alt.fiction 2007

Post-FantasyCon

2007-09-26T13:06:00.001-07:00

Hi All,

Yes I know I promised you a report pre-FantasyCon but what can I say...apart from sorry, of course...

Well FantasyCon was fantastic, as usual. I was over there with three of my very good friends volunteering and despite having to run for the raffle and so on we all had a great time. I didn't catch much by way of panels but I was involved in a couple throughout the weekend. I also really enjoyed the session on taboo- a fave topic of mine, as anyone who has ever read anything I've written will probably testify. Also thoroughly enjoyed readings from Ramsey and Chaz. I really enjoy their stuff as well as their styles of reading, so that was a good double-act for me.

Much of the weekend (as one would expect) was spent in the bar, catching up with various old acquantances and meeting afew new people along the way. I love the way that people mingle at a FantasyCon and you feel you can just chat to anyone you like. Still reovering from two exceptionally late nights really, although I suspect two twelve-hour working days this week have also played a hand in my tiredness.

Current situation for Alt.Fiction at the minute is that planning is simply going to have to wait until the end of October, with both the Festival of Words and also the Hallowe'en tour to concentrate on. However I thought the following two events in October may be of interest...

Thursday 11th October
Classic Dr Who Evening

A night combining classic Dr Who episodes with featured readings from author Paul Magrs.

Metro Cinema, University of Derby, Kedleston Road
FREE
7:00pm
Booking- 01332 340170

Sunday 14th October
Writers Networking Evening

A chance for local writers to get to know one another, as well as a local publishing panel featuring Mark Netwon (Solaris), Adrian Buckner (Poetry Nottingham), Sean Woodward (Dragonheart Press) and yours truly. You'll also get to see Atonement for £2.50 at 8:30pm!

Metro Cinema
FREE, places limited
6pm-8pm
Booking- 01332 340170

Until we meet again...

Alex

Alt.Fiction latest

2007-09-07T10:56:00.000-07:00

Hi All,

Just thought I'd pop in to let you know I hadn't forgotten my blog here...

Things have been rather fraught with Derby's impending Festival of Words, so for the time being at least, Alt.Fiction will be taking a seat on the back burner. For those of you thinking that the Festival of Words isn't for you, we will be hosting a Classic Dr Who night featuring readings from Paul Magrs as well as a Writers Networking event in which the publishing panel will include a representative from Black Library.

However matters of Alt.Fiction are still very much in my mind and I find myself plotting away every now and then, considering what workshops and panels we could run, what author pairings would work and so on. Hopefully at least a few of those daydreams will be coming to fruition.

I'll be sending out another round of author invites in the near future- I won't be naming names until things are sewn up but I think it'll be great to get some more of our local writers on board to go alongside some of the talent we've already confirmed. The Festival will still be taking up a lot of time, so much of that I expect will be done from home. Don't let anyone tell you that people work in the arts for the great hours...

I'm still plotting away on various different things in my 'free' time, and will keep you posted on some of that in the near future.

So very much a post to let you know I'm still breathing- expect something more extensive before the FantasyCon weekend, 21st-23rd September.

Thanks a lot

Alex

The first look at the schedule...

2007-08-16T13:33:00.000-07:00

Hi All,

You'll have to forgive me if this post is rather thinking aloud but I've just been having a first think about the programming for Alt.Fiction next year and I'm finding myself torn on a couple of issues...

Those of you who attended last year will remember that for most of the day we were actually working on a 4-room basis, with spaces designated for book launches, readings, discussions/panels and of course a workshop space. I can't pretend to anyone that the workshop space was ideal. so ensuring that those take place in a better space will be a priority for 2008. My current thinking is to move the workshops to the '45 suite, which was the home of the book launches last year. However this poses another issue because this room is in close proximity to the venue's Great hall and as such we can only have this till the end of the dinner break, which hopefully will again be 4:45pm-6pm.

