Filtering by: Saturday
A Rose Appears: Test Phase
Jun
2
4:30 PM16:30
Play, Saturday, Made in Scotland

A Rose Appears: Test Phase

A shadowy organisation hires three scientists to experiment with an extra-terrestrial element which might hold the key to teleportation. When one of them is unexpectedly killed by the machine, it is up to her colleagues to solve the puzzle – or face the consequences of failure. Their employer demands more human testing, but will their consciences allow it? And what will they discover if they continue to tug at the curtain of the known universe?

 As the research progresses, essential boundaries - between knowledge and faith, reality and delusion, reason and instinct - become terrifyingly thin.

 

This work-in-progress storytelling event provides a first look at an original sci-fi horror story by Dave Robb (The Devil in the Belfry), directed by Flavia D’Avila (The Devil in the Belfry, The Rotting Hart).

 Content warnings: references to mental illness, violence, discriminatory language, drug use.

About the event

Running time: 60 minutes

Venue: Lomond Room

Price: £5/£3 concession - In Person

This event takes place in person.

Find out more about ACCESS to our events here, and for information about TICKETS, click here.

Any other questions? Check out our FAQ.

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Dune! The Musical
Jun
2
3:00 PM15:00
Play, Saturday, Made in Scotland

Dune! The Musical

A memoir in song by the Earl of Caladan, trusted adviser to the Padisha Emperor and beloved troubadour-warrior, the bard Gurney Halleck.

Following the success of his work on "A Child's History of Muad'Dib" Gurney will perform hits from his back catalogue and introduce never-before-heard songs from his time among the Fremen.

Sing along with little Paul Atreides on his journey to Sietch Tabr; can he tame the worm, save the world AND get the girl?

Forget everything you know about Arrakis and get ready for Dune! The Musical


About the Performer

Dan Collins is a musician, writer and amateur clown with too much time on his hands. He enjoys reading sci-fi and telling stories.


"Imagine if Robert Smith and Clancy Brown taught an Irishman to play for tourists, but bald...and shorter"


Venue: Cabaret Bar

Running Time: 60 minutes, no break

Tickets: £10/£8 plus 50p booking fee


Find out more about ACCESS to our events here, and for information about TICKETS, click here.

Any other questions? Check out our FAQ.

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Reading Group Meet-up
Jun
2
11:30 AM11:30
FREE, Saturday, Free

Reading Group Meet-up

In need of some fresh reading recommendations? Want to tell fellow readers about your favourite SFFH books? Or just fancy some chill bookish chat?

Then our reading group meet-up is for you.

Come along for some informal bookish chat with fellow SFFH lovers. There may even be biscuits.

About the event

Running time: 30 minutes

Venue: Music Room

Free to come along, just pop in.

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Many Shades of Darkness with Elle Nash, Kaaron Warren and Johanna Van Veen
Jun
1
8:45 PM20:45
Debut, Horror, Livestream, Made in Scotland, Saturday

Many Shades of Darkness with Elle Nash, Kaaron Warren and Johanna Van Veen

Horror is often considered the most diverse genre to read and write. From body horror to ghost stories, join us on this Saturday night to explore the many shades of darkness with authors Elle Nash, Kaaron Warren and Johanna Van Veen.

 

Elle Nash is the author of the novel Animals Eat Each Other (Dzanc Books), which was featured in O Magazine and hailed by Publishers Weekly as a “complex, impressive exploration of obsession and desire.” Upon publication of her novel in the UK, she appeared at the Edinburgh International Book Festival to present the work of under-represented voices with Amnesty International, and to speak about sex, death and feminism in literature. Her work appears in Guernica, Adroit, The Creative Independent, Hazlitt, Literary Hub, Cosmopolitan, New York Tyrant and elsewhere. She is a founding editor of Witch Craft Magazine. She currently lives in Glasgow, Scotland.

Kaaron Warren is the author of the novels Slights, Walking the Tree, Mistification, Tide of Stone and The Grief Hole and the short story collections Through Splintered Walls, The Grinding House, and Dead Sea Fruit. Her short stories have won her a Shirley Jackson Award, as well as multiple Australian Shadows Awards, Ditmar Awards and Aurealis Awards. She lives in Canberra, Australia.

Johanna grew up in the Netherlands together with her two sisters. The three of them are triplets, though her sisters are identical to each other and she’s different, a fact she didn’t discover until she was five years old; at least, unlike most people, she can pinpoint the exact moment she became self-aware.

She has received an MA in English Literature with a specialisation in early modern literature, as well as an MA Book and Digital Media with a specialisation in early modern book history, both of them at Leiden University. She currently works as an editor for a big company that sends a lot of reports and letters out every day, all of them requiring a lot of love and attention to make sure that every comma is where it should be. This job gives her enough time to write (mostly queer gothic) novels. When she isn’t doing any of those things, she enjoys spending time with her girlfriend, her sisters, and her dog, though not necessarily all at the same time. My Darling Dreadful Thing is her debut novel.

This event will be chaired by Rhiannon Grist.

About the event

Running time: 55 minutes followed by a book signing

Venue: Upper Hall

Price: £11/£8 concession - In Person - or £5.50 Live Stream - (plus 50p booking fee)

This event takes place in person and is broadcast via live stream.

A recording of this event will be available to catch-up on our YouTube until Sunday 14th July 2024. Ticket holders and weekend pass owners will receive the catch-up link automatically after the festival. Please keep an eye on your SPAM.

 

Find out more about ACCESS to our events here, and for information about TICKETS, click here.

Any other questions? Check out our FAQ.

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Shoreline of Infinity's Event Horizon
Jun
1
8:30 PM20:30
Made in Scotland, Science Fiction, Saturday

Shoreline of Infinity's Event Horizon

Presented by the award-winning folks of Shoreline of Infinity, Edinburgh's Science Fiction cabaret night comes to CYMERA.

