Save the Date! CYMERA Festival will return in June 2025.
CYMERA is Scotland’s Festival of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Writing. Each year CYMERA brings writers, readers and publishing industry experts together in celebration of speculative fiction. At CYMERA you’ll find author panels and book signings, writing workshops, open mics, live performances, bookish quizzes, tabletop gaming spaces and so much more. Each year the festival is held both in Edinburgh and online, allowing genre-enthusiasts to tune in no matter where they are in the world.
Author Panels & Signings
Each year, CYMERA Festival brings speculative fiction authors together to discuss their stories in a series of author panels. At CYMERA you’ll find a wide variety of authors — from established genre giants, to debut authors just hitting the shelves. All in-person panels are streamed digitally for online attendees, and we also have a programme of digital-only panels, allowing authors who cannot be in Edinburgh to still join in on the fun. Book signings are held immediately after each in-person panel.
CYMERA has worked with some fantastic authors over the years: Cassandra Clare, VE Schwab, Adrian Tchaikovsky, Joanne Harris, Sangu Mandanna, Charles Stross and more!
Workshops
Looking to hone your craft? At each CYMERA Festival we host a variety of writing workshops, helping writers with prose, characterisation, writing routines, reading aloud, querying and so much more. CYMERA always has in-person and digital workshops available.
CYMERA has run workshops on…
Writing Ghost Stories
Historical Fantasy: Writing Cross-Genre
Getting Your Book Ready for Submission
Create Your Own Fantasy Map
Writing Immersive Fight Scenes
…and so much more!
Supporting New Writers
Each year, CYMERA’s Brave New Words programme allows new writers to read their work aloud at the start of one of our events. We also hold various Open Mic sessions, which CYMERA attendees can sign up for to read their work.
CYMERA also hosts a series of Agent One-to-Ones at each Festival and Writers’ Conference, allowing writers to book sessions to speak face-to-face with a literary agent.
Creators Hall
Each year, CYMERA’s Creators Hall is packed full of indie publishers, creators and artists showcasing their creations! You’ll find short story anthologies, comics, notebooks, art prints and so much more.
Keep an eye on our Creators Hall page to see who will be exhibiting at CYMERA Festival 2025.
Games Room
CYMERA’s Games Room is a free, safe drop-in space for folks to play tabletop games of all descriptions. Our experienced and friendly hosts will guide you through the games we have available — or feel free to bring your own games! Both board games and RPGs are welcome.
Festival Bookshop
Pop into the CYMERA Festival Bookshop, where you’ll find shelf after shelf of science fiction, fantasy and horror books. Keep an eye out for signed copies as well — authors have been known to stop in throughout the Festival with pen in hand!
…and so much more!
CYMERA Festival weekend is absolutely packed full of events and opportunities for readers and writers alike. In addition to everything above, you’ll also find our annual Cymera Quiz, live theatre performances, book launch events, charity auctions, ‘Inside SFFH Publishing’ Q&A sessions and more.