General Update

Writing
Have been getting down to it with new short story 'The Transmuted Engine'. This piece has turned into something quite remarkable and, after such a long hiatus, deeply satisfying. It's proved to be the perfect forum in which to let my imagination run wild. I am close to completing it, despite suffering from bouts of inexplicable fatigue over the past couple of weeks. Can't wait to finish this one and move onto 'The Spiders of Suburbia'.

Still wondering what to do with my completed novella The Hotel Galileo. Have looked at various options but none of them particylarly satisfying. I want to find the right publisher for this special story and am prepared to wait a while to find them.

Convention
I'm planning to attend the Space, Time, Machine and Monster: A Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Conference for the Valleys on Saturday 21 June 2008, 10:00am - 4:30pm at the University of Glamorgan, Treforest. (Tickets £5 / £3 concessions; available on the door only)

On Saturday 21 June 2008, Academi will be holding a Science Fiction,Fantasy and Horror Day Conference as part of the new South Wales Valleys Literature Development Initiative. The event will be held in the University of Glamorgan, Treforest campus. Professor Mark Brake, originator of the 'Science: Fiction and Culture Course' at the University will introduce an exciting day including workshops, discussion panels and presentations from a wealth of talented authors, scriptwriters and creative artists from Wales including Jasper Fforde, Philip Gross, Tim Lebbon, Steve Lockley, Stephen Volk, Catherine Fisher, Terry Cooper and more.

There is a long and lasting fascination with Fantasy and ScienceFiction in the Valleys in Wales, dating back to the Mabinogion. This also includes a story about alien contact written by the Bishop of Llandaff in 1638 andcontinues with others including Lady Gwen written anonymously in 1891, Godwin's writings and more currently Peter George and Terry Nation,with the most current and successful writer to raise the profile of the genrebeing Russell T Davies with Dr Who. The Conference aims to attract and celebrate the creative talents ofpeople of all ages and abilities with a variety of stimulating talks andworkshops throughout the day. It will be an ideal event to showcase a particulargenre of literature which is gaining ever more popularity and interest andwill help to promote its enjoyment and relevance today.

Scintillating sessions from:
* Jasper Fforde - creator of the 'New Weird' genre of writing
* Stephen Volk - Horror script writer for TV and film in the UK andUSA
* Steve Lockley - Horror writer
* Tim Lebbon - Horror writer
* Dr Dimitra Fimi - Lecturer in English Literature specifically theworks of Tolkien
* Rev Neil Hook - History of Sci Fi and Fantasy in Wales
* Rhys Hughes - talk on Magic Realism/Readings
* Louis Savy - Presentation and screening of three winners of theLondon Sci Fi 48 hour film challenge
* Rhys Hughes - OuLiPo presentation on how to write impossiblestories
* Andrew Cartmel - scriptwriter for Dr Who, Dark Knight and TorchwoodSessions particularly for young people include:
* Creative Sci Fi Writing with Philip Gross
* Graphic Novel Character and storyboard workshop with artist andauthor Terry Cooper
* Fantasy Fiction for children with Catherine FisherFor further information please contact Louise Richards, South WalesValleys Literature Development Officer on:swvldo@gmail.com or 07854 435217or Academi on 029 2047 2266.

Hope to see some friendly faces there!

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