"Bring enough words together, they can bend space and time" - Terry Pratchett
From robots to red weddings, the ALL OF THE BOOKS track is a celebration of literary geekery. If you're looking for panels featuring the biggest and brightest voices in genre fiction as well as workshops, game shows, debates and signings, our track has you covered.
Friday
Architecture of a Great Character - 10.00am - 11.15am
A good character can be timeless, but what does it take to build this character and what jigsaw pieces make up the things that make our characters live on?
Lucy Hounsom, Danie Ware, Liesel Schwarz, Leila Abu el Hawa, Al Robertson, Sebastien de Castell
Room 38
“You’re in our world now” – the invention of myths for a modern audience - 11.45am - 1.00pm
How are authors finding new and exciting ways to reinvent myths and fairy tales for the modern era, and why are there some stories we just can’t get enough of?
Emma Newman, Snorri Kristjansson, Pete Newman, Anna Caltabiano, Joanne Harris, Tom Pollock
County C&D
“IT’S ALIIIIIVE”: Creating A Monster - 1.30pm - 2.45pm
A good monster should scare you, but leave you wanting more. With everything from Dr Who to Halo giving us new and exciting beasts, what does it take to create a truly memorable monster?
Stark Holborn, Jen Williams, Rebecca Levene, David Monteith, Tom Fletcher, Adrian Tchaikovsky
Commonwealth West
“Waiter, you spilt some sci-fi in my fantasy”: crossing genre boundaries - 3.15pm - 4.30pm
It feels like every other week there’s a new sub-genre to better define fantasy, sci-fi or horror but are those genres still specific and how much do they bleed into each other? This panel will explore the crossing of genre boundaries.
Adrian Tchaikovsky, Gaie Sebold, Zen Cho, James Smythe, James Oswald
Commonwealth West
"I Want to be a Wild Thing" – Childhood influences - 5.00pm - 6.15pm
From the fantasy worlds of Blyton’s Magic Faraway Tree, to the whizz-poppers and marvellous medicines of Roald Dahl, how important are childrens' stories on us as adults, and do they shape what authors write when they grow up?
Kim Curran, Laura Lam, Taran Matharu, Alex Lamb, Ed Cox, Frances Hardinge
Room 38
Arcadia or Armageddon? An exploration of utopian and dystopian futures - 6.45pm - 8.00pm
From the (arguable) utopia of Iain Bank’s Culture, to the dusty carnage of Mad Max, why are we so keen to explore our future, and what’s the allure of the downfall of civilisation?
Geoff Ryman, Gareth L Powell, Dave Hutchinson, Francesca Haig, Kim Lakin-Smith, Stephanie Saulter
Room 38
Jo Fletcher Books - Summer Party & Book Launch - 8.00pm - 10.00pm
You are cordially invited to the Jo Fletcher Books summer party! This party is extra special, because we will be launching the awesome Regeneration, Our Lady of the Streets in PB, Knight’s Shadow and Path of Gods, and we will have several of our wonderful authors there ready to sign their novels for you! We’ll also have the fantastic Forbidden Planet on hand, selling the books in case you need them.
Naomi Foyle, Tom Fletcher, Snorri Kristjansson, Ian McDonald, Tom Pollock, Stephanie Saulter, Susan Tingey, Sebastien de Castell
Room 38
New Voices: fun and fast-paced readings from the very best new writers - 10.15pm - 11.30pm
Stark Holborn, Al Robertson, Francesca Haig, Tom Toner, Zen Cho, Lucy Hounsom
Room 38
Saturday
What Makes Fantasy Fantastic? - 9.00am - 9.45am
Why is it that even people who don’t claim to like genre still love fantasy? They can’t get on board with magicians and dragons but they love LOTR, Harry Potter and Twilight. So what is it that makes fantasy so fantastic?
Tom Lloyd, Susan Murray, Stephen Deas, Sebastien de Castell, Lucy Hounsom, Anne Lyle
County C&D
The End of Author Mystique - 10.00am - 11.15am
Do authors need to be on social media to sell books, and does an ability to tweet improve your chances of getting published? Are authors losing the mystery they once maintained from behind their keyboards, and, with blog posts and sneak peeks, have our expectations as readers changed?