So it looks like the most likely outcome will be 5 workshops in the '45 Suite, discussions/panels in the Reception suite (possibly with some launches thrown in) and then the reading/q+a sessions in the Darwin Suite. Someone please stop me if I'm overthinking this... :-0

The thing that's a shame in that layout, of course, is that the workshop schedule is pretty light and I've always felt that these are really beneficial for people who attend. It's also, in my opinion, an important aspect of the day. In an ideal world I'd love to have the three spaces all day but short of laying out a fortune to have the whole building to ourselves it's not going to be practiceable.

Basically it's looking like 21 sessions throughout the day with 5 of those being workshops, about 8 readings and about 8 panels. Hopefully we'll come up with something really exciting with plenty of good slots throughout the day.

The other reason for looking at the programme so early is also thinking who would be good to fill the spaces that are currently empty. I'll make no secret that I'm looking to be a lot tighter with the budget for '08, and as such I'll be thinking about the participants on the day very carefully before sending invites around. My reckoning is that I can pay for anything from 8-10 authors on the day, and that's a figure which is largely down to the great support so far from publishers (take a bow Orbit, Solaris and Hodder Headline...). Without going into specifics that's a lot less authors than we have invited and paid in the previous instances. I don't think this will be noticeable from an audience perspective but it does make it a pretty different experience to plan from the organising perspective!!

I did have a point at the start of all this, but I lost what it was somewhere in the midst of typing all this. I think it was to ask if anyone has any opinions on the types of sessions they'd like to see throughout the day- perhaps that would help me stop pondering over it so much...

I'll be checking in again soon, so keep popping back for a look.

Thanks a lot

Alex

Regional events news 1

2007-08-02T08:52:00.000-07:00

Hi All,

This is the first in what I'm hoping will become a regular feature on this page featuring some SFF and horror wriring news from around the region. If you're involved in something, or know of something going on that would be suitable drop me a line either at alex.davis@derby.gov.uk or at bfsalex@hotmail.co.uk.

NORTHAMPTON

1st September 2007- BOOK LAUNCH & SIGNING: The Voyage by Tony AMCA
2pm - 5pm Weston Favell Library
Free
Weston Favell Library is proud to host the launch of The Voyage, the first novel in Tony AMCA’s exciting series of novels, The Vluvidium Collection. The Vluvidium Collection takes you into a new literary dimension. Rich in scientific fact and innovative thinking, it introduces new philosophies and dogmas and offers an explanation to many unanswered questions. www.thevluvidiumcollection.com

Tickets from Weston Favell Library: 01604 403100 / westlib@northamptonshire.gov.uk

30th October 2007- PHOBIC – Halloween Horrors
7pm Northampton Central Library
£4
Halloween is the traditional time of year when our fears are supposed to come to life. But do ghosts, gremlins and ghouls still frighten us? Or are there more modern terrors lurking out there? Join us in this special event exploring the shape of irrational fear in a modern context. Expect chilling readings from two fantastic authors, as well as your chance to pose your questions on horror. Readings will be from a new anthology Phobic, a gathering of 15 new horror stories from a wide range of authors – both masters of the genre like Ramsey Campbell as well as comedy, TV and literary writers such as Jeremy Dyson, Matt Holness and Hanif Kureishi.

Tickets from Northampton Central Library: 01604 462040 / centlib@northamptonshire.gov.uk

*You'll find more about this event further into the bulletin

NOTTINGHAM

Nottingham again hosts this year's FantasyCon event, which takes place from the 21st-23rd September at the Brittania Hotel. Guests of Honour for 2007 are Terry Brooks, Stephen Jones and Michael Marshall Smith. I'll be posting a brief interview with Michael about the event here in due course. I'll be co-running a session at the event about funding so that'll be a good chance to quiz me on where the money is...

You can find more details on the FantasyCon event at www.fantasycon.org.uk

REGIONALLY

In my home working capacity I've been putting together a 6-date tour for 'Phobic', a fabulous horror anthology as released by Comma Press. You can find out more about the anthology at http://www.commapress.co.uk/?section=books&page=Phobic. It's a book that I thoroughly enjoyed and features a great range of authors.

The dates and venues look as follows, and I'll be putting some meat on these bones in the very near future. Be sure to get them in your diary, and I'll look forward to seeing you there!!

