#Cymera2020 went digital

We asked our #Cymera2020 authors if they fancy taking part in a digital festival, and we were delighted that many of them said yes.

#Cymera2020 was a packed weekend of panels, readings, the quiz on the Friday night, four RPG adventures and the Event Horizon with Shoreline of Infinity on Saturday night!

All our events are now up on YouTube, so check them out!

Ad Astra: Laura Lam and Temi Oh at the Big Book Weekend

Chaired by Nicole Brandon and with a Brave New Words Reading from Charlotte Platt

What if the only way to save humanity is to leave the collapsing Earth behind? In her debut novel Do You Dream of Terra-Two, Temi Oh sends six teenagers on an intergalactic mission to save the population of a dying Earth, while in her new novel Goldilocks, Laura Lam entrusts humanity’s last chance for survival to the first all-female space crew.

Join two rising stars of contemporary science-fiction to discuss their books, while new voice Charlotte Platt caps it off with short reading from her urban fantasy novel A Stranger’s Guide.

Cymera 2020 CANCELLED

Following close monitoring of the ever-changing situation regarding the global spread of COVID-19 and having held discussions with key partners, we have taken the sad but necessary decision to cancel this year’s Cymera: Scotland’s Festival of Science-Fiction, Fantasy and Horror for 2020 after all.

We take our responsibility towards you - our speakers, participants, creators, volunteers and funders - very seriously, and it has become increasingly clear that we will not be able to deliver the world-class festival you deserve.

We will continue to champion our genre writers and contributors online, who need our support in these challenging times, so make sure you follow us on Social Media.

Cymera will be back in 2021, just as good if not better (though not bigger, we’ve already run out of venue space).

We look forward to welcoming you all to Edinburgh from 4th to 7th June 2021.

I have booked tickets. What happens next?

All tickets will be refunded automatically in the next seven to ten working days.

I supported the Crowdfunder. What happens to my reward?

All rewards will automatically roll over into #Cymera2021.

Our friends at Shoreline of Infinity are still planning to publish their Cymera edition featuring the winners of our Cymera Prize for Short Fiction, and if you are a Valiant Unicorn or Ferocious Stoorworm, a copy will come your way in June.

Need the funds back for toilet paper? Due to the nature of the Crowdfunder we cannot automatically issue refunds, so please contact us on admin@cymerafestival.co.uk with your bank details and we will transfer the money back (minus the Crowdfunder fees).

We encourage you to continue following the advice given by the World Health Organisation to prevent the spread of the virus.

#Cymera2020 Dates for your diary!

Official Programme Launch will be Saturday 7th March 2020, and tickets will go on sale on Monday 16th March 2020. Our weekend pass holders, members, our Cymera champions and patrons will get access to early booking. 

Applications for our Creators Hall are now open. 

We would be nothing without all our fantastic volunteers, and Volunteer sign-up will open in April 2020.

#Cymera2020 will take place from 5th to 7th June 2020 at The Pleasance, Edinburgh

Event Announcement

Ben Aaronovitch in conversation with Tendai Huchu

Date: Sunday 23rd February 2020

Time: 4pm (Doors 3:30pm)

Venue: Assembly Roxy, 2 Roxburgh Place, Edinburgh EH8 9SU

Cymera is excited to welcome back author Ben Aaronovitch to Edinburgh. Ben will be chatting about his new book False Value, the latest instalment in his bestselling Rivers of London series. Ben will be in conversation with Edinburgh author Tendai Huchu.

Tickets: £10/£8 concession

Event Duration: 60 minutes followed by a book signing

Copies of False Value will be available to buy on the night from Blackwell's Bookshop.

About False Value

Peter Grant is facing fatherhood, and an uncertain future, with equal amounts of panic and enthusiasm. Rather than sit around, he takes a job with émigré Silicon Valley tech genius Terrence Skinner's brand-new London start up - the Serious Cybernetics Company. Drawn into the orbit of Old Street's famous 'silicon roundabout', Peter must learn how to blend in with people who are both civilians and geekier than he is. Compared to his last job, Peter thinks it should be a doddle. But magic is not finished with Mama Grant's favourite son. Because Terrence Skinner has a secret hidden in the bowels of the SCC. A technology that stretches back to Ada Lovelace and Charles Babbage, and forward to the future of artificial intelligence. A secret that is just as magical as it technological - and just as dangerous.

About Ben Aaronovitch

Ben Aaronovitch grew up as part of a famously engaged and lively North London family. He has written for many TV series including Doctor Who and been a bookseller. His Peter Grant novels have been hugely successful, and he now writes full time. He still lives in London, the city he likes to refer to as 'the capital of the world'.

About Tendai Huchu

Originally from Zimbabwe and a long-term resident of Edinburgh, he is the award-winning author of two previous novels for adults: The Hairdresser of Harare and The Maestro, The Magistrate and the Mathematician. He has also written extensively in the short form, with stories appearing in the Manchester Review, Interzone, AfroSF, Ellery Queen and others. Tendai’s new book The Library of the Dead will be published in 2021.