On Friday 23rd at 8pm I’ll be reading from The Lost Girls of Foxfield Hall and doing a Q&A online with Octocon. The details are all here. Hope to see you all there.
Tag Archives: octocon
Octocon Online
This weekend is Octocon weekend and of course because this year is a hell year things are different. But far from cancelling (how could they have cancelled???)
This is Octocon’s 30th anniversary, Guests of honour are Michael Carroll, and founders Helen Ryder and Phillipa Ryder.
No, THIS YEAR it’s ONLINE.
And there’s even more good news. It’s FREE!
You can access it through the miracles of technology and all the details can be found on the Octocon site here
The full programme is here. And this is what I’m up to…
Hope to see you there!
Octocon 2019
On Sunday the 13th of September we’ve having a mini-Octocon (just the one day – I think everyone is still exhausted after Worldcon). All the details are on the website and the programme is now up.
I’m absolutely delighted to be a guest, especially as the theme is fairies! And I’m also there as Jessica Thorne so looking forward to talking about Sci-Fi Romance as well. You can find out what I’m up to here and the details are below. It’s an amazing line up. I hope to see many of you there. Come and say hello.
Octocon 2019
Octocon 2017
It’s that time of year again! Octocon is almost upon us and I have my schedule for the weekend.
Of course, I’m going to be around for much of the weekend as well. You can see the full programme here. There are so many things I’m looking forward to! And that YA Panel on Friday night? Look who’s on it! YA PANEL OF JOY!
Octocon 2016
It’s that time of year again and this weekend it’ll be Octocon, in the Camden Court Hotel, Dublin. Here are the panels I’ll be taking part in over the weekend. I’ll have copies of my books on sale in the tradehall as well and I’ll be happy to sign them for you. I’ll also be hanging out and going to some of the amazing other panels. Really looking forward to it. The full schedule is available here.
Writing Fantastical Worlds
On Writing.ie today, there’s an article from myself and E. R. Murray where we talk about writing Urban Fantasy set in Dublin and discuss writing techniques and ideas – Writing Fantastical Worlds
Just to remind everyone that Octocon is on this weekend. If you’re coming along be sure to say hello. If you aren’t, why not? The fabulous guests of honour are Emma Newman and Maura McHugh.
It also means I might be a bit scarce. Then again, hotel wifi permitting, I might not.
Before that I have to get my act together as I’m visiting a school on Friday morning, a Library next week and then I have the Hodges Figgis YA panel. It’s all go here!
#YAieDay and Octocon
So, #YAieDay is on Twitter tomorrow, a day when we celebrate all things YA in Ireland, and I’m going to be on from 1.10-1.50 swearing… sorry “talking” about swearing with Kim Hood and Sally Nicholls. Follow the #YAieDay hashtag on Twitter and the full (amazing) lineup and programme is here. Thanks to the marvellous Michelle Moloney King for putting this together.
And then, next week it’s Octocon. And the programme is now up online too. Another brilliant line up of people and lots of YA here.
So this is what I’ll be up to.
Busy busy busy…
- Friday, October 9
7pm
Ireland as a location
A. Tivoli/Yeats, 7pm – 8pm - Saturday, October 10
1pm
As the creator Intended?
C. Gaiety, 1pm – 2pm - 3pm
Historical Inaccuracies.
B. Abbey, 3pm – 4pm - 7pm
Late Night Panel: Sex In Fiction/Erotica
B. Abbey, 7pm – 8pm - Sunday, October 11
2pm
A Fantasy of My Own
A. Tivoli/Yeats, 2pm – 3pm - 3pm
Irish Mythology And Its International Spread
A. Tivoli/Yeats, 3pm – 4pm - 4pm
Readings from our Authors featuring Planetfall by Emma Newman
B. Abbey, 4pm – 5pm - 5pm
Practical Magic: Perspectives of Pagans, Gamers, and Fantasy Authors
B. Abbey, 5pm – 6pm
The whole programme can be found here. Come along and say hello! I will probably be the person rushing between panels but say hello anyway! 😀
Worlds Beyond!
So, a little while ago, I was part of the Worlds Beyond on PhoenixFM 92.5FM, sponsored by Octocon, and I ramble quite a lot about all sorts of things writing and fandom. It’s an hourlong show, hosted by the wonderful Janet O’Sullivan and I’m there from about the 30min mark. You’ll also hear Janet and John Vaughan discussing the Golden Blasters.
You can listen here in all its glorious rambliness*.

*rambliness just applies to me, naturally. Everyone else is very to the point and fascinating. 😀
Ocotocon is coming…
Octocon is coming (11th to the 13th October), in the Camden Court Hotel in Dublin. This year they have a very cool app to keep everyone up to date on what’s on where and who will be there.
These are my panels but I’ll be around both days. Makes sure to say hello if you’re there. And if you aren’t there, you really should be!
Saturday, 12 October
John Madden, Peadar Ó Guilín (m), Ruth Frances Long
Picking good books for kids.
Ruth Frances Long (m), Leann Hamilton, Maura McHugh, Alan Nolan
True Irish Myths, Legends, and Fairy-tales
Sunday, 13 October
Ruth Frances Long (m), Dr. Noirin Curran, Gerry McEvoy, Robert McGregor, Lynda Rucker
On Twitter… everyone can hear you scream
Ruth Frances Long (m), Deirdre Thronton, Paul Shortt, Joanne Stanley, Danielle Lavigne, Susan Griffith
#TheRiseOfFemaleFandom
Ruth Frances Long, Catherine Sharp (m), Deirdre Thronton, Paul Shortt
Is the growth in YA books here to stay, or is it a bubble?