A stunning night

 of glorious science fictional words and music - with swords

Music:

Aurora Engine

 

Prose & Poetry:

Andrew J Wilson (accompanied by Kenny MacKay on guitar)

Teika Marija Smits

Oliver K. Langmead

Also

the Cymera/Shoreline winning story

read and performed by

Danielle Farrow

Special Guests:

Storytelling with Swords

by

The Dawn Duellists Society

 who will be demonstrating real sword skills - take notes for your next sword

fighting scene!

Your host for the evening:

Lyndsey Croal


About the event

Running time: 120 minutes

Price: £8/£6 concession (plus 50p booking fee)

Venue: Pleasance Bar

This event takes place in person.



Find out more about ACCESS to our events here, and for information about TICKETS, click here.

Any other questions? Check out our FAQ.

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Small Town Problems with Tori Bovalino and Max Turner
Jun
1
7:00 PM19:00
Debut, Horror, Livestream, Saturday

Small Town Problems with Tori Bovalino and Max Turner

Nosy neighbours and a lack of amenities are the least of the problems the main protagonists of Tori Bovalino’s and Max Turner’s books face. Expect missing children and dark secrets to feature in this folk horror panel.

 

Tori Bovalino (she/her) is the author of three YA horror novels, including My Throat an Open Grave, and edited the Indie-bestselling anthology, The Gathering Dark. Tori also writes adult fantasy as V.L. Bovalino. She is originally from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and now lives in the UK with her partner and their very loud cat. Tori loves scary stories, obscure academic book facts, and impractical, oversized sweaters. She can be found on Instagram as @toribovalino.

Max Turner is a gay transgender fella living in the UK. He is a nerd, Intersectional Feminist, and a retired performer and show producer. He writes speculative fiction, science fiction, fantasy, furry fiction, horror and LGBTQ+ fiction. This includes gay and trans romance and erotica. Max is also the publisher of A Coup of Owls quarterly online anthology and print anthologies. 

Currently undergoing Parenting 101, he can be found hanging on for dear life to the nearest cup of strong coffee. Max has also written under the name L.E. Turner

This event will be chaired by PM Freestone

About the event

Running time: 55 minutes followed by a book signing

Venue: Upper Hall

Price: £11/£8 concession - In Person - or £5.50 Live Stream - (plus 50p booking fee)

This event takes place in person and is broadcast via live stream.

A recording of this event will be available to catch-up on our YouTube until Sunday 14th July 2024. Ticket holders and weekend pass owners will receive the catch-up link automatically after the festival. Please keep an eye on your SPAM.

 

Find out more about ACCESS to our events here, and for information about TICKETS, click here.

Any other questions? Check out our FAQ.

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In Search of a New Eden with Oliver Langmead, Ken MacLeod and Adrian Tchaikovsky
Jun
1
6:45 PM18:45
Made in Scotland, Saturday, Livestream, Science Fiction

In Search of a New Eden with Oliver Langmead, Ken MacLeod and Adrian Tchaikovsky

Oliver K. Langmead writes speculative fiction. His new verse-novel, Calypso, will be published by Titan Books in 2024. Glitterati, was shortlisted for a British Fantasy Award in 2023, and named one of New Scientist’s best Science Fiction books of 2022, and the French edition of Birds of Paradise, Les Oiseaux du Paradis, was published summer 2023. He is a Lecturer in Creative Writing at the University of Lancaster, and in late 2018 he was the writer in residence at the European Space Agency’s Astronaut Centre in Cologne.

Ken MacLeod is the author of 20 novels. The Sky Road and The Night Sessions won the BSFA Award, and his various books have been nominated for the Arthur C. Clarke, Hugo, Nebula, Locus, and Campbell Memorial awards on multiple occasions. Prior to becoming a novelist, MacLeod studied biology and worked as a computer programmer. Ken has been chosen as a Guest of Honor at the 82nd Worldcon taking place in Glasgow in August 2024.

Adrian Tchaikovsky was born in Lincolnshire and studied zoology and psychology at Reading before becoming a professional author in 2007. He is a keen role-player and board gamer and is trained in stage-fighting. Adrian primarily explores deep themes, such as artificial intelligence and alien awareness within epic galactic and fantastical settings. He has a deep interest in the animal world specifically insects from his studies in Zoology and has a particular penchant for spiders.

This event will be chaired by Stark Holborn.

About the event

Running time: 55 minutes followed by a book signing

Venue: Pleasance Theatre

Price: £11/£8 concession - In Person - or £5.50 Live Stream - (plus 50p booking fee)

This event takes place in person and is broadcast via live stream.

A recording of this event will be available to catch-up on our YouTube until Sunday 14th July 2024. Ticket holders and weekend pass owners will receive the catch-up link automatically after the festival. Please keep an eye on your SPAM.

 

Find out more about ACCESS to our events here, and for information about TICKETS, click here.

Any other questions? Check out our FAQ.

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Love Stories with Sylvie Cathrall, Sangu Mandanna and S. A. MacLean
Jun
1
6:30 PM18:30
Digital, Debut, Saturday

Love Stories with Sylvie Cathrall, Sangu Mandanna and S. A. MacLean

 

Sylvie Cathrall writes stories of hope and healing with healthy doses of wonder and whimsy. She holds a graduate degree in odd Victorian art and has handled more than a few nineteenth-century letters (with great care). Sylvie married her former pen pal and lives in the mountains, where she dresses impractically and dreams of the sea.

Sangu Mandanna was four years old when an elephant chased her down a forest road and she decided to write her first story about it. Seventeen years and many, many manuscripts later, she signed her first book deal. Sangu now lives in Norwich, a city in the east of England, with her husband and kids.

 

S. A. MacLean is a romantasy author from sunny California. Infatuated with magical worlds since her days of brewing mud potions in her childhood garden, she fell in love with the romantasy genre after realizing all her favourite fantasy novels had kisses in them. Her stories invariably feature quirky humour, sassy animal companions, and queer casts who represent her voice as a chaotic bisexual woman. ​

Sarah received her BS in Natural Resources from Cornell University and a PhD in Environmental Science from UC Berkeley. If you think that sounds overly pedantic, well, she agrees! So she left the research track to teach environmental science at her local community college, inspiring the next generation of students to save the planet. Her ecology background seeps into her fantasy worlds as odd plants and an obnoxious number of bird references. ​

She currently lives in California with her partner, two cats, and a growing saltwater aquarium.