Wednesday 24th October: Donington-Le-Heath Manor House, Coalville, Leicestershire
Thursday 25th October: West Bridgford Library, Nottinghamshire
Friday 26th October: Leicester Guildhall
Monday 29th October: Chesterfield Pomegranate, Bar Area, Derbyshire
Tuesday 30th October: Northampton Central Library
Wednesday 31st October: Lincoln Central Library

That's all for now- expect more Alt.Fiction news and regional news soon.

Thanks a lot

Alex

Alt.Fiction 2008 and other news

2007-07-27T05:36:00.000-07:00

Hi All,

Another rather overdue posting. I'm hereby making a resolution to post on this blog more regularly with all the latest updates about Alt.Fiction and perhaps going into a few other genre news bits from the local area.

It's been a really interesting time for me personally as I've recently gone jobshare in my role as Literature Development Officer. This won't have any direct impact on Alt.Fiction, which as a project will remain in my hands, but it has freed up some time for other SFF and horror projects around the region, a few of which are kicking off relatively soon. Chief among them is a planned East Midlands tour for Comma Press' Phobic, an excellent horror anthology featuring writers such as Ramsey Campbell, Matt Holness, Paul Cornell, Paul Magrs, Chaz Brenchley, Frank Cottrell Boyce, Nicholas Royle, Conrad Williams and many more. It's an anthology I really enjoyed and hopefully we'll be seeing you at a venue near you. The tour itself will be taking place (suitably) in the lead up to Hallowe'en...

Alt.Fiction is in its early stages but I suppose the biggest discussion point to date is that 2008 will remain a one-day event. I am conscious this flies in the face of a lot of demand for a weekend event but in my defence this is the first year Alt.Fiction will be looking to meet its costs. We've had some pretty generous support from funders to date which we can't guarantee in 2008 and as such I've had to err on the conservative side. 2008 will really be an acid test for the future of the event and if we can make ends meet I think things will be looking healthy. There are a whole host of surrounding issues which I can't/won't go into here, but it's an event that's very close to my heart and as such I want it to continue long into the future, and I hope it can carry on making a contribution to the genre and its event calendar.

We also have the rather big news of early writer bookings for 2008 and on that note I'd like to thank Orbit, Solaris and Hodder Headline for their very generous support of the event. So I'm pleased to announced our confirmed authors so far are Christopher Fowler, Mike Carey (returning after two very popular slots this year), Charlie Stross, Philip Palmer, Brian Ruckley, Eric Brown, Adam Roberts and Simon Spurrier. Expect plenty more names to be confirmed in the near future.

I'm currently in the process of booking the Derby Festival of Words, which runs in October, but after that I'll be focussing fairly heavily on the Alt.Fiction event.

Of course before any of that I'll be along at the FantasyCon event (www.fantasycon.org.uk) at the Brittania Hotel and look forward to seeing some of you there. It's a really good weekend event- I had a great time last year (despite having about four hours sleep total for the weekend!!) and I'm looking forward to it thoroughly this time around.

So keep checking back for all the latest Alt.Fiction news- if you'd like to express any opinions, thoughts, ideas or musings feel free to get in touch at alex.davis@derby.gov.uk

Thanks a lot

Alex

Looking back...

2007-05-03T05:56:00.000-07:00

Hi All,

Well, Alt.Fiction has been and gone for another year. It's a very strange feeling post-event because something that has basically been six months in the making has shot by over the course of a weekend, and soon enough the planning stages will be starting all over again. The day itself was an absolute blast with some absolutely great experiences for me personally.

Friday morning I drop all our boxes of stuff off at the venue, with thank to Barbara and Antoinette in the Arts and Events office. Not driving is only very occassionally an issue for me but with 200 complimentary books, 500 programmes and two boxes of stationery and signage to get to the venue this is one occassion where it is! I'm able to nip over later that afternoon to check out the venue and with help from one of our fabulous volunteers in Mia, we're able to get some of the setting up done in advance. A lot of the posters are out already and one of our book tables is set up so it's nice to have a bit of a headstart.

