We’re a month and a half into the new year and my feet have barely touched the ground.
Firstly, I’ve been working hard on putting together The Slab’s next anthology: Vivid Worlds. This is going to be a solar punk anthology. If you don’t know what solar punk is, it is science fiction about some of the challenges we are facing with climate and ecology, but where it differs from ‘cli-fi’ is that the imagination of the writer proposes a hopeful, human solution for the issues faced in the story. It’s quite a challenging topic to write about, but it’s a genre that’s gaining some ground.
I took a break at the end of January to go on a writing retreat in the depths of the Brecon Beacons. Staying in a manor house with no wi-fi and barely any mobile signal, it was a real opportunity to take a break from the many distractions and obligations in my life and get some quality hours in for planning and writing my own work. Being surrounded by nature was also very good for the soul, and I would take a few meditative steps outside to do a little birding every so often, watching a pair of nuthatches dart about and rap the nuts in their beaks against the trees, listen to the chatter of jackdaws and the occasional throaty harrrrrr of a raven. I heard a treecreeper at one point, and the screech of a tawny owl.
There were also the regular peacocks strutting about, and some grey geese. This fella was particularly cheeky and would come over to chat to me most times. I think I can speak peacock now anyway. Lots of tock tock tock.
On Saturday 1st February, most of the writers bundled themselves into cars with cushions and blankets to see a night of storytelling and music curated by violinist Simmy Singh called Tán at Newton House, Dinefwr Park for the celebration of Gwyl y Golau – the returning of the light. Newton House is a beautiful gothic house built on the grounds of Dinefwr castle. Before the castle there was an iron age hill fort, so it has been an important site for around three thousand years. The night included performances from Simmy, storyteller Angharad Wynne, singer Bethan Lloyd, plus another amazing singer and flute player, Nigel. The singing was amazing, the music ethereal, and the stories captivating, speaking particularly to my bardic self. I couldn’t recommend it enough. Here is Angharad Wynne telling tales of Dinefwr Castle.
And how beautiful the house was, lit up by candles at night. We gathered by the fire in the gardens, watched over by herds of fallow deer.
The retreat was a lovely opportunity to meet back up with friends Roz Clarke, Jo Hall, Cheryl Morgan and Pete Sutton, as well as new writer friends. We also had a lovely visit from Neil and Gemma Beynon and spent an hour or two drinking tea and making clay models with the kids.
Even more recently, we had the opportunity to journey to Leicester and watch science-fiction writer-turned-stand-up Phillip Irving smash his set out of the park in the Some-Antics Comedy Slam. Here we are a few delicious Malbecs later outside The Real Ale Classroom with Phillip’s wife, Helen Cooper, George Coppen and Al Grant. Also out for the night missing from this pic, other members of Leicester’s lit scene, Jaye Eales, Selina Lock and Jim Worrad.
It does feel really weird to have Leicester Comedy Festival happening, and I am not even booked to do a spot anywhere this year. I should call this hiatus a hiatus hernia, because it’s pains me! However, all in a good cause as I find myself getting busier with writing and editing.
It’s that time of year when all the award nominations lists are either out, or nominations are being accepted for these.
Both of my eligible anthologies on the left have been longlisted for the BSFA Awards in Best Collection, which makes me super chuffed!
And, as if anticipated a rush, Mr Bezos has hugely dropped the price of Laughs in Space with a whopping 76% off at time of writing, as it’s going for just £3.30 in the UK.
Within that book, Rick Danforth’s story “Querulous Times” has also been longlisted, and you can read it for free on his blog here.
If you are a member of the BSFA, please consider picking Best of British Science Fiction 2023 or Laughs in Space for the shortlist!
And if you are a member of Seattle or Glasgow Worldcons, the Hugo nominations are now open, and I am eligible for Best Editor (Short Form) and Best Short Story.
That’s it for now! I will have some more very exciting news that I can share with you soon. For now, no spoilers…