Alasdair Stuart, Ed Cox, Kim Curran, Amy Alward, Michaela Gray
County C&D
“And the Winner is…”: how important are awards? - 11.45am - 1.00pm
Does a shelf full of awards mean you sell a lot of books? In an internet world, where recommendations and reviews are just a quick Google away, how important are awards?
Juliet McKenna, Lizzie Barrett, Glen Mehn, Del Lakin-Smith, Tom Hunter
Commonwealth West
Fantasy vs. Science Fiction: the big Nine Worlds debate - 1.30pm - 2.45pm
The SFF punch-out returns for 2015, with heavyweights from the worlds of Fantasy and Science Fiction slugging it out in defence of their genre, and a jury selected from the audience.
Anne Charnock, Rebecca Levene, Gareth L Powell, Joe Abercrombie, Anne Perry
Commonwealth West
Death in Genre: "Death isn't cruel, merely terribly good at his job" - 3.15pm - 4.30pm
The personification of Death has taken every form, from pure horror in a robe to a small woman with great make-up to something in between who likes cats, curry and rides a horse called BINKY. Why do we love reading about Death and what makes Death in genre so compelling?
Joe Abercrombie, Richard Ford, Paul Cornell, Jenni Hill, Sarah Lotz, Liz de Jager
Commonwealth West
The Dead Will Rise Again: the resurgence of Gothic literature - 5.00pm - 6.15pm
Some of the greatest monsters just can’t stay dead: we explore the pull of gothic.
Zen Cho, Sarah Lotz, Charlie Fletcher, Lavie Tidhar, Laurell K Hamilton, John J Johnston
Room 38
David Gemmell Awards for Fantasy - 8:00pm (doors open at 7:30pm)
The David Gemmell Awards for Fantasy began in 2009, with the aim of celebrating the best in fantasy fiction and commemorating one of its most legendary authors. The ceremony will see the three 2015 awards presented, with the Legend Award for Best Fantasy Novel, Morningstar Award for Best Fantasy Debut and Ravenheart Award for Best Fantasy Cover Art. Attracting a wide host of writers and publishing professionals, the glitzy ceremony is always a highlight of the fantasy fiction calendar.
County
The F in Fantasy: sex and fantasy - 8.30pm - 9.45pm
We’ve all read an awful and unnecessary sex scene in a book, but why is sex in literature so notoriously bad? Can sex in genre be a good thing? And what are the best words to use if you want to write your own sex scenes? Raunchy and raucous… and that’s just the panellists. Adult content. Warning: will contain crude humour.
Snorri Kristjansson, Lizzie Barrett, Anne Perry, Sarah Lotz, Jared Shurin, Den Patrick, Laurell K Hamilton
Room 38
Book Launch: "Legends 2" Anthology - 9.30pm - 11.00pm, Atrium
Determined warriors, hideous creatures, wicked sorceries, tricksy villains and cunning lovers abound as fantasy’s finest imaginations do their best and their worst...
In November 2013, NewCon Press released Legends: Stories in Honour of David Gemmell. Now, they unveil a second volume of original stories from some of the world’s leading fantasy authors, written in honour of one of the genre’s greats. As before, Legends II will act in part as a fundraiser for the David Gemmell Awards.
Geek Cards Against Humanity - 10.00pm - 12.00am, Bijou Bar
Wind down with the All Of The Books track: join us in the bar for Cards Against Humanity.
New Voices - 10.15pm - 11.30pm
Fun and fast-paced readings from the very best new writers.
Susan Tingey, Stephen Aryan, Matthew Blakstad, Anna Caltabiano, Pete Newman
Room 38
Sunday
Super Relaxed Fantasy Club Brunch: with coffee and pastries! - 10.00am - 11.15am
The Super Relaxed Fantasy Club makes its Nine Worlds debut this year! So whether you’re feeling fragile after a late Saturday night or just fancy meeting new people and authors then why not join us? Plus, free coffee and pastries provided by Orbit books!
Jen Williams, James Oswald, Den Patrick, Anna Caltabiano, Charlie Fletcher
County C&D
TV vs Books vs Comics vs Games – “FIGHT” - 11.45am - 1.00pm
It’s a fight to the death and only one medium can be crowned the ultimate genre. Toasty!