As a consequence of this I make myself a little late to the Midland, where I'm due to meet John Jarrold, Paul Tomlinson and Harry Harrison for a drink. I have time to get in a half of coke (I'll state at this point that I don't actually drink alcohol) before we head out for a very nice Indian at Masala Art, which spends the whole weekend getting enthusiatic thumbs up from anyone who happens to eat there. It was great to have a nice dinner before the Saturday event, and to catch up with John again- we're in contact a lot via email but it's good to catch up in person. Thoroughly stuffed, we had back to the hotel and end up catching up with Debbie Miller and her daughter as well as Brian from Chronicles Network, who has again undertaken the arduous journey from Inverness to Derby. I won't go into how technical that one was...

I leave about 11:00, as I want to get a reasonably early night before arriving at the venue for 9am next morning. The venue staff let me in and it's the first chance to survey the venue, which is laid out to my satisfaction barring one or two minor changes. These are very quickly ironed out and myself and the intrepid team of volunteers (who were very prompt indeed!!) begin to make the place a bit more Alt.Fiction-ish. All the posters are up in no time, the badges are sorted, all the info is on the desks and by about 10am we're virtually ready to go. In fact most surprisingly I find myself turning Andi and Malcolm away, who have paid for a ticket and offered to volunteer before it all kicks off! I'm sure that they preferred the extra pint to volunteering mind you...

The bookshops filter in gradually, with Porcupine and Ad Astra arriving at the same time but we manage to avoid too much of a log jam in the lifts! They're those very old-fashioned ones with the pull door, which I always find kind of disturbing. It's a squeeze o fit in them as well with the big rolling cages which we use to get the books up in. Anyway, they're all set up for the best part by 11am and showtime is upon is. It really snuck up in fact- I looked at my phone to see that it was 'suddenly' ten to eleven. It's amazing how time can fly when you're busy!!

There's a pleasing number of people turning up at 11am, and peope begin to take a look over the bookstalls. The bar opens at 11:30, which is a little later than planned but nothing major really. People seem to live with their thirst anyway. A photographer turns up from the Derby Trader, whom my girlfriend deals with while I tear about doing something or other. He'd have had some great shots if he'd turned up later in the day but he's already got other plans elsewhere. Mark, Dan T and Dan C pose for a lovely photo in the t-shirts, so I shall be looking out for that one!!

At this time I find myself clocking what writers have arrived, particularly relative to who's on at 12 o'clock. I'm a chronic panicker at this stage of the day and James Barclay gives me a scare when he is fashionably on-time. It's absurd to worry so much about these things really but until I'm settled into the day I tend to be going a mile a minute!! So things kick off promptly at twelve, with our technical manager Shoki making the first announcement of many that day. They seemed to have more of an effect than last year, althouh I don't really know why.

Barclay and Mark Chadbourn both give excellent readings from their books, with mark giving us a preview of his upcoming release. A few people did this throughout the day and I think it's a real bonus for the readers (or indeed listeners) there on the day. The Q+A throws up a lot of issues about fantasy writing at large which Mark and James deal with well, and soon enough I find myself finishing off session one for the day.

The typical pattern for my free fifteen minutes was to check out what was going on elsewhere with our room managers (all of whom did a great job- that's you Pauline, Catherine and Dan T) and then locate any AWOL writers. To be fair I never bumped into anoyone who didn't know where they were supposed to be, which takes a lot of the weight off!!

Peter and Tony are already making themselves comfy when I arrive back at the Darwin Suite, which is good news for me. Another standard step before each reading was to get some water for the writers (I can imagine dry lips during a reading must be a recurring problem) and with that done we're all set for an excellent science-fiction session. Both read from books that are upcoming, giving another treat to their avid readers. I've tried writing science-fiction and struggled so I really respect people who can create those vivid future worlds, and it's evident throughout the session that we are in the presence of two excellent writers. Another good session in the bag, and the day seems to be shooting by.

2:00 sees another fantasy session with Juliet McKenna and Chaz Brenchley. Juliet reads a section from her novella with PS Publishing and Chaz regales us with the opening scene of his newest release, 'River of the World.' I have to guiltily admit that its forerunner is still on my reading pile at this point in time! Not that many in for this session but both entertaining readings and Chaz and Juliet have always been good friends and a great double-act.

