PAST EVENTS - AN ARCHIVE
Bouchercon Toronto - October 2017
I was excited to go to my first Bouchercon, in a city I have reason to visit regularly, since I have quite a few friends there. I was also pleased to be on a panel, entitled 'Beautiful Brutality: Violence in Mysteries'. The panel was on Friday morning at 8:30am, so I thought we wouldn't have much of an audience. Unlike SF & horror conventions, though, where at that hour in the morning most of the delegates have only been in bed a couple of hours, it seems that crime fans like to start early and we had a good turnout.
Here I am with my fellow panelists Chris Holm, moderator Thomas Pluck, Amy Stuart and Joe Clifford.
Here I am with my fellow panelists Chris Holm, moderator Thomas Pluck, Amy Stuart and Joe Clifford.
Bristol HorrorCon - oCTOBER 2015
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The first Bristol HorrorCon was held as a day event on Saturday 17 October 2015. It was a bit of an adventure for me, since I went from London to Bristol and back by train in a day. The event was a fairly informal gathering of horror fans for an overdose of horror films, TV and literature, and was a lot of fun. Hopefully it will become an annual convention.
I was on the 'Use and Abuse of Horror in Literature' panel which amongst other things talked about horror tropes - overused or otherwise. In the picture from left to right is Rosie Sharratt, Jonathan L Howard, me and Peter Sutton. Also joining us on the panel though not visible (you can just see part of the back of his head in the bottom left hand corner of the picture) is the illustrious Mike Carey. |
'The Whispering Death' Launch - October 2015
My horror novel 'The Whispering Death' launched at The Brook bar and independent arts venue in Wallington, Surrey on 14 October 2015. Although I was worried nobody would turn up, I had a reasonable turnout that even included a couple of genuine punters - ie, people who had seen the poster and decided to come along to see what it was all about, without having met me before.
I donned the steampunk gear just because, well, why not?
Picture courtesy of The Brook.
I donned the steampunk gear just because, well, why not?
Picture courtesy of The Brook.
Sci-Fi Weekender - March 2015
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At the sixth cycle of the North Wales-based Sci Fi weekender, I had one panel on the main stage about Making it Real, and a more informal one - part of a series held in a corner of Starbucks that were really more casual chats interacting with the audience. This one was about the pitfalls of genre, and the picture on the left is during this session, and shows me and author Gareth Powell.
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FantasyCon - september 2014
I've been attending FantasyCon for years, but my first opportunity to be on a panel came at the 2014 Con in York. The panel was exploring the concept of whether there can be hope in horror, or whether unrelenting gore and despair are part of the genre? I am not sure we came up with an answer. Personally I think there can be hope in horror, but unrelenting gore and despair is perfectly acceptable. However, it seems a lot of readers don't agree, and don't like horror novels where everyone dies at the end.
Panelllists in the photo, from left to right: Ramsey Campbell, Roz Kavaney, Guy Adams, me, Adam Nevill.
Panelllists in the photo, from left to right: Ramsey Campbell, Roz Kavaney, Guy Adams, me, Adam Nevill.
BristolCon - October 2013
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At BristolCon 2013 I appeared on one panel - 'Innovative Deaths' - and I moderated my first panel, which was about the pros and cons of the small press. I did a bit of swotting up for this one, and in this candid shot I am reviewing the questions I am about to put to my panel before we begin.
Featuring in this picture, from left to right: Cheryl Morgan, Chrissey Harrison, me, and David J Rodger. |
EASTERCON - March/April 2013
At the EightSquared Eastercon in Bradford, I was on my first panel - a Head to Head looking at Bram Stoker and Mary Shelly, two classic gothic horror writers. Here is the panel in action. Here I am with my fellow panellists. From left to right: Kate Solomon, Theresa Derwin, me, and John Lenahan.
SIBLINGS Launch - September 2012
The SIBLINGS anthology, published by Hersham horror press and featuring short stories by five authors on the subject of siblings with a dark secret, launched at FantasyCon 2012 in Brighton. Alongside me at the signing table and visible in the picture are Simon Kurt Unsworth and Stuart Hughes.
We had a prime position by the dealer room, which meant we could heckle everyone who passed by on their way to buy stuff.
We had a prime position by the dealer room, which meant we could heckle everyone who passed by on their way to buy stuff.
SOUL SCREAMS Launch - June 2012
My short story collection, SOUL SCREAMS, officially launched at the British Fantasy Society's social night at the Mug House, Tooley Street, London on 16 June 2012. I was very privileged to launch my book alongside publisher Peter Mark May of Hersham Horror Press, launching his new anthology ALT-DEAD, and Jo Fletcher, who was launching a new and very lovely collection of MR James ghost stories, edited by Steve Jones.
With such well-established publishing legends present, I was a little afraid no one would want to buy my book, but the BFS have always been incredibly supportive of new writers and small press publishers, and by the end of the day I had sold all the copies I had brought with me.
With such well-established publishing legends present, I was a little afraid no one would want to buy my book, but the BFS have always been incredibly supportive of new writers and small press publishers, and by the end of the day I had sold all the copies I had brought with me.
FantasyCon, Brighton - September 2011
Attendees at FantasyCon 2011 in Brighton got a sneak preview of SOUL SCREAMS, as I read out two stories from the collection at my reading on the first day of the conference. It was a very hot weekend, and the hotel had no air conditioning. No one fell asleep, however, which I took as a good sign.
st hilda's mystery & crime conference, oxford - august 2011
One of the things I love about the St Hilda's crime conference is that because it is such a small conference it gives one the opportunity to meet personally the fabulous crime writers who attend.
Val McDermid is a St Hilda's alumna and a regular attendee at the conference. I have had the opportunity to speak to her at St Hilda's on several occasions, and as well as being one of Britain's best-selling crime writers and a lady with a towering intellect, she is also a lovely person.
Val McDermid is a St Hilda's alumna and a regular attendee at the conference. I have had the opportunity to speak to her at St Hilda's on several occasions, and as well as being one of Britain's best-selling crime writers and a lady with a towering intellect, she is also a lovely person.
sara paretsky book launch, london - march 2011
I was very excited to get the opportunity to meet Sara Paretsky, an author who has greatly inspired me for the last 20 years, when she came to London to launch BODY WORK, the fourteenth novel in the V I Warshawski series.
I feel honoured to have met this legendary lady in person. And either she did not notice the embarrassing fan-girl wibbling on my part, or she was too polite to mention. Here I am with Ms Paretsky, along with friends and fellow crime fans Kirstie Long and Ayo Onatade.
I feel honoured to have met this legendary lady in person. And either she did not notice the embarrassing fan-girl wibbling on my part, or she was too polite to mention. Here I am with Ms Paretsky, along with friends and fellow crime fans Kirstie Long and Ayo Onatade.
London Film & Comic Con - July 2010
I joined the Mystery Women at the London Film and Comic Con in the summer of 2010, to sell and sign books and generally marvel at all the wonderful costumes that were present. As a hard-core Star Wars geek, I was very pleased to get the chance to meet so many characters from the Star Wars universe, including these Storm Troopers.
Launch Party for SUFFER THE CHILDREN - April 2010
The 'real space' launch for SUFFER THE CHILDREN was held in the function room of The George tavern, The Strand, London on 28 April 2010.
Here I am being formally introduced by Kirstie before I give my reading. We held a raffle, featuring limited-edition STC merchandise as prizes, and I offered copies of the e-book on CD for sale.
Here I am being formally introduced by Kirstie before I give my reading. We held a raffle, featuring limited-edition STC merchandise as prizes, and I offered copies of the e-book on CD for sale.
