Fantasycon: Panels, Workshops and Presentations List (Friday)
Here is the list for Friday. Click on the activity you are interested in to find out more.
Please note, at the moment this schedule is provisional. We will revise and update sessions according to the information we receive from participants.
12 Noon: Fantasycon Reception Opens (Reception Area)
Pick up your goodie bag and ID card from our desk. registration will close at 8pm. After this, a phone number will be left on the desk for you to contact if you have any queries.
12 Noon: Traders Open
Browse our selection of publishers and grab yourself some excellent books.
New to Fantasycon - Friday 3.30pm (Panel Room 2)
Karen Fishwick (Moderator)
Is this your first time at Fantasycon? Been coming here a while? Pop along to our introductory session to meet new Fantasycon members.
Self Publishing Experiences - Friday 4.30pm (Panel Room 2)
Iain Grant (Moderator), Kevin Elliott, Heide Goody, Rachel McLean
Our experienced guests will be discussing their experiences in self publishing and debating the merits and flaws of the different aspects of this enterprise. There is a lot to learn for everyone in terms of getting self publishing right.
Fantasy Readings - Friday 5pm (Reading Room)
Susie Williamson, Clint Wastling, Teika Bellamy
Genre Splicing - Friday 5pm (Panel Room 1)
Allen Stroud (Moderator), Andrew Hook, Cheryl Morgan, Juliet E. Mckenna
Why can’t you use the tools from a Fantasy Writer’s toolkit in a story set in space? Why not bring nanotech tech to a fantastical dark age? Our panel discusses the challenges and opportunities of bringing together different genre ideas in a new innovative mix.
Bringing Character- Friday 5.30pm (Panel Room 2)
Neil Williamson (Moderator), Jen Williams, Phil Sloman, Myk Pilgrim
Traditionally, genre fiction has been about the plot , but character plays a huge part in any writing and has always been undervalued by critics looking in from the outside. Our panel discuss the intricacies of characterisation - making individuals who are convincing and realistic to the reader.
Readings: Horror (3) - Friday 6pm (Reading Room)
David Cartwright, Kat Dunn, Jason Whittle.
Representing Women - Friday 6pm (Panel Room 1)
Charlotte Bond (Moderator), F. D. Lee, Saara El-Arifi, Susie Williamson
Women as characters - inspiring to readers of all ages and any gender. Have the genres shifted, allowing for more women protagonists? Have we managed to banish the all the sexist tropes to the past? Join our panel in a discussion of representing women in fantasy, horror and science fiction.
Writing Groups - Friday 6.30pm (Panel Room 2)
Allen Ashley (Moderator), Rachel Emma Shaw, David Green, Ian Hunter
Some new writers worry about keeping their ideas to themselves. But writing groups can provide invaluable assistance. Other writers are on their own path and can offer some advice or assistance and spot ways in which you can improve your work. Our panel discusses writing groups and how they can help.
Welcome to Fantasycon - Friday 7pm (The Main Room)
Allen Stroud, Marcus Gipps, Jen Williams
Welcome to Fantasycon 2021! An introduction from the chair of the convention and introducing our guests of honour.
Fantasy Readings - Friday 7pm (Reading Room)
David Allan, Simon André Kledtke, Anna Smith Spark
Writing as a Business - Friday 7pm (Panel Room 1)
Iain Grant (Moderator), David Moore, Adrian Tchaikovsky, Juliet E.Mckenna
There are more and more works being published. Opportunities for professional writers exist in many mediums, genres and formats. However, few writers choose to give up their other work and focus solely on the writing profession. Our panel discusses their experiences of writing professionally and trying to navigate the industry.
Friday Night Poetry - Friday 7.30pm (Panel Room 2)
Allen Ashley (Moderator)
In what has now become a staple of Fantasycon, Allen Ashley will once again be hosting the “Poetry Round Robin”. Bring a couple of poems to share. No stars, no guest readers, we will get round and appreciate everybody.
For further details: Contact Allen on allenashley-writer@hotmail.co.uk
Horror Readings - Friday 8pm (Reading Room)
Neil Williamson, Jonathan Walker, Dan Coxon
Representing Gender - Friday 8pm (Panel Room 1)
Heide Goody (Moderator), Tej Turner, Kat Dunn, Arawalo
The depiction of gender in science fiction, fantasy and horror has always been an area of interest, whether through works like Le Guin’s The Left Hand of Darkness, or more recently, Kameron Hurley’s Mirror Empire series. Our panel discusses gender, and how writers represent genders in their work.
Weird Fiction Readings - Friday 9pm (Reading Room)
Tom Johnstone, David Cartwright, David Hartley
World Horror - Friday 9pm (Panel Room 1)
Laura Mauro (Moderator), Jim Mcleod, Peter Mark May
Every audience has different fears. Are these fears common across cultural boundaries, or are they shaped and changed by the different life experiences that people have? Our panel discusses international horror - stories that transcend borders or the ways that they can be limited by them.
Writing Shorts - Friday 9.30pm (Panel Room 2)
Pete Sutton (Moderator), Tej Turner, Andrew Knighton, Neil Williamson
Often seen as an entry way into writing novels, there is also a definite skill to writing short fiction. Our panel explore the market and the qualities of a good short story.
Science Fiction Readings - Friday 10pm (Reading Room)
Adrian Tchaikovsky, Lorraine Wilson, John Dodd