Friday 30 March 2012

Discover Festival schedule - sneak peek!

Hi Guys,

As the schedule for Discover Festival continues to take shape, I thought this'd be a great chance to give every a first look at some of the goodness we have lined up on each day of proceedings. I'm really excited about how this is looking, as not only are there great authors taking part, but also some panels that I think will really spark some debate and some excellent readings and workshops. So here goes...

FRIDAY is going to have something of a ghostly there, as we kick off with our screening of fantastic British horror movie THE AWAKENING. If you missed this at the cinemas lately, this is a great chance to catch a superb chiller. This will be followed by a panel on 'THE ENDURANCE OF GHOST STORIES', plus a late night horror readings with Simon Kurt Unsworth, Will Hill and Tom Fletcher.

We'll also have our book room open from 7pm-10pm on the Friday night, as well as a number of paired author readings taking place in the train carriage (yes, you read that right!)

SATURDAY is a jam-packed day of events, kicking off at 10am and wrapping up at midnight, and if you're debating a day-only ticket there's plenty of programming to make it worth your while! Our three Guests of Honour - GRAHAM MASTERTON, JON COURTENAY GRIMWOOD and PETER F HAMILTON - will have solo readings and Q+A sessions, and Saturday evening will see two of the highlights of the Festival. First of all we have our MASS SIGNING, which will have at least 20 authors taking part, so be sure to bring (or indeed buy!) those books to get signed at the event. That will be swiftly followed by our live RAFFLE, with a host of fantastic prizes to be won, and tickets on sale throughout the weekend at just £1 per strip!

SATURDAY also sees a wealth of panels, taking in subjects such as the independent presses, crime crossovers, urban fantasy, reviews and blogging, fantasy archetypes, the limits of science-fiction and much more. It'll also see the start of our fabulous workshop programme, with confirmed workshop leaders including Kim Lakin-Smith, Tom Fletcher, Will Hill, AJ Dalton, Andrew Hook and many more yet to come! Spaces for workshops are limited, so be sure to pick up your free ticket from the Box Office when you arrive! Our reading programme will also be continuing, so there's plenty to choose from on the Saturday at Discover!

Saturday evening will be wrapping up with three panels to finally settle some of the questions that have plagued readers for years - who is the best SF writer of all time? Who is the greatest in fantasy? And who heads the field in horror? Expect these to be fun sessions covering everything from Asimov to Zelazny, and come down to cheer for your favourite! And don't forget you also have the option of our CREATURE FEATURE double-header, with a unique screening of The Island of Lost Souls and Tales of Frankenstein!

SUNDAY is a great day for all the budding writers out there, as not only does our workshops thread continue, but we also have a host of panels on subjects such as writing great short stories, how to get published, the reality of being a writer, writing and the internet and much more. The whole event closes with our 'The Future of Genre Fiction' panel, which gives us a chance to look forward to what's coming next in the field.

So an absolutely packed programme, an array of great writers taking part, and a whole host of options to attend for the one ticket price... what more could you ask for? A goodie bag for every attendee you say? Go on then, we'll throw that in as well.

The full schedule should be out next week, but I hope this little taster has whetted your appetite for the event - weekend and Saturday tickets are on sale at http://www.discoverfestival.co.uk/#/booking/4558412914 or for more info on the event as a whole, check out www.discoverfestival.co.uk

Thanks a lot!

Alex

Thursday 29 March 2012

Discover Festival - Saturday tickets now available!

Hi Guys,

Just a quick post to confirm an exciting piece of news - for those of you who couldn't get along for the whole Discover Festival weekend, we're now happy to be offering SATURDAY ONLY tickets for the event at a cost of £28 plus £2 booking fee, or an even £30 for those of us who prefer round numbers!

The Saturday is undoubtedly going to be a really exciting day, with a superb mix of paired readings throughout the day, a stack of workshops, some fantastic panels on a host of subjects plus out three Guest of Honour slots featuring GRAHAM MASTERTON, JON COURTENAY GRIMWOOD and PETER F HAMILTON. On top of all that, we'll also have our superb Saturday evening double-header of our MASS SIGNING, which will be the perfect chance to get your favourite books signed, as well as the RAFFLE to follow, with the chance to win some superb prizes!

So don't miss out on your Saturday ticket, or even better come and join us for the whole weekend! You can book your tickets at http://www.discoverfestival.co.uk/#/booking/4558412914, or find our more about the event at http://www.discoverfestival.co.uk/#

Be sure to stop by the blog tomorrow as well, where we'll be giving our first SNEAK PEAK of the schedule, which (if I do say so myself) looks absolutely fantastic at this point!

Thanks a lot

Alex

Friday 23 March 2012

Discover Festival update

Hi Guys,

A whole host of updates, both small and large, on Discover Festival this week as things continue to come together for the event!

- We've got some new raffle prizes confirmed for our Saturday night LIVE draw. You can check out all the latest at http://www.discoverfestival.co.uk/#/raffle/4559444501. For anyone who missed it, we also have two free film screenings as part of proceedings, which you can check out at http://www.discoverfestival.co.uk/#/film-screenings/4561422421

- We'll be announcing a new day-only rate for the Saturday of Discover, so if you can't make it along for the whole weekend then you'll still be able to attend and enjoy some of the highlights of the Festival!