Come 3:00 we're onto deadly serious subject matter with the Publishing Panel, which is always resoundingly popular with budding authors. I often suspect they'd rather hear better news during these sessions but I've always been a great believer in people knowing what they're up against! Some fantastic insights here, including the frightening statistic that John jarrold has taken on 30 clients out of 2000 submitted manuscripts. So no need to feel to bad if you're in that approximately 99% to be rejected! George Walkley from Orbit is also great on this panel and there's a very interesting discussion between the two about the relationship between agent and publishers. John Berlyne facilitates this one really well and I think this session is a real success.

By this time I'm flagging a bit and counting on a large energy drink and a bit of food over the dinner break to keep me going till 9. But before now and then there is the not inconsiderable matter of Harry Harrison's interview session with Paul Tomlinson. I must admit this session really revives my spirits, as Harry is tremendously entertaining and seems to have a near endless supply of anecdotes and tales featuring run-ins with other writers, illustrators, directors, producers and many more industry types. Paul's knowledge is absolutely enyclopaedic and the chronological tread through Harry's career is flawless. After this session one moment that stayed with me was a man who gets his book signed for a second time by Harry, having had it signed back in 1966!! I have to say it was a pleasure to have Harry at the event and I enter the dinner break feeling good about the day so far.

Unfortunately our dinner break starts with a slight hitch as the venue has had to close of the '45 suite to us earlier than expected. It's a shame because basically e lose quite a good seating area and with people carrying plates of food about that would have been ideal. I'll be looking at seating for next time around- it did come up in a few of our evaluation forms. I catch a word with John Berlyne who say 'Don't worry, you're dealing with resilient people.' I treat myself to a reasonable enough chilli and chips and a can of Relentless, which comes in a pint glass and looks uncannily like beer, which solicits a few weird looks from people who know me. They must think the stress has driven me to drink...

I grab a word with a few people during this break and sort out an interview with Mike Carey for a film website, which Mike is more than happy to oblige. His comic session by all accounts went down a storm in the slot just prior. I'm forever trying to gauge opinion at my own events and it seems to be largely positive so far, although inevitably there are a variety of small complaints and sugesstions which frankly I'm always grateful for. If you don't tell me I'll just keep getting on with it as I am...

So we kick off again pretty prompt at 6pm with Ramsey Campbell's reading, which is a stroy by the name of 'Peep'. I'd been involved in some events in Leicester and Ramsey had read the story their also, but it unquestionably warrants a second listen. I always find Ramsey's readings really engaging and it's only when he closes that I notice it's taken up most of the session! We take a couple of questions before closing and moving on to the penultimate session, and I can barely believe how much it has whistled by.

Mike Carey is on next and I have to credit how well he read- the scene he gave us from 'Dead Man's Boots' was really action packed and his intonation of everything is bang on. he gets a very good response as well and the Q+A session covers everything from Felix Castor to X-Men and Lucifer, and makes some interesting comparisons between writing novels and writing graphic novels. A great penultimate session.

The next break is pretty fraught as our booksellers are ready to leave and we've got 15 minutes before the closing session of the day! Our volunteers really came through here- the last thing anyone wants is people wheeling through half-way throug a session because it can be really off-putting.

Next up is Iain Banks, who has undertaken the arduous journey from Fife to be with us and arrives at the venue around 7:30 for his 8pm reading. iain's appearance gave the event a real added buzz in the weeks leading up to it and I'm pleased to report that he lives up to reputation. Iain receives a generous round of applause upon taking the stage and reads the prologue from his next Culture novel, Matter, which is due out in 2008 so that is a real bonus for his readers! The Q+A session goes really swimmingly and Iain is really entertaining, so much so that I wish I had booked extra time at the venue because I don't think anyone would have objected if the session were twice as long!!

So we close the day at about 8:50 with a nother big hand for Iain Banks and also one for myself, which always makes me feel a little shy but is appreciated after it all!! I must admit to real mixed feeling here and even during Iain's session- I'm not entirely sure whether to cheer or laugh or cry or what. There were a whole lot of emotions going on at that time with everything done. I think the strongest sensation is probably relief at that point though- I'm glad that everybody turned up, everything went OK with the venue and that people seemed to enjoy themselves. The period after the last session sees a lot of positive comments about the day, which is really encouraging and the evaluation forms seem to back up that opinion.

