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Fantasycon 2018
Newly arrived in Chester, UK for the start of the always-fun Fantasycon weekend, I’m dressed appropriately. I’ll be on the following panels: 5 pm on Saturday, 20 October The Horror Writers Association Panel I’m moderating, and also attending is Marie O’Regan, Ramsey Campbell, CC Adams and Phil Sloman 6 pm on Saturday, 20 October Screenwriting for TV I’m moderating a panel with Stephen Volk, Terry Grimwood, Gavin Williams and Stephen Gallagher. 8 pm on Saturday, 20 October Brave New Words I’m on the Brave New Words podcast with Ed Fortune, Anna Stephens, Rebecca Derrick, Anne Fortune and Claire North 1 pm on Sunday, 21 October Strange Fictions I’m on the…
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Touring Tuesdays: Enniscrone Beach
Worldcon will be coming to Dublin next August, and the blog on its web site already has a regular feature – Touring Tuesdays – to highlight other places for visitors to our beautiful island to explore. I wrote a piece on Enniscrone, and surrounding locations in Co. Sligo, an area I’ve repeatedly returned to since I was a child. You can read my full report on the Dublin 2019 web site. All the photos in the article are images I’ve taken over the years – I had plenty to choose from as the Wild Atlantic Way landscapes are spectacular.
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Comics Residency in Angoulême
I’m really pleased to announce that I’ve been selected to be part of a special 10-day group residency in Angoulême in France, as part of one of the initiatives of a Creative Europe Project called Wom@rts. I’m equally pleased to hear that the other Irish candidate is Fionnuala Doran. We’ll be joined by the following talented creatives: Xulia Vicente (Cariño, Spain), Nanu González (Oviedo, Spain), Meriem Mesfioui (aka. Durgmaya (France), Scotty Hervouet (France), Raquel Lagartos (Oviedo, Spain), Korina Hunjak (Rijeka, Croatia), Akvilė Misevičiūtė (aka. Akvilė Magicdust, Vilnius, Lithuania) and Samira Kentrić (Ljubljana, Slovenia). During our time in France we’ll have to complete work for an exhibition entitled ‘The Second Sex’,…
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Bone Mother Première
Check out the cool poster for Bone Mother, the stop-motion animated short film by Dale Hayward & Sylvie Trouvé, which is having its World Première this weekend at Festival Stop Motion in Montreal. That tiny print with ‘based on the short story by Maura McHugh’ gives me a little thrill. Plus, I love its title in French: La Mère des Os. On Saturday, 15 September at 4.30pm Dale and Sylvie will give a Behind the Scenes talk about creating their film. Best wishes to Dale and Sylvie for this event, and a big congratulations for their years of labour on the project.
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Omagh Comic Fest 2018
I’m really pleased to be invited as a guest to the inaugural Omagh Comic Fest, taking place in the Strule Arts Centre, Townhall Square in Omagh on 8 September 2018. I’ve always been very welcomed at Northern Irish conventions, and I look forward to attending this one and visiting Omagh for the first time. Plus, I’ll be in great company:
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Interviewing at the Galway Film Fleadh 2018
I’ll be conducting Q&As after the screenings of three films at the Galway Film Fleadh this year: Possum Wednesday, 11 July at Pálás Screen 1 – film begins at 22:00 I’ll be chatting to writer/director Matthew Holness (Garth Marenghi’s Darkplace) about his dark debut feature, and its development from short story to screen. Holiday Thursday, 12 July at Pálás Screen 1 – film begins at 20:45 I’ll be discussing this challenging feature film debut by Swedish filmmaker Isabella Eklöf (Notes from Underground). Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure Saturday, 14 July at Pálás Screen 1 – film begins at 22:45 I’ll be talking to screenwriter Ed Solomon (Men in Black) about…
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BFS Nominee in Best Non-Fiction
I was stunned when I received the news that my book about David Lynch’s Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me has been nominated for a BFS British Fantasy Award in the Best Non-Fiction category. You write work and you put it out in the world, and you hope that people will enjoy it. I generally don’t think about awards because there are so many factors involved that a nomination is unlikely. I try to focus on my current writing, and once it is done, and out, I turn my attention to the next project. I don’t look back very often because I’m no longer the writer that produced the previous…
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Talking comics again on Arena
I’ve been on the RTÉ Radio 1 arts and culture show, Arena, twice recently. On Monday, 25 June I was discussing the 2000 AD Special Sci-Fi Magazine, and on Monday, 2 July I was reviewing the new Cambridge Companion To The Graphic Novel. I always enjoy being on Arena, and chatting to presenter Sean Rocks, but I particularly love talking about comics and expressing my passion for this artform to a wider audience.
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2000 AD Summer Special is out
The 2000 AD Summer Sci-Fi Special magazine has hit the newsstands, and above is the cover (by Tula Lotay) and the online variant cover (by Emily Zeinner). There is a huge array of talent in the comic, and you can check out a comprehensive rundown of them all here. I’ve written a Judge Anderson story called ‘SPA Day’, drawn by Emma Vieceli, coloured by Barbara Nosenzo, and lettered by Ellie De Ville. It was an honour to write the iconic Judge Anderson, a hero of mine as a kid. Thanks to Emma, Barabara, and Ellie for bringing the story to life. Florix Grabundae Mighty Tharg (Matt Smith) for the gig.…
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On a break (temporarily)
No, not a still from the Mummy, but my (filtered) right hand in a cast after a fall last weekend. I’ve a small break of the distal radius and other than being supremely fed up of this already, as well as grumpy about sore ribs, I’m fine. Thankfully, no surgery is required – as breaks go this is the best you can get. Worse things happen at sea, etc. So: a major slow down for me for the next 5/6 weeks or so. Being cloistered (I can’t drive) during a spat of beautiful weather isn’t improving my mood. The Irish health system had been great overall – and seeing a…