This event will be chaired by Alice Tarbuck.

About the event

Running time: 60 minutes

Price: £5.50 - (plus 50p booking fee)

This event takes place in Zoom Webinar.

A recording of this event will be available to catch-up on our YouTube until Sunday 14th July 2024. Ticket holders and weekend pass owners will receive the catch-up link automatically after the festival. Please keep an eye on your SPAM.

Joining us at the Pleasance? We will be showing the digital events on a big TV in the Music Room. Free with a weekend pass, or please purchase a £6 digital ticket.

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A Rose Appears: Test Phase
Jun
1
6:30 PM18:30
Saturday, Made in Scotland, Play

A Rose Appears: Test Phase

A shadowy organisation hires three scientists to experiment with an extra-terrestrial element which might hold the key to teleportation. When one of them is unexpectedly killed by the machine, it is up to her colleagues to solve the puzzle – or face the consequences of failure. Their employer demands more human testing, but will their consciences allow it? And what will they discover if they continue to tug at the curtain of the known universe?

 As the research progresses, essential boundaries - between knowledge and faith, reality and delusion, reason and instinct - become terrifyingly thin.

 

This work-in-progress storytelling event provides a first look at an original sci-fi horror story by Dave Robb (The Devil in the Belfry), directed by Flavia D’Avila (The Devil in the Belfry, The Rotting Hart).

 Content warnings: references to mental illness, violence, discriminatory language, drug use.

About the event

Running time: 60 minutes

Venue: Lomond Room

Price: £5/£3 concession - In Person

This event takes place in person.

Find out more about ACCESS to our events here, and for information about TICKETS, click here.

Any other questions? Check out our FAQ.

View Event →
Dune! The Musical
Jun
1
6:30 PM18:30
Play, Saturday, Made in Scotland

Dune! The Musical

A memoir in song by the Earl of Caladan, trusted adviser to the Padisha Emperor and beloved troubadour-warrior, the bard Gurney Halleck.

Following the success of his work on "A Child's History of Muad'Dib" Gurney will perform hits from his back catalogue and introduce never-before-heard songs from his time among the Fremen.

Sing along with little Paul Atreides on his journey to Sietch Tabr; can he tame the worm, save the world AND get the girl?

Forget everything you know about Arrakis and get ready for Dune! The Musical


About the Performer

Dan Collins is a musician, writer and amateur clown with too much time on his hands. He enjoys reading sci-fi and telling stories.


"Imagine if Robert Smith and Clancy Brown taught an Irishman to play for tourists, but bald...and shorter"


Venue: Cabaret Bar

Running Time: 60 minutes, no break

Tickets: £10/£8 plus 50p booking fee


Find out more about ACCESS to our events here, and for information about TICKETS, click here.

Any other questions? Check out our FAQ.

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Arctic Horrors with C.J. Cooke, Tim Lebbon and Ally Wilkes
Jun
1
5:15 PM17:15
Horror, Livestream, Made in Scotland, Saturday

Arctic Horrors with C.J. Cooke, Tim Lebbon and Ally Wilkes

Welcome to the far north, where icy winds howl in long dark nights, or across skies where the sun doesn’t set.. This is the perfect setting for a horror, and we are excited to welcome three masters of the genre with C.J. Cooke, Tim Lebbon and Ally Wilkes. Be ready to be chilled to the bone.

 

C J Cooke (Carolyn Jess-Cooke) lives in Glasgow with her husband and four children. C J Cooke's works have been published in 23 languages and have won many awards. She holds a PhD in Literature from the Queen's University of Belfast and is currently Senior Lecturer in Creative Writing at the University of Glasgow, where she researches creative writing interventions for mental health. Two of her books are currently optioned for film.

 

Tim Lebbon is the New York Times bestselling author of Eden, Coldbrook, The Silence, and the Relics trilogy. He has also written many successful movie novelizations and tie-ins for Alien and Firefly. Tim has won a World Fantasy Award, four British Fantasy Awards, a Bram Stoker Award, a Shocker, a Tombstone and been a finalist for the International Horror Guild and World Fantasy Awards. The Silence is now a gripping Netflix movie starring Stanley Tucci and Kiernan Shipka.

Follow Tim on X and Instagram @timlebbon

Ally Wilkes grew up in a succession of isolated—possibly haunted—country houses and boarding schools. After studying law at Oxford, she went on to spend eleven years as a criminal barrister, learning how extreme situations bring out the best (or worst) in human nature. Ally now lives in Greenwich, London, with an anatomical human skeleton and far too many books about Polar exploration. When she isn't writing or reading horror, she's usually to be found hanging upside-down (like a bat) from her aerial silks. 

About the event

Running time: 55 minutes followed by a book signing

Venue: Upper Hall

Price: £11/£8 concession - In Person - or £5.50 Live Stream - (plus 50p booking fee)

This event takes place in person and is broadcast via live stream.

A recording of this event will be available to catch-up on our YouTube until Sunday 14th July 2024. Ticket holders and weekend pass owners will receive the catch-up link automatically after the festival. Please keep an eye on your SPAM.

 

Find out more about ACCESS to our events here, and for information about TICKETS, click here.

Any other questions? Check out our FAQ.

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Launch: The Utopia Of US
Jun
1
5:00 PM17:00
For Writers, Free, Made in Scotland, Saturday

Launch: The Utopia Of US

Join Edinburgh-based indie publisher Luna Press Publishing and editor Teika Marija Smits to celebrate the publication of The Utopia of Us, a new collection of fiction inspired by We by Yevgeny Zamyatin.

The year 2024 marks the first publication of the hugely significant novel We by the Russian author Yevgeny Zamyatin. The direct inspiration for George Orwell's 1984, We also influenced many other novels, such as Ursula K. Le Guin's The Dispossessed and Kurt Vonnegut's Player Piano. We ushered in a new genre - the future dystopia - and in doing so gave birth to the many dystopian novels and films which have found their way into our popular culture. 