People file out of the building over the course of the next fifteen minutes and at that very point in time I feel about ready to fall into a heap! Myself and the remaining volunteers get all the stuff tidied up, packed into a storeroom with a lot of ice-cream and some random alcohol and we're away from the Assembly Rooms with another great event in the bag (I think, anyway).

By such a time as we leave the venue (that's myself, Brian, Mark, Mia and Catherine) most people have piled off for a meal of some kind, be it Italian or Indian, so we decie to head back to the Midland bar for a while. There are quite a few of our day's audience there ahead of me, as well as Harry and Paul and the mood seems to be generally very laidback and festive. Many of the day's other participants garadually filter in and it's great to have a chat and really relax after such a long day. We're sat in the back room until about midnight and I manage to chat for a bit to Iain, George and most of the Write Fantastic. A whole range of topics are on discussion and for me this is such a great end to the day. It's only when I come out to the little gentleman's room that I realise a whole host of our particpants are in there as well, including Paul and Marie, Graham, Stephen, Tim, Sarah, Pete and Nicki, Adam and Mark (I think that's everybody!) It was about 2:30 by the time that everybody had filed of to bed and I decided to head home for some rest!!

Sunday I'm pretty tired but there's still work to be done in the shape of the Alt.Fiction film screening. The showing is at 3 so myself and Emma take Ramsey (who is introducing the film) and Jenny to Le Bistrot Pierre, which is one of our favourite restaurants in Derby. The food never lets you down, so it comes with my thorough recommendation! From there we head to the Metro Cinema, arriving in plenty of time and chatting away to a few people who were along on the Saturday and a few friends of mine who've popped along. Ramsey gives a great introduction to the work of David Lynch, paying particular attention to our day's film, Mulholland Drive. With that said I sit and watch the film, which I've forgotten just how much I like and I manage to keep my attention up despite increasing tiredness!

So that's all for the weekend- this week I've been looking over the evaluation stuff, doing a little thinking about 2008 and taking it easy wherever possible as well!

Hope that everybody there enjoyed the day, and hopefully will see you all in 2008 if not before.

Thanks a lot

Alex

And now the panic sets in...

2007-04-26T06:55:00.000-07:00

Hi All,

Two days away and things are certainly picking up towards the big day. For the first time I'm really starting to feel the nerves about it. As some of you will know, as organiser when something gets this close you start playing through all manner of awful scenarios that could happen between now and then. Thankfully largely they never happen, but it doesn't seem to stop you worrying!!

I've got boxes and boxes of stuff piled up ready to take over to the venue, which will be a task for tomorrow. In fact I've been told I could make myself a fortress around my desk if I re-organised these boxes a bit, and it's a tempting option...

The programmes have arrived and I'm really pleased with the way they look. They're A4 but fairly light-weight so they shouldn't be too much to carry around!! Really nice glossy look and hopefully everybody on the day will like them. They're a nice souvenir as well as a handy guide to the day, or at least I hope that's the case!!

T-shirts are now here for our volunteers and also looking good. I've been rounding together various other necessary bits and pieces- plastic bags, raffle tickets, blu-tak, flip charts...it's surprising how much it can actually mount up but if the event needs it then the event shall have it.

I spent a while yesterday afternoon on Radio Derby promoting the event- I managed not to trip up anything, get all the main details in and hopefully convey just how exciting it all is. The presenter, Alex Trellinski, was great as well and pretty much put me at ease, which was a decent achievement bearing in mind it's only my second time on the radio!

Tickets have been going well and I'm really looking forward to a good crowd on the day. I think we'll have quite a few people coming along on the day as well, so I'm really optimistic of recreating some of the atmosphere of last year.

I think that's about all of my final thoughts- hopefully I'll see most of you on Saturday for a fantastic day!!

Thanks a lot

Alex

5 days? Is that all?