- The schedule should be coming out some time soon, but I can confirm that your ticket will give you the choice of 15 readings, 10 workshops and 21 panels, as well as our mass signing, raffle and film screening.

- As an additional note, you'll also have full access to the Snibston Discovery Museum over the weekend, with a host of fantastic permanent and temporary exhibitions available.

- We've also managed to negotiate food discounts at two local restaurants, one Italian and one Indian, and we'll be having some real ale for sale at the event also!

Keep your eyes peeled here for all the latest - expect things to be picking up on the news front over the next few weeks! You can get all the latest here or at http://www.discoverfestival.co.uk/

Thanks a lot, and speak soon

Alex

Thursday 22 March 2012

My Favourite: Part Ten - Conrad Williams

Hi Guys,

It's time to revisit our set of mini-interviews with our host of Discover Festival authors - if you've missed these so far, it's a great chance to find out some of the favourites and influences on some of the great writers taking part in the event. Today's it's horror and crime author CONRAD WILLIAMS stepping to the plate, with a link to each of the chosen faves!

Enjoy!

Alex


MY FAVOURITE - PART TEN: CONRAD WILLIAMS


FAVOURITE BOOK:
THE ROAD, CORMAC MCCARTHY
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Road

FAVOURITE AUTHOR:
M JOHN HARRISON
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M._John_Harrison

FAVOURITE GENRE FILM: DON'T LOOK NOW
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don%27t_Look_Now

FAVOURITE NON-GENRE FILM: CHINATOWN
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinatown_(1974_film)

FAVOURITE TV SHOW: SIX FEET UNDER
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Six_Feet_Under_(TV_series)

FAVOURITE BAND: RADIOHEAD
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radiohead

FAVOURITE GAME: CHESS
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chess

Thursday 15 March 2012

MR James performance at Discover Festival

Hi Guys,

Just wanted to pass on some more exciting news for the Discover Festival - we've got plenty by way of readings, workshops and panels taking shape over the three days of the event, and we've also recently added two fantastic FREE film screenings to our schedule as well. But I'm delighted to announce that we also have a discounted rate for Discover Festival goers to a fantastic performance of some of MR James' best known tales - OH, WHISTLE... runs on the Saturday night of Discover Festival at 8pm, and with your Discover Festival ticket you can get the special reduced rate of just £5!

This performance by Nunkie Theatre is given by Robert Lloyd Parry, and features two of MR James' finest ghost stories in OH, WHISTLE, AND I'LL COME TO YOU and THE ASH TREE. If you're coming to Discover Festival, this show is a steal and not one to be missed!

For more information on the performance, visit http://www.centurytheatre.co.uk/diary/show/oh-whistle and for more on the Discover Festival visit www.discoverfestival.co.uk

Tuesday 13 March 2012

My Favourite: Part Nine - Paul Magrs

Hi Everyone,

We're back for another week on the Discover Festival blog, and kicking off with one of our mini-interviews with the authors attending the event. This time it's the turn of PAUL MAGRS to step to the plate, and some great choices again, with links to more information on each of the choices.

We'll be back later in the week with more of the latest news and information on Discover Festival!

Thanks a lot

Alex


MY FAVOURITE: Paul Magrs

FAVOURITE BOOK: 'Maybe the Moon' by Armistead Maupin
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maybe_the_Moon

FAVOURITE AUTHOR: Anne Tyler
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anne_Tyler

FAVOURITE GENRE FILM: 'Dracula 1972 A.D'
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0068505/

FAVOURITE NON-GENRE FILM: 'Harold and Maude'
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0067185/

FAVOURITE TV SHOW: Doctor Who
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0056751/

FAVOURITE BAND: Belle and Sebastian
http://www.belleandsebastian.com/

FAVOURITE GAME: Buckaroo
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buckaroo_(game)

Friday 9 March 2012

MY FAVOURITE: Part Eight - Andrew Hook

Hi Guys,

A late post for a Friday evening, this time featuring the latest part of our Discover Festival MY FAVOURITE mini-interviews. It's been great to read these and find out more about our fantastuc line-up, and this time we're checking in with slipstream author ANDREW HOOK, with some great choices as always!

Expect more news next week, as well as some more of our interviews leading into the event!

Thanks a lot

Alex


MY FAVOURITE: ANDREW HOOK

FAVOURITE BOOK: Jitterbug Perfume by Tom Robbins. First read this over twenty years ago at a particularly formative time of my life. It's a rollicking read packed with ideas and good humour. One of the few books I repeatedly re-read.

FAVOURITE AUTHOR: There are only a handful of authors I've read almost everything by: Franz Kafka, Jonathon Carroll, Tom Robbins, and Nicholas Royle, so it could be one of those. But I think I'd have to choose Vladimir Nabokov because his writing, ideas and word play consistently excite me.

FAVOURITE GENRE FILM: It's difficult to choose one, but I'd probably go for Watchmen due to its scope and a personal connection it holds for me.

