Next weekend is Octocon, the Irish National Science Fiction Convention , at the Gibson hotel in Dublin – Guest of Honour the Amazing Sarah Rees Brennan. I’ll be interviewing her on the Saturday and no doubt Chaos will ABOUND. Here’s the other things I will be doing…
Full programme and all other details
If you’re there, say hello!
We’re almost there. Only a few weeks to go. And the schedules are coming out (still subject to a bit of change of course) but here’s mine so far…
Format: Panel
15 Aug 2019, Thursday 11:00 – 11:50, Wicklow Hall 2B (CCD)
The history and culture of Ireland have been shaped by invasion, from the mythologisation of Lebor Gabála Érenn (‘The Book of Invasions’), set down in the 11th century, to the arrival of the Normans and English in subsequent centuries. How has Irish fantastic literature engaged with this history? How is it similar to, or different from, other post-colonial fantastic literatures? And how do contemporary Irish SF writers tackle invasion and its aftermath in their work?
Jo Zebedee, Ian McDonald, Dr Jack Fennell, Ruth Frances Long (M) , Peadar Ó Guilín
Format: Panel
15 Aug 2019, Thursday 14:00 – 14:50, Wicklow Hall-1 (CCD)
This panel is the ideal starting place for anyone unfamiliar with Irish SFF. There will be a brief overview of the genre as a whole and how it relates to Irish culture and history, as well as reading recommendations. Later in the convention there will be panels covering the topic in more detail from a variety of viewpoints.
Nick Larter (M), Dr Máire Brophy (ADAPT Centre) , Dr Jack Fennell , Ruth Frances Long
Format: Kaffeeklatsch
15 Aug 2019, Thursday 16:00 – 16:50, Level 3 Foyer (KK/LB) (CCD)
Ruth Frances Long
Format: Stroll
17 Aug 2019, Saturday 09:00 – 09:50, Ground Floor Foyer (CCD)
Ruth Frances Long, Vanessa Rose Phin (Strange Horizons) , Sazib Bhuiyan (Can With Candle) Sheila Williams (Asimov’s), Kate Baker (SFWA, Inc. & Clarkesworld Magazine), Kieron Gillen
Format: Panel
17 Aug 2019, Saturday 12:00 – 12:50, Liffey Room-2 (CCD)
Banshees. Leprechauns. Fairy rings. We all know the Irish myths… don’t we? But do they still have power for modern readers? What do we need to understand about the fae folk? And what importance do these traditions have in modern YA stories? Our panellists will explore the influence of Irish myth, folklore, and legend in YA over the years.
Ruth Frances Long (M) , Susan Connolly , Sarah Rees Brennan, Peadar Ó Guilín
(Seriously, for moderating this one, I am thinking of bringing a whip… you’ve been warned.)
Format: Autographing
17 Aug 2019, Saturday 14:00 – 14:50, Level 4 Foyer (CCD)
Ruth Frances Long, Anna Stephens (HarperVoyager UK), Emma Newman, Fred Gambino , Sarah Gailey , Alec Nevala-Lee
Format: Panel
17 Aug 2019, Saturday 16:00 – 16:50, Wicklow Room-1 (CCD)
Everyone knows the rules of a musical: all street urchins perform impeccable choreography, every lonely goatherd can carry a tune, and all sisters wear matching outfits differing only by colour. The setting of a musical is as fantastical as a fairy court or witch’s cottage. But does this escape from reality count as a fantasy setting?
Ruth Frances Long, Gabriella Gomez (Science fiction bokhandeln) , Neil Williamson (M) , Marguerite Smith (Dublin 2019) , Lee Harris (Tor.com Publishing)
Format: Group reading
18 Aug 2019, Sunday 16:30 – 17:20, Alhambra (Point Square Dublin)
Dublin 2019 presents a special group reading for lovers of children’s and young adult fiction. Our authors provide a range of stories and topics that are sure to delight and entertain!