Inspired by Zamyatin's ground-breaking novel, The Utopia of Us features stories by some of the most imaginative of today's writers of speculative fiction, including Aliya Whiteley, R.T. Ester, Adrian Tchaikovsky, Anne Charnock, Tim Major, Anna Orridge, Douglas Thompson, Nadya Mercik, Liam Hogan, Fiona Mossman, Ian Whates, Michael Teasdale, Ana Sun, Rayn Epremian, and Sofia Samatar. A timely and necessary celebration of We, The Utopia of Us offers the reader stories of hope and despair, wonder and brutality. Most of all, The Utopia of Us reminds us of our humanity. 

Due to Russia's current war with Ukraine, royalties from the book will be donated to the Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal.

About the event

Running time: 60 minutes

Venue: Pleasance Cabaret Bar

This event is free but ticketed.

 

Find out more about ACCESS to our events here, and for information about TICKETS, click here.

Any other questions? Check out our FAQ.

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Time Travels with Poppy Kuroki and Nigel Planer
Jun
1
5:00 PM17:00
Debut, Livestream, Saturday

Time Travels with Poppy Kuroki and Nigel Planer

When Jeremiah Bourne, the hero of Nigel Planer’s debut novel Jeremiah Bourne in Time, is swept from his crumbling home in Blackfriars in 2019, to the same house but in 1910, he suddenly faces two questions: how did he get here, and how can he get back to his own time?

Meanwhile Poppy Kuroki’s debut novel Gate to Kagoshima introduces the reader to Isla., who travels back to Kagoshima in 1877, amid the dawn of the Satsuma Rebellion – the conflict that ended the samurai. When she meets Keiichiro Maeda, a samurai who introduces her to a way of life only previously encountered in books, Isla begins to wonder if she has found her true home.

 

Poppy was born in Scotland and has been living in Japan since 2014. Her ANCESTOR MEMORIES series was bought at auction by Oneworld in the UK. Film and TV rights have been optioned by Westbrook, Will Smith’s production company. GATE TO KAGOSHIMA (BOOK 1), a sweeping historical fantasy set in samurai-era Japan, releases in summer 2024.

Poppy loves video games, cooking, history, and reading books of any genre. She lives in a beautiful town near the sea with her husband and son.

Follow Poppy on X, Instagram, and TikTok @kurokibooks

A founder member of the Comedy Store and Comic Strip in the 80s, Nigel continues to pursue a successful career as actor and singer in all media, which includes the creation of the characters Neil the Hippy, and Nicholas Craig the Thespian.

He has written novels, non-fiction and comedy books as well as stage and radio plays, poetry and scripts for TV – including over 100 episodes of the Magic Roundabout.

He has recently recorded several of the songs he wrote in the 1970s which are available on Bandcamp.com. Jeremiah Bourne in Time is his first adventure in time.

Find Nigel on X and Instagram @NigelPlaner1, on his Facebook page and patreon

This event will be chaired by Philippa Cochrane.

About the event

Running time: 55 minutes followed by a book signing

Venue: Pleasance Theatre

Price: £11/£8 concession - In Person - or £5.50 Live Stream - (plus 50p booking fee)

This event takes place in person and is broadcast via live stream.

A recording of this event will be available to catch-up on our YouTube until Sunday 14th July 2024. Ticket holders and weekend pass owners will receive the catch-up link automatically after the festival. Please keep an eye on your SPAM.

 

Find out more about ACCESS to our events here, and for information about TICKETS, click here.

Any other questions? Check out our FAQ.

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Creating Legends with Kate Heartfield and Sophie Keetch
Jun
1
5:00 PM17:00
Digital, Fantasy, Saturday

Creating Legends with Kate Heartfield and Sophie Keetch

We love a fresh retelling, especially those in a non-classical canon.

From Kate Heartfield comes a glorious, lyrical retelling of one of Norse mythology’s greatest epics. Brynhild, Gudrun and Sigurd are destined to be lovers, fated as enemies. But here on Midgard, legends can be lies. For not all heroes are heroic, nor all monsters monstrous. And a shieldmaiden may yet find that love is the greatest weapon of all.

With My Name is Morgan and its sequel Le Fay, Sophie Keetch give us an atmospheric, feminist retelling of the early life of famed villainess Morgan le Fay, set against the colourful chivalric backdrop of Arthurian legend.

 

Kate Heartfield is the author of the Sunday Times bestselling The Embroidered Book, the Aurora-winning novel Armed in Her Fashion, and the Nebula-shortlisted novella Alice Payne Arrives, along with dozens of other stories. Her interactive fiction projects The Road to Canterbury and The Magician’s Workshop were shortlisted for the Nebula in game writing. She lives in Canada.

Find Kate on X, Instagram at @kateheartfield, on Bluesky at @kateheartfield.com and her facebook page

Sophie Keetch has a BA in English Literature from Cardiff University, which included the study of Arthurian legend. She is Welsh and lives with her husband and son in South Wales.

Follow Sophie on X @SophKWrites and on Instagram, Thread and Bluesky @sophiekeetchauthor

This event will be chaired by Jennifer Andreacchi.

About the event

Running time: 60 minutes

Price: £5.50 - (plus 50p booking fee)

This event takes place in Zoom Webinar.

A recording of this event will be available to catch-up on our YouTube until Sunday 14th July 2024. Ticket holders and weekend pass owners will receive the catch-up link automatically after the festival. Please keep an eye on your SPAM.

Joining us at the Pleasance? We will be showing the digital events on a big TV in the Music Room. Free with a weekend pass, or please purchase a £6 digital ticket.

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Inside SFFH Publishing
Jun
1
4:30 PM16:30
For Writers, Free, Saturday

Inside SFFH Publishing

Over the festival weekend, we will be chatting to industry professionals in our Inside SFFH Publishing events.

What does an editor do all day? Why should you get an agent? And why you should always listen to your publicist!