2007-04-23T05:42:00.000-07:00

Hi All,

Well we're into the final week. I have cleared the diary on the final run-in to the big day, my only appointment being an interview on Radio Derby on Wednesday afternoon. That should be fun- only been on a couple of times before so it's good to be invited on. We also had a really good mention in the Derby Evening Telegraph over the weekend so that's encouraging.

So what more can I say? It's all go in the closing stages really. The t-shirts have arrived for our volunteers, and the programmes are being printed as we speak. I'm arranging everything that I need to take in terms of notices, information and preparatory notes. We're currently at two boxes and counting...

Have been discussing at length with our venue about the layout of each room and the foyer area and I think it's all set up to my satisfaction. It's exciting moving into a fourth room and hopefully that will improve the choice and quality of the day.

Also been confirming all the details with catering and we shall have a good range of food available at the bar throughout the day, although obviously if you feel the compelling urge to go for a wander around Derby you are more than welcome to do so. Just keep your badge with you for re-entry.

The team of volunteers is now gathered together and we should be suitable staffed up for the day. We have several people coming back to volunteer for a second year, which is great, as well as some new faces.

We've also confirmed one more bookseller, Tessa Harrington over at the former Ad Astra Books. That makes a total of four different booksellers as well as Interzone and Elastic Press having a stall.

I'll be heading over Friday to drop most of the stuff off at the venue, and perhaps even setting a little of it up, which would be a great head start to get.

So that's all for now- expect another post before the big day. Hopefully I'll be seeing many of you there and if you haven't booked up yet there are still som tickets left, so there's still time to join in! You can check out the webpage at www.derby.gov.uk/altfiction if you're interested in attending.

Thanks a lot

Alex

3 weeks and counting

2007-04-11T01:18:00.000-07:00

Hi All,

Now Easter has come and gone we are well and truly into the final run-up to Alt.Fiction. It's all pretty full on but things are taking a very firm shape now and it's an exciting time.

Latest news:

1) There has been a slight rejig to the day, with Mike Carey's session on graphic novels now taking place in the larger Reception Suite and Bloody Books' Read By Dawn Launch now taking place in the '45 Suite, which puts together all the book launches in one space. This leaves a free workshop slot, which will be filled in the next day or two. Full details will be posted on www.derby.gov.uk/altfiction

2) Details have now been confirmed for the Alt.Fiction film screening, which takes place on April 29th at 3pm. The film will be 'Mulholland Drive', as selected and introduced on the day by Ramsey Campbell. It's exciting to be working with Metro and to be able to extend the Alt.Fiction event to another cultural space in Derby. Tickets will be £5.85, £4.85 concessions with a £1 discount on display of Alt.Fiction attendee badge or ticet stub. Further details at www.derby.ac.uk/metro-cinema or you can call on 01332 295858.

3) Early discussions have been had with the venue as per how the space will be laid out as well as catering arrangements on the day. I know there were a few niggles on these two points from last year, which have been taken into account with the aim of producing serious improvement this year.

4) We are looking for volunteers on the day!! The venue will be getting set up from 9am and we will be needing volunteers from then until around 9:30pm. Obviously you can work hours to suit, and duties on the day can also be discussed. You can reach me either at alex.davis@derby.gov.uk or on 01332 715434 if you'd like to discuss further.

5) For those of you interested in horror writing, there are still a few places left on Tim Lebbon's horror writing workshop in Leicester on the 27th April. You can check out further details on that at http://leicesterliterature.wordpress.com/

6) Just to note that come the event we are hoping to have some details on some of the first names booked for Alt.Fiction 2008. Look out for details on the day.

Keep heading back for all the latest updates in the final run-up to Alt.Fiction. You can reach me with any enquiries on alex.davis@derby.gov.uk or on 01332 715434.

Many Thanks

Alex

It's only a month away...

2007-03-26T06:11:00.000-07:00

Hi All,

Somebody said that very thing to me this morning and at this point it's difficult to know whether you should be excited or just plain nervous. Nerves seem to be getting the upper hand at the moment but I'm sure that will all change in due course...

Anyway, on to the latest news to date...

The flyers arrived on Wednesday last week (hooray) and I spent most of Thursday afternoon with one of my trustier volunteers posting around 4500 of them to locations around the country. Still a fair few to go but plenty of time to shift them yet!!

