon 75, and the BFS Awards

Here’s a quick update on things academic and fictional.

Firstly, my latest Shoreline of Infinity column is out now! In ‘The Legend of the Kick-arse Wise Women’, I unpack some of the ideas I had about age and writing when I was younger, and what made me change my mind about them. You’ll find it under Noise and Sparks in Issue 8 of Shoreline of Infinity, which you can pick up in all formats at their website.

Secondly, a couple of bits of Worldcon news. I’ve had a poster proposal accepted to this year’s event in Finland, where I’ll be presenting on the relationship between landscape and themes from Taoist philosophy in the first four Earthsea novels by Ursula Le Guin. I’ve also been offered places on a couple of panels on the provisional programme, so more on that when things are finalized.

Finally, I’ve accepted a spot on this year’s British Fantasy Awards‘ Best Non-Fiction jury. This’ll be my second year on the jury for this award, and I’m looking forward to getting stuck in to the shortlist. You can find out the results of our discussions first at this year’s Fantasycon, which takes place in Peterborough over 29th September to 1st October.

I think that’s it for now. More news when I can share it.

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Awards Awards Conventions Events Fantasycon Fiction New Poetry New Story

September Shenanigans: Event Horizon, Fantasycon, Thirty Years of Rain and more.

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…

Event Horizon 11

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…

Thirty Years of Rain

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!

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Conventions Fantasycon Fiction New Poetry New Story

The Evil Genius Guide, Thirty Years of Rain, and Shoreline of Infinity

Ever wondered what it takes to be an Evil Genius? Now’s your chance to find out.

FS9-Evil-Genius-Guide-ebook-72ppi

The Evil Genius Guide is the latest in Fox Spirit‘s Fox Pockets series, and I’m delighted to return to it with a story almost as mad as the ‘The Real Deal’, which appeared back in Fox Pocket 1: Piracy.

‘Dame Ammonia Dastardly-Truste’s Evil Genius College for Ladies Class of 2014: Graduation Speech [Transcript]’ (deep breath) is a story about love, revenge, and machine gun bikinis, set in private school with a rather unusual graduation ceremony. It’s an older tale — I first submitted this story two years ago — so it’s interesting both to see how my writing’s changed in the years since, but heartening also to see how Past Me could still pull a surprise out of the hat when she needed to.  Of course, if that doesn’t take your fancy, Chloe Yates, Andrew Reid, Steven Poore and the rest of this dastardly ensemble will gladly indulge your lust for evildoings. Paperback copies are available to order now, with an ebook due very soon.

The release of The Evil Genius Guide is also a bit of a landmark for Fox Spirit Books — this and the soon to be released Reflections are the last in the current Fox Pockets series. So Fox Spirit are having a very special celebration to mark this on 25th August at the Secular Hall, Leicester. Don’t forget to pick up your tickets, ’cause there ain’t no party like a Fox Spirit Party!

In the meantime, I’m taking a break from the world’s least fun game of Katamari Damacy to go through proofs for Thirty Years of Rain, the anthology celebrating 30 years of the celebrated Glasgow SF Writers Circle. As you might expect, the TOC’s a blinder, with Louise Welsh, Amal El-Mohtar, Garry Gibson, Hal Duncan, Eliza Chan, Neil Williamson and more. I’ve also just finished my latest Noise and Sparks column, which will be in the next issue of Shoreline of Infinity.

Both of these should be out around the 23rd September — just in time for Fantasycon-By-The-Sea, where I’ll also be hanging around for the Thirty Years of Rain launch. So, if you’re going, I hope to see you then!