Saturday 1st June at 12:15pm: Natasha Qureshi Commissioning Editor at Hodderscape, Hodder & Stoughton

Saturday 1st June at 1:15pm: Alice Caprio, Agent at Felicity Bryan Associates

Saturday 1st June at 4:30pm: Eleanor Teasdale, Publisher at Angry Robot

++++

Sunday 2nd June at 1:45pm: Simon Spanton, Editor at Large at Angry Robot

Sunday 2nd June at 2:45pm: Rebecca Wojturska from indie publisher Haunt Books

+++

Our speakers will be in conversation with Averie Watson, Chair of the committee of the Society of Young Publishers (SYP) Scotland.

Venue: Lomond Room

Free to attend, no ticket needed.

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Workshop: Drawing Fantasy Characters with Hannah Kelly
Jun
1
4:00 PM16:00
For Writers, Sunday, Workshop, Saturday

Workshop: Drawing Fantasy Characters with Hannah Kelly

Pictish symbols carved into rocks. Boats hewn from the trunks of trees. Amulets, crowns and gravestones. Come and use artefacts from our Scottish history to springboard ideas for a fantasy character or creature. I'll start us off with some silly drawing games, then give you prompts and skills to develop figures and stories from ancient objects. You'll sketch, draw and play throughout, finishing with a fantasy character of your own design.


Suitable for Adults, Teens. (12+)
All materials provided. Any skill level welcome!

Your Workshop Leader

Hannah Kelly is a fantasy writer & illustrator. In 2019 she won the Moniack Mhor Emerging Writer Prize for her speculative fiction and she is currently writing her YA Fantasy series for Victoria Hobbs at A.M.Heath. Arthur Rackham, Brian Froud and Alan Lee are her constant inspiration for worldbuilding. 

About the event:

 Running time: 105 minutes including breaks

Venue: Cheviot Room

 Tickets: £18 / £15 (plus 50p booking fee)

 The event will be take place in person. Workshops are not recorded.

 

Our workshops are supported by Write Gear, creators of the Page One Writer’s Notebook and the Page One Podcast.

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Workshop: Historical Fantasy: Writing Cross-Genre with Lucy Holland
Jun
1
4:00 PM16:00
For Writers, Fantasy, Saturday, Workshop

Workshop: Historical Fantasy: Writing Cross-Genre with Lucy Holland

Historical fantasy combines what I see as the best parts of historical fiction and fantasy, but it is neither wholly one nor the other, and comes with a unique set of challenges. This worldbuilding workshop offers an in-depth and inspiring practical session for authors who seek guidance on how to integrate elements of both genres into their work.

The topics you will cover include:

  •  Finding the right historical era for your story

  •  Incorporating fantastical elements into well-known or recognisable settings

  •  Using existing myth and folklore as inspiration

  •  Beyond the desk: different methods of research

  •  Writing inclusively within a historical context

  •  How to build a believable atmosphere without resorting to archaic or anachronistic anguage

  •  Finding story in the landscape

  •  Engaging with contemporary issues in historical settings

This workshop takes the form of a presentation, making use of group discussion and active writing exercises to help put theory into practice. The aim is for participants to leave not only with new ideas, but a better understanding of how these genres can effectively and imaginatively intersect.

Your Workshop Leader

Lucy Holland is the author of The Times bestselling Sistersong, which was a finalist for the Goldsboro Books Glass Bell Award and the British Fantasy Award for Best Novel in 2022. Her second historical fantasy novel, Song of the Huntress, is published by Pan Macmillan in 2024. As Lucy Hounsom, she wrote the Worldmaker Trilogy. She worked twelve years in corporate account sales for Waterstones Booksellers before becoming a full-time author. Lucy co-hosts the intersectional feminist podcast ‘Breaking the Glass Slipper’, which won Best Audio in the 2019 British Fantasy Awards. She lives in Devon.

Follow Lucy on X, Bluesky and Instagram @silvanhistorian and on her Facebook page

About the event:

 Running time: 105 minutes including breaks

Venue: Braid Room

 Tickets: £18 / £15 (plus 50p booking fee)

 The event will be take place in person. Workshops are not recorded.

 

Our workshops are supported by Write Gear, creators of the Page One Writer’s Notebook and the Page One Podcast.

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Open Mic
Jun
1
3:30 PM15:30
For Writers, Free, Saturday

Open Mic

Do you have a fresh piece of writing ready for the world to see? Then we want your reading! Poetry, a bit of a novel or short fiction, we love it all!

Readings should be no longer than five minutes

There will be two in-person open mic session over the festival weekend.

The Open Mic will take place in the Pleasance Bar at the following times

  • Saturday 1st June 3pm to 3:30pm

  • Sunday 2nd June 1:30pm to 2pm

To join us in person, please apply here

Submission deadline is Sunday 19th May 2024.

Venue: Pleasance Bar

Free, no ticket needed.

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Past, Present, Future with Esmie Jikiemi-Pearson, William Letford and EJ Swift
Jun
1
3:30 PM15:30
Fantasy, Debut, Saturday, Made in Scotland

Past, Present, Future with Esmie Jikiemi-Pearson, William Letford and EJ Swift

 

Esmie Jikiemi-Pearson is the Sunday Times Bestselling author of The Order of Legends trilogy. Inaugural winner of Future Worlds Prize Award in 2020, her debut novel, The Principle of Moments, was published in January 2024 , by Gollancz. She holds a BA in English Literature and Classical Studies from the University of Exeter, where she enjoyed writing essays on Disney villains and reading Greek lyric poetry in the same day. As an author of Nigerian, Jamaican, and British-Australian heritage, her work primarily focuses on people who live at the intersection of identities, whether that’s here on Earth, or in far away galaxies of her own creation.

William Letford published his first collection of poetry while working as a roofer. Since then, his work has been adapted into film, projected onto buildings, carved into monuments, adapted for the stage, written onto skin, cast out over the radio, and performed by orchestras.

He has helped restore a medieval village in the mountains of Northern Italy, taught English in Japan, fished with his bare hands in Indonesia, been invited to perform in Iraq, South Korea, Lebanon, Australia, Germany, India, Palestine, and many more countries. 