Christine Taylor-Butler (M), Delia Sherman, Ruth Frances Long
Format: Panel
19 Aug 2019, Monday 14:30 – 15:20, Odeon 5 (Point Square Dublin)
Ireland is rich with stories and legends that have been told and retold to children over the years. What is it about these stories that give them such staying power? What role do these tales fulfill in their original forms? And how do we keep them feeling fresh and new for the coming generations?
Ruth Frances Long (M) , Nigel Quinlan , Deirdre Thornton (Dublin City Libraries), Dr Claire Collins (University College Dublin), Mr Michael Scott
I’m also planning to be at
Format: Awards
18 Aug 2019, Sunday 14:30 – 16:20, Odeon 1 (Point Square Dublin)
Octocon is proud to co-host this year’s Golden Blasters with Dublin 2019. Now in their tenth year, the Blasters are dedicated specifically to the art of the short film and screenplay in the genres of science fiction, horror, and fantasy. Please join us as we show you the finalists for this year’s awards – the winners of which will be decided not only by our panel of judges but also by you, with the coveted Silver Blaster audience award. So be sure to come along and help decide which film will take home this year’s Blaster.
So if you’re at Worldcon, make sure to say hello.
This weekend I’m going to be teaching a workshop for Dalkey Creates. There are still a couple of places left if you’re interested. Details here:
Come along and join us.
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!
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…
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! 😀
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!
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
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?
Finally getting myself back into action after the Romantic Novelists Conference this year, which was held in Sheffield, at a place called the Edge. Oh the jokes just write themselves there… women on the edge, anyone?
It was of course another wonderful conference. Filled with good food and great company. There was some toasting and a kitchen party with the ChocLit crew.
If you’ve never been to an RNA Conference, the kitchen parties are something else. There are always several naughty kitchens. This year however I wimped out on Friday night because I had “things to do” on Saturday. I was wise. It is a rare event.
On Saturday morning Imogen Howson and I gave a talk on writing YA.
Our lovely audience began to gather, bringing with them excellent reading materials.
Saturday night is gala dinner night so dressed in our finery the girls of F3 (Kate Johnson, Imogen Howson, myself, Sarah Callejo, Talli Roland and Jane Lovering) headed off to the ball. At the Edge. And over the edge.
We have a rep to live up to. Or something.
Kate won the Elizabeth Goudge trophy with a novel opening about Ice Giants apparently. Now I want to read it. It’ll go on the list with that murder mystery set on a spaceship about reincarnation I need to write now… The danger of chatting with writers in groups. It brings out the plot bunnies.
The party may have continued for some time. Hey, we had things to celebrate. Again.
Most of all we celebrated spending another wonderful conference together. By the time I got home, nice as it was to be back, I admit to being homesick for flat F3. Roll on next year in Shropshire. I’m thinking another road trip is in order. Who’s with me?
(please excuse the slightly dodgy alignment of photos and text – I’m having fun and games with my website too. But soon that will all change. Oh yes. Bwahahahaha! News to come).
This weekend is Octocon weekend! The full timetable is here. And general details here. Liz Williams is GOH and a host of wonderful guests including C.E. Murphy, Celine Kiernan, Oisín McGann, Michael Carroll and me!
This is what I’ll be up to: (busy busy busy)
Saturday
11am Room 101 – putting away all those SFFH tropes
1pm – Realistic Relationships in SFF – What makes for a realistic relationship, and does a different world change what is realistic in a relationship?
3pm – LGBTQ in YA – What is the impact of having LGBTQ characters in Young Adult Books? What are the possible
pitfalls?
4pm – Reading – I’ll be reading from The Treachery of Beautiful Things (and maybe more)
6pm – What does the term strong female character actually mean? – We use the term all the time, but there seems to be a lot of disagreement as to what is and is not a “Strong Female Character”
Sunday 14th
(phew! A lie in)
Noon – Why so violent? – Why do so many stories resort to violence? Surely we can all just get along
1pm – Roots of Irish fantasy – Irish Myths and Legends go back thousands of years, and have been changed by interaction
with the Catholic Church, and the Catholic Church has been changed by the Irish people and our myths (I accidentally talked my way into this. Be warned, I have been doing research!)
