The British Fantasy Society held its annual convention, FantasyCon 2009, in Nottingham, UK, over the weekend 18-20 September. Fantasycon was first staged in the mid-1970s in Birmingham and has run more-or-less continuously since.

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I have set up a blog specifically for Fantasycon 2009 information. So far I’ve been posting catch-up items. Please visit Fantasycon2009 regularly and be informed.

We are delighted to announce that Gail Z Martin is confirmed as our third Guest of Honour. Gail is the author of the Chronicles of the Necromancer series: The Summoner, The Blood King, Dark Haven and Dark Lady’s Chosen (coming in 2010).  She discovered her passion for science fiction, fantasy and ghost stories in elementary school.  The very first story she ever wrote — at age five — was about a vampire. Her favorite TV shows as a pre-schooler were Dark Shadows and Lost in Space. At age 14, she decided to become a writer, and launched a fanzine when she was in college.  Gail enjoys attending science fiction/fantasy conventions, Renaissance fairs and living history sites.  She is married and has three children, a Himalayan cat and a golden retriever. And now, visit her website to find out more; and then nip over to YouTube for information on her forthcoming book.

We are delighted to announce that our second Guest of Honour is Brian Clemens. Born in Surrey in 1931, he is best known as the creative force behind The Avengers, for many of us epitomised by the image of Diana Rigg starring as Mrs Emma Peel. After service in the Army he worked in an advertising agency, during which he wrote a script which attracted the attention of the BBC. And from small beginnings… He later wrote the pilot episode of The Avengers, first shown in 1961. Besides writing for this, he scripted TV shows such as Adam Adamant Lives, The Persuaders, The Professionals and Thriller. A more detailed biography can be found here.

We’re extremely pleased to announce that the first of our Guests of Honour at this year’s Fantasycon will be none other than author Jasper Fforde.  Since his first novel – The Eyre Affair – was published in 2001 Fforde has consistently blurred genres, producing a wonderful series of reality-bending, funny, complex, literate and very very silly books.  His Tuesday Next series follows the adventures of the eponymous heroine and LiteraryDetective as she solves crimes against fiction in an alternative Republic of England.  The Nursery Crime series, starring DCI Jack Spratt, have addressed both the murder of Humpty Dumpty (The Big Over Easy, 2005) and porridge-smuggling by bears (The Fourth Bear, 2006).  A new series begins this August with his latest novel Shades of Grey.

NOTE: All Fantasycon guests appear subject to work commitments.

Registration for Fantasycon 2009 is now open. The convention will take place on the weekend of September 18-20, at the Britannia Hotel, 1 St James Street, Nottingham. Ian Watson will be the Master of Ceremonies. Subject to work commitments, the guests of honour will be Brian Clemens (producer of The Avengers), Jasper Ffrorde (The Eyre Affair) and Gail Z. Martin.

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