Follow William on X @BillyLetford

E. J. Swift is the author of speculative fiction novels including The Osiris Project trilogy, a series set in a world radically altered by climate change, and Paris Adrift, a tale of bartenders and time travel in the City of Light. Her novel The Coral Bones was shortlisted for the Arthur C. Clarke Award, the Kitschies Red Tentacle and the British Science Fiction Association (BSFA) Award for Best Novel. Her short fiction has appeared in multiple anthologies and has been longlisted for the Sunday Times Short Story Award.

Follow E.J. on X, Instagram and Bluesky @catamaroon

This event will be chaired by Beth Cochrane.

About the event

Running time: 55 minutes followed by a book signing

Venue: Upper Hall

Price: £11/£8 concession - In Person - or £5.50 Live Stream - (plus 50p booking fee)

This event takes place in person and is broadcast via live stream.

A recording of this event will be available to catch-up on our YouTube until Sunday 14th July 2024. Ticket holders and weekend pass owners will receive the catch-up link automatically after the festival. Please keep an eye on your SPAM.

 

Find out more about ACCESS to our events here, and for information about TICKETS, click here.

Any other questions? Check out our FAQ.

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It's Complicated with S.T. Gibson, Sydney J. Shields and Georgia Summers
Jun
1
3:15 PM15:15
Fantasy, Sunday, Saturday

It's Complicated with S.T. Gibson, Sydney J. Shields and Georgia Summers

Friends, lovers, parents, siblings - relationships are rarely easy!

 

S. T. Gibson is a literary agent, author, and village wise woman in training. A graduate of the creative writing program at the University of North Carolina at Asheville and the theological studies program at Princeton Seminary, she currently lives in Boston with her partner, spoiled Persian cat, and vintage blazer collection.

Sydney J. Shields is a swamp creature who evolved to hold a pen. She is a Magna Cum Laude graduate of Columbus State University where she majored in Communication. She currently lives in Savannah, Georgia with her partner and their dog. When not writing, Sydney can be found playing chess in the park, savoring afternoon tea, or doing any other activities that an 84-year-old soul trapped in a 25-year-old body would enjoy. You can find her across social media @SydneyJShields.

Georgia Summers is a half-British, half-Trinidadian writer. She spent most of her life living across the world, including Russia, Colombia, the USA, Scotland, and briefly Switzerland. She is still bad at languages. She has previously worked as an editor, a bookseller and rare books student librarian, so you could say she’s seen the entire lifecycle of a book. When she’s not doing bookish things, she enjoys embroidery, playing piano, and painting, among various other crafts. She currently lives in London, but she dreams of one day living in a haunted château with cats and a ghost that cleans.

This event will be chaired by Kaite Welsh

About the event

Running time: 55 minutes followed by a book signing

Venue: Pleasance Theatre

Price: £11/£8 concession - In Person - or £5.50 Live Stream - (plus 50p booking fee)

This event takes place in person and is broadcast via live stream.

A recording of this event will be available to catch-up on our YouTube until Sunday 14th July 2024. Ticket holders and weekend pass owners will receive the catch-up link automatically after the festival. Please keep an eye on your SPAM.

 

Find out more about ACCESS to our events here, and for information about TICKETS, click here.

Any other questions? Check out our FAQ.

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Page One Live Podcast
Jun
1
2:15 PM14:15
For Writers, Free, Fantasy, Saturday, Made in Scotland

Page One Live Podcast

Join podcasters Marco Rinaldi and Tariq Ashkanani for a live recording of their writing podcast, Page One – with a special guest yet to be revealed.

On Page One - The Writer’s Podcast, Marco and Tariq talk to writers of all kinds, from bestselling authors to screenwriters to comic writers to learn about how they go about creating their stories.

Don't miss a deep dive into each guest’s writing history, including how they broke into the industry, their writing process and an exploration of their work. There might even be a sneak peek of upcoming projects!

Cymera 2024 Guest: Mark Lawrence

Mark Lawrence was born in Urbana–Champaign, Illinois, to British parents but moved to the UK at the age of one. He went back to the US after taking a PhD in mathematics at Imperial College to work on a variety of research projects including the ‘Star Wars’ missile defence programme. Returning to the UK, he has worked mainly on image processing and decision/reasoning theory. He says he never had any ambition to be a writer so was very surprised when a half-hearted attempt to find an agent turned into a global publishing deal overnight. His first trilogy, THE BROKEN EMPIRE, has been universally acclaimed as a ground-breaking work of fantasy. Following The Broken Empire is the related RED QUEEN’S WAR trilogy. THE BOOK OF THE ANCESTOR trilogy is set on a different world and is followed by the related BOOK OF THE ICE trilogy. There is also THE IMPOSSIBLE TIMES trilogy, a D&D/sci-fi work set in London in the 80s. All of these trilogies can be read in any order. Mark is married, with four children, and lives in Bristol.

Venue: Lomond Room

Free but ticketed.

This event is in person.

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Fearful Powers with Zulekha A. Afzal and Molly X Chang
Jun
1
1:45 PM13:45
Fantasy, Debut, Saturday

Fearful Powers with Zulekha A. Afzal and Molly X Chang

Royal assassins and forbidden love! Join Zulekha A. Afzal and Molly X Chang as they share the stories of - and behind - their Romantasy debuts Dancers of the Dawn and To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods.

Zulekhá A. Afzal grew up in Cornwall. She now lives in Bath where she studied English Literature with Creative Writing and completed the MA in Writing for Young People at Bath Spa University. When she isn’t writing or working as an editorial assistant, you can find Zulekhá in a ballet class.

Follow Zulekhá on X, Instagram, Threads and TikTok zulekhaa_afzal

Born in Harbin, China, Molly X. Chang was raised on folklore told by the grandparents who taught her to take pride in the heritages and cultures that shaped her life, and the harrowing history of the ancestors who'd come before her. To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods is her debut novel.

Visit Molly on X, Instagram and TikTok @mollyxchang

This event will be chaired by Nyla Ahmad

About the event

Running time: 55 minutes followed by a book signing

Venue: Upper Hall

Price: £11/£8 concession - In Person - or £5.50 Live Stream - (plus 50p booking fee)

This event takes place in person and is broadcast via live stream.