5pm – Is there space for religion in Science Fiction? – Some see science as being about facts and figures, and believe that science fiction shouldn’t include relgion. We hope to explore these ideas.
I always have an awesome time at Octocon. (And collapse in a heap afterwards). But don’t forget that there is also the Friday night welcome drinks and the Dead Dog party on Monday!
Copies of The Treachery of Beautiful Things, Soul Fire, The Scroll Thief and Songs of the Wolf will be available in the Dealers room.
Come and say hello if you’re there. And come to the reading so I’m not talking to an empty room! Pleeeeeeease!
This afternoon I’m heading up to Belfast for the kick off of Titancon.
Really looking forward to this one.
Tonight, as part of Culture Night Belfast, a group of the visiting authors will be reading in McHugh’s Bar, including Ian MacDonald, Peadar Ó Guilín, Leigh Bardugo and myself amongst others.
Tomorrow is a full day of panels and events, lots of Game of Thrones. My schedule (from the Titancon website) looks like this:
11.30 am – Is there still room for romance? Panel: Ruth Frances Long (mod), Peadar Ó Guilín and Leigh Bardugo
In this age of dark and gritty fantasy is there still room for romance? If so, what does it take to write a convincing and uncontrived love story or subplot?
2.00 pm – Foreshadowing in the Internet age Panel: Ian McDonald (mod), Peadar Ó Guilín, Ruth Frances Long and Ken Magee
Twenty years ago SF/F writers could include subtle hints and clues about the future direction of the story knowing that maybe one reader in a hundred would guess what would happen next. Now with the Internet that one reader can share their ideas with everyone else and suddenly an authors’ brilliant twist becomes an obvious thing that everyone knew ages ago. Is it more of a challenge to foreshadow stories in the Internet age? How can you successfully keep the twists and turns hidden and surprising whilst avoiding being overly subtle and obscure or turning to dues-ex-machina?
Our guests including authors, a literary agent and a publisher discuss what it takes to go from amateur to professional writer, the pitfalls to avoid and tips on how to succeed.
4.00 pm – The eBooks Debate Panel: Peadar Ó Guilín (mod), Ruth Frances Long, Leigh Bardugo, Joanna Volpe and Ken Magee
With eBook sales now overtaking physical books the publishing industry is undergoing a radical transformation. What does this mean for publishers and have they taken the right steps to transition into this new medium? Are prices fair and acceptable for consumers whilst still offering enough growth for publishers to enable them to keep doing the vital jobs of editing, proofing and promotion? Or is self publication the way forward cutting out the middleman? eBooks is a topic sure to spark a strong debate that will pull no punches.
Our author guests will be signing copies of their books. Many of them will have a small stack of books with them that are available for purchase.
Yes, I am bringing a small stack of books. Most of them are The Treachery of Beautiful Things but some of my R. F. Long ones are coming too. As Treachery as never been to a convention before and might panic.
So if you’re in the Belfast area, come and say hello!
So much going on today in all areas of life. We woke up to watch the Mars Curiosity landing, we’re watching Katie Taylor in the Olympics as I type (so I may be distracted) and its 9 days until The Treachery of Beautiful Things comes out.
Everything kicks off today, it seems. And it’s so exciting. So here we go…
The Booktrailer is up on The Story Siren so go and have a look at the awesomeness that @Ickle_tayto made, staring Laura Jane Cassidy as Jenny. We has such fun filming it before we went off for our writers’ weekend and it turned out wonderful. Most of the photos are mine, with a few from Dreamstime.com. The music is from Kevin MacLeod at Incompetech.com. The full credits are visible on the Youtube page. I’ll be putting it up on the site tomorrow. Also on The Story Siren, you can enter to win one of two copies of the finished version of the book. So check it out, comment and enter.
Also kicking off today is the Blog Tour with Itching for Books. I’m so excited about this one as I’ve never done anything on this scale before. First up is a review from Nothing Better Than Books and another chance to win a copy. And another from Auntie Spinelli Reads. So many ways to win!
And finally… we’ve been putting together a short series of author videos to introduce the world of The Treachery of Beautiful Things. The first of is coming up tomorrow. So stay tuned…