FAVOURITE NON-GENRE FILM: Jean-Luc Godard's "Pierrot Le Fou". French New Wave cinema is a major influence on me, and this is a classic with Jean-Paul Belmondo and Anna Karina. Witty, inventive, different, and surreal.

FAVOURITE TV SHOW: It would have to be The Avengers (Emma Peel era) and The Mighty Boosh. There are few TV shows which bear repeated viewings, and both of these fall into that category. I love the logic that underpins even the most surreal plots in both these shows.

FAVOURITE BAND: The Stranglers. The first proper record I bought back in November 1979 at the tender age of twelve was the single, "Five Minutes". I've been a fan ever since. I can't think of another band who have explored so many different musical avenues.

FAVOURITE GAME: Scrabble. Since I started playing this with my partner a few years ago she has won about 93% of the games. For some reason this makes me enjoy it much more than I really should.

Thursday 8 March 2012

Discover Festival - mass signing!

Hi Guys,

Just wanted to pass on the first details on our DISCOVER FESTIVAL mass signing - this'll also be going on the website shortly, along with some other goodies!

Our mass signing runs from 5pm-6pm on the Saturday of the event, and is the ideal opportunity for fans and readers to meet their favourite authors and get their titles signed. Feel free to bring some books with you, or pick up a range of titles in our book room over the weekend ready for the big event! We're expecting over 20 authors to be taking part, making it one of the highlights of the weekend for Discover Festival attendees.

CONFIRMED SO FAR:

A J Dalton
Peter F Hamilton (Guest of Honour)
Andrew Hook
Louise Morgan
Gareth L Powell
Stan Nicholls
PLUS MANY MORE TBC!

So don't miss out on this, or indeed the rest of our superb programme of screenings, readings, panels, workshops and more - check out http://www.discoverfestival.co.uk/

Thanks a lot!

Alex

Wednesday 7 March 2012

My Favourite... Part Seven: Gavin Smith

Hi Guys,

The latest of our MY FAVOURITE mini-interviews comes to you on this wet Wednesday courtesy of SF author GAVIN SMITH - his recent titled Veteran and War in Heaven have already made quite a splash, and there are some very interesting choices in the interview below...

More interviews and news to follow - in the meantime, enjoy!

Alex


MY FAVOURITE... GAVIN SMITH

FAVOURITE BOOK:
The Liar by Stephen Fry

FAVOURITE AUTHOR:
Neal Stephenson, Joe R Lansdale, Iain Banks and I'm looking forward to reading more by Hannu Rajaniemi, who seems sickeningly talented.

FAVOURITE GENRE FILM:
Blade Runner

FAVOURITE NON-GENRE FILM:
Heat

FAVOURITE TV SHOW:
At the moment Sons of Anarchy, though I'm really looking forward to finally getting a chance to watch Game of Thrones.

FAVOURITE BAND:
New Model Army, Nine Inch Nails, The Tragically Hip, Led Zeppelin, Tool, Isis

FAVOURITE GAME:
Mage, though I love Shadowrun's setting.

Tuesday 6 March 2012

New authors for Discover Festival - Graham Joyce and David Barnett confirmed!

Hi Guys,

Absolutely delighted to make a really exciting announcement today, with two new writers joining the line-up for Discover Festival - I'm chuffed to welcome aboard GRAHAM JOYCE and DAVID BARNETT.

Graham Joyce is acclaimed writer of fantasy and horror, and a winner of both the World Fantasy Award and the British Fantasy Award (five times) for Best Novel. His most recent titles for adults include The Silent Land, Memoirs of a Master Forger (as William Heaney) and The Limits of Enchantment. Graham is also an award winning young adult author, with leading titles including The Devils Ladder and TWOC. He also teaches Creative Writing at Nottingham Trent University.

David Barnett is a journalist and author based in the North of England. He has just signed a three-book deal with Tor (US) for a series of fantasy adventures set in an alternative Victorian England. His latest novel is popCULT!, published by Pendragon Press, and he has previously had two novels - Hinterland and Angelglass - and a short story collection, The Janus House and Other Two-Faced Tales, out from Immanion Press.

Two more great names for our fantastic line-up, I'm sure you'll agree - you can check out all the latest on Discover Festival, and book your tickets, from www.discoverfestival.co.uk.

Thanks a lot

Alex

Monday 5 March 2012

My Favourite - Part Six: Freda Warrington

Hi Guys,

A fine sunny start to the new week, and a week loaded with blogs it should be, with news and updates coming in all the time! However to get things kicked off we have the latest of our mini-interviews, this time with fantasy author FREDA WARRINGTON. I've added a link to each of these faves, so you can check out a bit more about them easily!

Enjoy!

Alex


MY FAVOURITE: FREDA WARRINGTON

FAVOURITE BOOK:
Tess of the D'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy

FAVOURITE AUTHOR:
Patricia McKillip

FAVOURITE GENRE FILM:
The Company of Wolves

FAVOURITE NON-GENRE FILM:
Dangerous Liaisons

FAVOURITE TV SHOW:
The Big Bang Theory

FAVOURITE BAND:
Horslips

FAVOURITE GAME:
Myst