A recording of this event will be available to catch-up on our YouTube until Sunday 14th July 2024. Ticket holders and weekend pass owners will receive the catch-up link automatically after the festival. Please keep an eye on your SPAM.

 

Find out more about ACCESS to our events here, and for information about TICKETS, click here.

Any other questions? Check out our FAQ.

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Reading Group Meet-up
Jun
1
1:30 PM13:30
FREE, Saturday, Free

Reading Group Meet-up

In need of some fresh reading recommendations? Want to tell fellow readers about your favourite SFFH books? Or just fancy some chill bookish chat?

Then our reading group meet-up is for you.

Come along for some informal bookish chat with fellow SFFH lovers. There may even be biscuits.

About the event

Running time: 30 minutes

Venue: Music Room

Free to come along, just pop in.

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The Sunlit Lands with Eliza Chan and Natasha Pulley
Jun
1
1:30 PM13:30
Fantasy, Debut, Livestream, Saturday

The Sunlit Lands with Eliza Chan and Natasha Pulley

Happiness, prosperity and good fortune await!

In Eliza Chan’s debut novel Fathomfolk, Revolution is brewing in the semi-submerged city of Tiankawi, between humans and the fathomfolk who live in its waters, while Natasha Pulley’s terraformed Mars may be Utopia for some, but for others it’s life sentence to hard labour and ferocious discrimination. Join our panel as they explore the themes of diaspora, immigration and class in their latest novels..

Eliza Chan is a Scottish-born speculative fiction author who writes about East Asian mythology, British folklore and reclaiming the dragon lady. Her short fiction has been published in The Dark, Podcastle, Fantasy Magazine and The Best of British Fantasy. Her debut novel FATHOMFOLK — inspired by mythology, ESEAN cities and diaspora feels — was published by Orbit in Feb 2024.

She has been a medical school drop-out, a kilt shop assistant, an English teacher and a speech and language therapist, but currently she spends her time tabletop gaming, cosplaying, crafting and toddler wrangling.

Find out more on her website www.elizachan.co.uk. Follow Eliza on X, Instagram and Bluesky @elizachanwrites

 

Natasha Pulley is the author of really quite a lot of books. An international bestseller, The Watchmaker of Filigree Street won a Betty Trask Award and was shortlisted for the Author’s Club Best First Novel Award, the Locus Awards, and remained on the Sunday Times bestseller list for much of summer 2016. The Bedlam Stacks was longlisted for the Walter Scott Award and shortlisted for the Encore Award. The Mars House is her first science fiction novel, published by Gollancz.

Natasha has lived in Japan as a Daiwa Scholar, as well as China and Peru. She was a 2016 Gladstone Writer in Residence, and she teaches on Bath Spa University’s Creative Writing BA and MA, alongside short courses at the Cambridge Institute of Continuing Education.

This event is chaired by Cailean Steed.

About the event

Running time: 55 minutes followed by a book signing

Venue: Pleasance Theatre

Price: £11/£8 concession - In Person - or £5.50 Live Stream - (plus 50p booking fee)

This event takes place in person and is broadcast via live stream.

A recording of this event will be available to catch-up on our YouTube until Sunday 14th July 2024. Ticket holders and weekend pass owners will receive the catch-up link automatically after the festival. Please keep an eye on your SPAM.

 

Find out more about ACCESS to our events here, and for information about TICKETS, click here.

Any other questions? Check out our FAQ.

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Inside SFFH Publishing
Jun
1
1:15 PM13:15
For Writers, Free, Saturday

Inside SFFH Publishing

Over the festival weekend, we will be chatting to industry professionals in our Inside SFFH Publishing events.

What does an editor do all day? Why should you get an agent? And why you should always listen to your publicist!

Saturday 1st June at 12:15pm: Natasha Qureshi Commissioning Editor at Hodderscape, Hodder & Stoughton

Saturday 1st June at 1:15pm: Alice Caprio, Agent at Felicity Bryan Associates

Saturday 1st June at 4:30pm: Eleanor Teasdale, Publisher at Angry Robot

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Sunday 2nd June at 1:45pm: Simon Spanton, Editor at Large at Angry Robot

Sunday 2nd June at 2:45pm: Rebecca Wojturska from indie publisher Haunt Books

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Our speakers will be in conversation with Averie Watson, Chair of the committee of the Society of Young Publishers (SYP) Scotland.

Venue: Lomond Room

Free to attend, no ticket needed.

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Digital Workshop: Getting Your Book Ready For Submission
Jun
1
1:00 PM13:00
For Writers, Digital, Workshop, Saturday

Digital Workshop: Getting Your Book Ready For Submission

Agent Caro Clarke breaks down how to craft a query letter and make your submission shine.

They will go through what information to include, how to catch an agent's attention and some of the Do's and Don't's to help you on your road to pitching your writing to agents and publishers.

Your Workshop Leader

Caro Clarke is a literary agent with over thirteen years' experience in publishing – at Transworld (PRH) and at Canongate Books as a Senior Rights Manager. They were named Rights Professional of the Year at the British Book Awards in 2021. In 2019, they co-founded the Nan Shepherd Prize for underrepresented nature writers, which kickstarted a passion to demystify the publishing industry and help emerging writers to develop their craft and build their writing careers. Portobello Literary was established in 2022 to build on that work.

Writers they have worked with have won or been nominated for the Arthur C. Clarke Award, Saltire National Book Awards, Fitzcarraldo Essay Prize, Edwin Morgan Poetry Award, Forward Prize, Morley Prize for Unpublished Writers of Colour, Mo Siewcharran Prize, Scottish Book Trust New Writers Award, Northern Writers Award, Nan Shepherd Prize, Laurel Prize, Nature Chronicles Prize, Wasafiri New Writing Prize, Eric Gregory Award, Women in Journalism Georgina Henry award, SI Leeds Literary Award and the Frank Allen Bullock Creative Writing Prize.

About the event:

 Running time: 105 minutes including breaks

 Tickets: £13 / £11 (plus 50p booking fee)

 The event will be take place in Zoom meetings. Workshops are not recorded.

