Delve into the seedy underbelly of fantasy with two authors who have set their tales within the labyrinthine alleyways of fantastical cities.

Gareth Hanrahan is the author of The Gutter Prayer, the first in a new fantasy series set in the seedy underbelly of a city with dark secrets on the verge of being exposed.

Darius Hinks is an author based in Nottinghamshire whose body of work includes original fiction and tie-in fiction for the Games Workshop and Black Library. His latest novel, The Ingenious, is set in a city cast adrift in space and time, and the political exiles trapped there who must vie against the very nature of the city to escape.

Find out more about: Gareth Hanrahan and Darius Hinks!

Chaired by Cat Hellison

Running time: 60 minutes

Tickets: £8/ £6 concession

Venue: Upper Hall

Handel Fledermaus has travelled from the distant town of Vondorvotteimittiss, where the cabbage is king and time is sacred. A supernatural invader has plunged his once idyllic home into chaos, and he seeks the help of anyone who would believe his tale. But with a giant clock, a flying fiddler and a horde of ravenous pigs, it’s a very tall tale indeed.

Edgar Allan Poe’s comical short grows arms, legs and teeth in a fantastical and frantic monologue by Dave Robb, directed by Flavia D’Avila.

Running time: 60 minutes

Tickets: £10/ £8 concessions

Venue: Bar

Unfortunately Zoe Gilbert is no longer able to attend this year’s festival.

The event will go ahead with Tasha Suri, who will be joined by author Micah Yongo.

Micah Yongo is the author of Lost Gods, an ancient Africa and Middle-East inspired epic fantasy and its forthcoming follow-up Pale Kings. He is a writer and videographer by trade, based in Manchester. Tasha Suri and Zoe Gilbert’s debut novels both construct fantastical new worlds from very different sources.

Tasha Suri is a London-born Librarian and fantasy novelist. Her debut novel Empire of Sand was inspired by her love of South Asian history, mythology, and period Bollywood films.

Zoe Gilbert is currently working on her PhD in Creative Writing at the University of Chichester. Her debut novel Folk describes a remote island community where the inhabitants are both literally and figuratively entwined with nature.

Find out more about: Zoe Gilbert and Tasha Suri!

If you would like a refund for your ticket, please let us know.

Chaired by Eleanor Pender

Running Time: 60 minutes

Tickets: £8/ £6 concession

Venue: Upper Hall

Zoë Marriott is the author of several lush fantasy novels, the latest being The Hand, the Eye and the Heart, which tells the story of genderfluid protagonist Zhi and contains echoes of The Ballad of Mulan.

Natasha Ngan is the NYT bestselling author of Girls of Paper and Fire, eastern-inspired fantasy that features concubines falling in love, which is forbidden by the king.

Find out more about: Zoë Marriott and Natasha Ngan!

Chaired by Amy McCulloch

Running time: 60 minutes

Tickets: £8/ £6 concession

Venue: Upper Hall

Join Sarah Maria Griffin, Alexandra Christo & Lesley Glaister, chaired by Eris Young, as they discuss the mythical creatures and figures in their fantasy. Sarah-Maria Griffin is the author of Spare and Found Parts, as well as Other Words for Smoke. Alexandra Christo is the author of the dark Little Mermaid retelling To Kill a Kingdom and the upcoming Into the Crooked Palace. Lesley Glaister is the author of several books, most recently the Chimera trilogy, which begins with Aphra’s Child.

Find out more about: Sarah Maria Griffin, Alexandra Christo and Lesley Glaister!

Unfortunately Sarah Maria Griffin is no longer able to attend this year’s festival. The event will go ahead with Alexandra Christo and Lesley Glaister. If you would like a refund for your ticket, please let us know.

Chaired by Eris Young

Running time: 60 minutes

Tickets: £8/ £6 concession

Venue: Lomond Room

Anna Smith Spark’s Gemmell Award shortlisted debut, The Court of Broken Knives, has kicked off a stunning new grimdark fantasy saga of a decadent empire on the verge of collapse, and the dark powers the may save it. The Tower of Living and Dying continues the story of her Empire of Dust trilogy.

Peter Newman is an award-winning writer of grimdark fantasy. His debut novel, The Vagrant, was shortlisted for a British Fantasy Award and won the David Gemmell Morningstar Award in 2016. His latest novel, The Deathless starts a new grimdark series of demons and their immortal hunters.

Find out more about: Anna Smith Spark and Peter Newman!

Chaired by Shona Kinsella

Running time: 60 minutes

Tickets: £8/ £6 concession

Venue: Upper Hall

Why be the hero when assassination pays better? Two writers of epic fantasy discuss the genre’s favourite freelance position, the Assassin.

RJ Barker is the author of The Wounded Kingdom series (Age of Assassins, Blood of Assassins and King of Assassins). He lives in Leeds with his family and has also written numerous short stories and historical scripts.

Micah Yongo is the author of Lost Gods, an ancient Africa and Middle-East inspired epic fantasy and its forthcoming follow-up Pale Kings. He is a writer and videographer by trade, based in Manchester.

Find out more about: RJ Barker and Micah Yongo!

Chaired by Cat Hellisen

Running time: 60 minutes

Tickets: £8/ £6 concession

Venue: Bar

Take a dive into the darker side of fantasy…

Cameron Johnston is a Glasgow-based writer of fantasy and horror. His debut novel, The Traitor God, has been described as a dark and gripping tale set in a believable world that doesn’t shy away from its more brutal aspects. His follow-up, The God of Broken Things, will be released in June 2019.

Anna Stephens describes herself as an author of epic-y, gritty, grimdark-y fantasy. Stephens’ Godblind trilogy (so far consisting of Godblind and Darksoul) is concerned with the human relationships of her characters, who are trapped in a war between humanity and dark, bloodthirsty gods. The conclusion to her trilogy, Bloodchild, will be released later this year.

Find out more about: Cameron Johnston and Anna Stephens!

Chaired by Peter Sutton

Running time: 60 minutes

Tickets: £8/ £6 concession

Venue: Upper Hall