Easter in Bronte Country

This is a quick blog post as I’ll be busy during the coming two weeks. I’m off to the city of Bradford in Leeds, UK on Thursday.

It’s not a city I ever thought I’d visit, but for this coming long weekend it will be the home of the 60th British National Science Fiction Convention Eastercon LX. I had a splendid time at last year’s Eastercon so I’m looking forward to spending time with friends and fellow sf fans.

Here’s my schedule:

The author and their work Sat 10:00
Can you still enjoy books by an author whose views you disagree with? Is this harder to manage in the age of blogs and increasing online contact of readers and authors?

Gareth L. Powell (moderator), Maura McHugh, Stephen Deas, Cory Doctorow, Anton Marx

The Pros and Cons of Writer’s Workshops Sat 12:30
“What sort of workshop really works – a retreat, or a writer’s group? Do you like critiques online or offline? Who attends, and who gives useful critique?”

Maura McHugh (moderator), Tim Powers, Anna Feruglio Dal Dan, Chaz Brenchley

You Are Now Entering Bronte Country Sat 15:30
“We’re in the land of Wuthering Heights and the dark, gothic ghost story. What makes it such a fertile ground for literature?”

Sam Stone (moderator), Maura McHugh, Freda Warrington, Kev McVeigh

SF and Crime Writers Moving into Comics Sun 10:00
“Many novelists now write for comics, and not just from the SF&F genres. Peter David, Orson Scott Card, Brad Metzler, Denise Mina, Ian Rankin – what is the appeal of writing for comics, and are they any good at it?”

Maura McHugh (moderator), David Bishop, Mike Carey, John Medany

The entire convention programme is now online, and from the looks of it I suspect I’m going to have a terrific time.