 

Our workshops are supported by Write Gear, creators of the Page One Writer’s Notebook and the Page One Podcast.

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Inside SFFH Publishing
Jun
1
12:15 PM12:15
For Writers, Free, Saturday

Inside SFFH Publishing

Over the festival weekend, we will be chatting to industry professionals in our Inside SFFH Publishing events.

What does an editor do all day? Why should you get an agent? And why you should always listen to your publicist!

Saturday 1st June at 12:15pm: Natasha Qureshi Commissioning Editor at Hodderscape, Hodder & Stoughton

Saturday 1st June at 1:15pm: Alice Caprio, Agent at Felicity Bryan Associates

Saturday 1st June at 4:30pm: Eleanor Teasdale, Publisher at Angry Robot

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Sunday 2nd June at 1:45pm: Simon Spanton, Editor at Large at Angry Robot

Sunday 2nd June at 2:45pm: Rebecca Wojturska from indie publisher Haunt Books

+++

Our speakers will be in conversation with Averie Watson, Chair of the committee of the Society of Young Publishers (SYP) Scotland.

Venue: Lomond Room

Free to attend, no ticket needed.

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CANCELLED Workshop: Sci-Fi Songwriting
Jun
1
12:15 PM12:15
For Writers, Saturday, Workshop

CANCELLED Workshop: Sci-Fi Songwriting

Unfortunately this workshop has been cancelled. We apologize for any inconvenience cause.

Please note the performance of Dune The Musical! is going ahead so make sure to see that!

Where do songs come from? Where do they go? Can anyone tell me? Does anyone know?

Join singer-songwriter Dan Collins for an in-depth workshop on the mysterious art of songwriting with particular reference to the music of Science-Fiction.
During the 90 minute session we will discuss techniques that you can use in your creative practice and examine songs written by Dan for his hit show Dune! The Musical.

This workshop is open to anyone who is musically inclined; whether you are a beginner or an old hand, everyone wants to write better songs and by the end of the class your head will be full of ideas and inspiration.

Your Workshop Leader

Dan Collins is a singer-songwriter, guitarist, actor, comedian, playwright and clown. At last year's Cymera festival he debuted his one-man show Dune! The Musical which retells the titular sci-fi classic with the aid of 15 original songs which borrow from a number of influences and genres. 

His repertoire includes ballads, anthems, ditties and bops, and he is most at home behind a short-scale guitar and almost always uses standard tuning.

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Workshop: Create Your Own Fantasy Map
Jun
1
12:15 PM12:15
For Writers, Saturday, Workshop

Workshop: Create Your Own Fantasy Map

Drawing elaborate maps to support your world-building, novels, or games can be daunting. We can all scribble some wobbly lines and claim it’s a continent. And we can all scrawl HERE BE MOUNTAINS and hope for the best. But taking these ‘sketches’ and turning them into a thing of beauty is something quite different. Indeed, for most, it seems impossible.

Andy Law, professional cartographer, intends to prove that assumption incorrect.

This workshop, targeted at beginners and professionals alike, will take you step-by-step through creating your own fantasy maps. Using an easy-to-follow process, Andy will show you how to create cartographical wonders that will never fail to impress.

Your Workshop Leader

Andy Law has been professionally mapping fan-favourite settings for over two decades. He has worked for many companies including Critical Role, Games Workshop, and Penguin Random House. He has contributed to settings including Game of Thrones, Tal'Dorei, Dragon Age, Call of Cthulhu, Warhammer and Warhammer 40,000, and Thunderbirds. Andy is also an award-winning games designer and writer, and he streams online weekly about world-building and games. He lives in Edinburgh with his gaming family, where he works for Rookery Publications, a games company he co-owns with some of the best people in the world.

About the event:

 Running time: 105 minutes including breaks

Venue: Cheviot Room

 Tickets: £18 / £15 (plus 50p booking fee)

 The event will be take place in person. Workshops are not recorded.

 

Our workshops are supported by Write Gear, creators of the Page One Writer’s Notebook and the Page One Podcast.

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Dark Encounters with Em Reed and Lorraine Wilson
Jun
1
12:00 PM12:00
Debut, Made in Scotland, Saturday

Dark Encounters with Em Reed and Lorraine Wilson

From the people in the supermarket to that couple on the beach, few of the encounters in the new books by Em Reed and Lorraine Wilson are benign. Watch out who you trust!

Em Reed is a writer and researcher currently based in Glasgow. Their background includes art history, museum studies and creative writing but they also enjoy experimenting with small game tools in their spare time. Their work on science fiction, technology, and art history has previously appeared in Real Life, The Serving Library and Murdered Futures: A Cronenberg Zine. Originally from Central Pennsylvania, they now work as an editor in Glasgow, where they also publish zines through Plaintext Distro, and online interactive fiction through the digital art collective Domino Club.

Visit Em on X dayofthemutants and on their website

Lorraine Wilson is a third culture Scot, conservation scientist and award-winning author of speculative fiction influenced by folklore and the wilderness. She has published two novels with Luna Press - the dystopian thriller This Is Our Undoing, and the dark folkloric mystery, The Way The Light Bends. Her third book, Mother Sea, published in 2023 by Fairlight Books, is an exploration of motherhood, climate change and belonging. Her new novella The Last to Drown was published by Luna Press in February 2024.

Follow Raine on X @raine_clouds, on Instagram @raine_clouds_writes and on Bluesky @rainewilson.bsky.social

This event will be chaired by Lyndsey Croal.

About the event

Running time: 55 minutes followed by a book signing

Venue: Upper Hall

Price: £11/£8 concession - In Person - or £5.50 Live Stream - (plus 50p booking fee)

This event takes place in person and is broadcast via live stream.

A recording of this event will be available to catch-up on our YouTube until Sunday 14th July 2024. Ticket holders and weekend pass owners will receive the catch-up link automatically after the festival. Please keep an eye on your SPAM.

 

Find out more about ACCESS to our events here, and for information about TICKETS, click here.

Any other questions? Check out our FAQ.

View Event →