FANTASY FEBRUARY
A residential writing weekend at Dove Valley Centre, Nr Buxton, Derbyshire
15th – 17th February 2013

Our spring residential weekend focuses on the imaginative landscapes of fantasy, combining a range of group and individual writing activities, free writing time and much more. FANTASY FEBRUARY is perfect for anyone wanting to break into this exciting area of fiction.

GUEST AUTHOR: Adrian Tchaikovsky – creator and author of the Shadows of the Apt series
www.shadowsoftheapt.com

Places cost just £150, including two nights’ accommodation, meals, tea/coffee throughout, goodie bag and a host of writing activities.

To book your place, contact Alex Davis at alexdavisevents@hotmail.co.uk

Writing horror stories with Alex Davis
One day workshop for adults

Venue: Mackworth Library, Prince Charles Avenue, Mackworth, Derby DE22 4BG
Dates and times: Saturday 26 January 2013, 10.00am to 3.45pm
Cost: £25, booking essential, includes tea and coffee throughout the day
Book a place at any Derby city library or for more information telephone 01332 642410 or email mackworth.library@derby.gov.uk

This focused one day workshop looks at the world of horror writing, made famous by luminaries such as Edgar Allan Poe and HP Lovecraft and popular today through bestselling authors like Stephen King, Clive Barker, Dean Koontz and James Herbert. With a host of practical exercises, and an exploration of some of the greatest horror ever created, this one day workshop is perfect for anyone with the ambition to terrify their readership! Characters, atmosphere, monsters and ‘the big reveal’ – all this and much more will be covered!

http://www.derby.gov.uk/leisure-and-culture/libraries/library-events/writing-horror-stories-with-alex-davis/

Ghosts and other Worlds: A short course in Writing Horror and SF from World Fantasy Award-nominated author Simon Kurt Unsworth

Tuesday October  23rd:   Introductions: meeting ghosts
Tuesday October 30th:    Creating characters and creatures
Tuesday November 6th:  Using place and environment
Tuesday November 13th: Trying to get published

Booking required, £7.50 per session, held between 7:00 – 9:00pm at:

One Voice, St Leonard House, St Leonard Gate,
Lancaster, LA1 1NN

For further details or to book a space, please call:

01524 63337 / 0798 168 9439, or email:   simonkurtunsworth [at] gmail.com

The Birmingham Science Fiction Group’s May meeting is proud to host a visit from Stephen Hunt, SF and Steampunk author. Stephen is recognised for his fantasy Steampunk Jackalian series and has recently been writing a continuing series of SF novellas (Sliding Void, Transference Station). Stephen is also the publisher of the on-line magazine SF Crowsnest. Stephen is a recognised innovator of on-line technology.

So why not come and meet him at our meeting? Stephen is sure to give a fascinating talk and insight into his work and on-line publishing.

The meeting is on 11 May 2012 at the Briar Rose Hotel on Bennett’s Hill, Birmingham; this venue is just 5 minutes walk from New Street Station and handy for all bus routes. The meeting opens its doors at 7:30 pm.

The group itself has many members of all ages, and between them the membership has an enormous wealth of knowledge of literary SF, as well as films, television, etc. If you want to know about a particular author or book, the BSFG is unlikely not to be able to help you! Just let us know you are a first timer when you turn up and any member will be happy to introduce to the committee and make you feel as welcome as we can…

If you live anywhere in or around the West Midlands, the BSFG is the group for you! For further information, and a copy of our monthly newsletter, please:

Email:
BHAMSFGROUP@YAHOO.CO.UK

ALSO, DO VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT:
www.birminghamsfgroup.org.uk

This July, QUAD in Derby brings together a host of leading science fiction, fantasy and horror writing for Edge-Lit, an exciting new day event for one of the city’s leading venues. The ideal day out for fans, readers and aspiring writers of genre fiction, Edge-Lit gathers together over thirty authors, agents and speakers for a wide range of workshops, panels, readings and much more.

There are many more leading names to be announced for the event, with the first two Guests of Honour for the 2012 event confirmed as Christopher Fowler and Geoff Ryman.

Christopher Fowler is a multiple award-winning author with thirty novels and twelve short story collections to his name. He is best-known for his Bryant and May mystery novels, with his most recent title in the series being Bryant and May and the Memory of Blood. Christopher has also written a number of successful thrillers, as well as the highly succesful graphic novel Menz Insana. His other credits include creating the War of the Worlds video game for Paramount, as well as running a successful film marketing company and writing for TV and film stars such as Kenneth Williams, Michael Caine, Pierce Brosnan, Leslie Neilsen and the stars of Monty Python.

Geoff Ryman is an acclaimed author of science-fiction and fantasy, with his most recent title, The King’s Last Song, drawing stellar reviews. Other leading titles include Was…, Lust and Air, with his novels having claimed a host of awards including the British Science Fiction Award, World Fantasy Award, Arthur C. Clarke Award, The Philip K. Dick Award and many more. He is also a lecturer in Creative Writing at Manchester University.

Edge-Lit runs from 10am – midnight on Saturday 14 July 2012, with tickets just £25, including access to all activities on the day. For more information, and to book your tickets, visit the website HERE

The Annual Conference of Verulam Writers’ Circle, St Albans

Featuring an array of influential and creative people in the UK publishing business, offering talks, workshops, seminars and a lot of networking. Returning for their 4th year are our hugely popular 3 and 5 minute pitches direct to leading agents and editors. But this year there is more: for a small extra fee you will be able to book a 10 minute face time appointment during Get Writing 2012.

- Guests include writers, editors and publishers’ representatives such as: Adrian Chamberlain, Donna Condon, Helen Corner, Philippa Pride, Michael Rowley, Toby Frost and the BFS’s own Lee Harris

- A vast range of workshops, from non-fiction writing with David Lindo to fantasy writing with Suzanne McLeod and M.D. Lachlan

- Get Writing Cup Short Story Competition with a prize of critique from Cornerstones Literary Consultancy, a cup and £50, plus the chance to have the story published on the National Short Story Week website

When: Saturday February 11th 2012
Venue: De Havilland Campus of the University of Hertfordshire in Hatfield, Hertfordshire
Cost: £55

Website: http://www.vwc.org.uk/getwriting2012.php