Jenni Hill, Pete Newman, Paul Cornell, Jonathan Green, Rebecca Levene
Commonwealth West
“The Stars My Destination” – exploring the future of SF - 1.30pm - 2.45pm
We’re living in a science fiction world, where technology and global warming are changing things faster than sci-fi writers can type: so where does the future of sci-fi sit?
Gavin G Smith, Paul McAuley, Emma Swift, Matt Suddain, Naomi Foyle
Commonwealth West
Writing the Other - 3.15pm - 4.30pm
When the old advice is to ‘write what you know’: how do you write a dragon for a main character when you're a human, or an old man when you're a young woman?
Naomi Foyle, Guy Haley, Adam Christopher, Emma Newman, Stark Holborn, Stephen Aryan
Commonwealth West
Book Launch: "A Better Way to Die" - Paul Cornell’s first collection of short stories - 3.15pm - 4.30pm (with Comics)
Dr Who and Marvel writer Paul Cornell launches his first collection of short stories, A Better Way To Die. Join us for a glass of wine and an opportunity to buy a signed copy featuring hardback-exclusive content.
MONSTERCLASSES!
Small group workshops on the specifics of writing, publishing, and more. Fikas and Monsterclasses at Nine Worlds are small-room discussions and workshops, with a maximum capacity of 10 attendees. Sign up earlier in the day at the All of the Books main track room. All in Room 16.
Friday
Mechanics of Publishing - 11.30am - 12.30am
What does it take to get your book published and how does the publishing world work? Find out from some of London’s publishing experts. Tweet questions in advance to @booksnineworlds
With John Wordsworth and Julie Crisp
Agent-ing - 1.00pm - 2.00pm
Literary agent Juliet Mushens of The Agency Group will lead you through the process of finding an agent: from researching the right one for you to dos and don'ts of submitting, as well as sharing real live cover letters from some of her bestselling authors. If you are feeling brave, bring along your cover letter, and she will pick some from the audience to give live feedback to!
"Are You My Mummy?" - Egyptology - 2.30pm - 3.30pm
Join BSFA Award finalist and Vice Chair of the Egypt Exploration Society John J Johnston, as he examines the mummy as cultural icon from ancient Ptolemaic tales to Robert Sharp's 2015 novella 'The Good Shabti,' taking in Doyle, Stoker, Universal, and Hammer Films along the way.
From Script to Screen - 4.00pm - 5.00pm
A journey of creation, from pen on paper to the big screen, for Mark Stay’s Robot Overlords.
With Mark Stay and crew
Saturday
Marketing - 11.30am - 12.30pm
Everything you need to know: with marketing strategists Jared Shurin and Paul Wiseall.
Swords - 1.00pm - 2.00pm
Clang, clang, parry, riposte, stabby, death. Learn the art of sword fighting, with expert Sebastien De Castell.
Frankenstein’s Monster - 4.00pm - 5.00pm
What does it take to create a monster? Could a dead body really be reanimated, and are zombies possible? Join pathologist Mike Rathbone to learn the science.
Writing for Teens - 5.30pm - 6.30pm
With Liz De Jager
Sunday
Kid in Space - 11.30am-12.30pm
Explore alien worlds with Sophia McDougall, author of Mars Evacuees and Space Hostages, and create an alien or a planet of your own!
Short Stories - 1.00pm - 2.00pm
Short stories might be short, but they sure aren’t easy to write. David Tallerman shares his know-how.
Fikas
Fika is a Swedish word, meaning to have coffee and cake in the afternoon with a friend. (It's one of our favourite words.) At Nine Worlds, you can join our authors for a small-group discussion and social over coffee: sign up on the day in the All Of The Books main track room. (Other cons call these sessions kaffeeklatsches.) All in Room 30.
Fika - Joanne Harris - Friday, 5.00pm - 6.00pm, Room 30
Join multi-award-winning author Joanne Harris to discuss literary fiction, magical realism, and gastromance. With coffee.
Fika - Laurell K Hamilton - Saturday, 6.45pm - 7.45pm, Room 30
Join bestselling paranormal thriller writer Laurell K Hamilton to discuss Anita Blake, Meredith Gentry, and life in general. With coffee.