Unfortunately one of our local authors, Steve Dean, has been forced to drop out of the event. This will be prompting a bit of a rejig of the day's programming. Expect full details both here and on the Alt.Fiction webpage (www.derby.gov.uk/altfiction) soon.

The Leicester events that I have been involved in seem to have gone really well so far. Thursday's Fright Night was attended by about 70 people and the Friday workshop with James Barclay was also fully booked. Thursday was really enjoyable- three great stories from Tony Richards, Sarah Pinborough and Ramsey Campbell. The feedback also seemed really positive, which is really pleasing.

The Sunday Alt.Fiction film showing will be Mulholland Drive, which will be introduced by Ramsey Campbell. Time TBC but it will be mid-early afternoon. It's a good way to extend the reach of Alt.Fiction and hopefully we'll be able to work more closely with Metro Cinema for the event next time around.

That's all for now- keep your eyes peeled for another update soon.

Many Thanks

Alex

Latest news

2007-03-14T02:50:00.000-07:00

Hi All,

Things are still moving along here irrespective of the impending bout of flu I feel coming on...so here are the latest headlines...

We've just managed to book Stephen Gallagher to take part on the day, and he'll be involved in our scriptwriting session in the Reception Suite. It's great to have somebody of Stephen's profile on board and it should be a great session.

Bloody Books have now confirmed the three authors for their launch slot- it'll be Scott Stainton Miller, Brian Ross and Suzanne Elvidge.

I'm glad to confirm that Ramsey Campbell will be introducing the Metro Cinema's Sunday matinee showing. Film TBC- hopefully we'll know by the end of the week.

Flyers will be going to print today and will be completed by next week. If anyone would like a batch just let me know at the work email: alex.davis@derby.gov.uk. The big mail-out will probably be next Thursday so expect to see them in your local bookshop, Tourist Information Centre, library, comic book shop and wherever else I can get them!!

The Leicester Fantastic series is booking up really well, with Fright Night on the verge of being sold out and two of thew workshops also booked out. There are a few spots left on Tim Lebbon's workshop the night before Alt.Fiction so if you are in the area it could be a great warm up. Full details for that series on http://leicesterliterature.wordpress.com/

And I know I have mentioned this event before but if you are interested in seeing Michael Marshall here in Derby TOMORROW NIGHT we are now running a special offer for that event. If you call Assembly Rooms Box Office on 01332 255800 and quote 'Derby Arts Offer' you can get your ticket for only £5!! A bargain if ever there was one...

That's the update for today- expect another one soon.

Many Thanks

Alex

Onwards and upwards...

2007-03-08T12:49:00.000-08:00

Hi All,

Things for Alt.Fiction have been increasingly taking shape, so a quick update on the latest plus some other tidbits of interest...

Probably most important of all the Alt.Fiction webpage is now up and running and you can check that out at http://www.derby.gov.uk/LeisureCulture/ArtsEntertainment/altfiction.htm. You'll be able to see the latest programme for the day, link to online ticket purchasing and find out more about Derby if you are planning to stay overnight.

And for those of you staying until Sunday- I'm currently working on arranging a film showing at out local independent cinema, Metro, to tie into the event with an author introduction. Full details on that early next week.

I've found out in the last couple of days that Paul Finch, who was due to take part in a scriptwriting session, will unfortunately be unavailable on the day. We're currently looking at a slight shift in that session, and again the updates will be here and on the webpage.

For those of you who are astonishingly organised, the date for next year's event is already down and will be 26th April 2008. I'm hoping to have a few names confirmed by the time this year's event comes around.

Flyers should be out the week after next. I'm hoping to send them to print by Monday and distribute through the course of that week. Last year we had 10000 although I may go for a few less this time around. Sales so far have been pretty encouraging.

I've been involved in some events over in Leicester by the name of Fantastic! and the first of those ran on march 6th featuring Paul McAuley and Ian Watson. Although I couldn't be there due to a prior work commitment all reports have been really positive. The series still has a whole host of events left featuring Ramsey Campbell, Graham Joyce, Peter Hamilton, Tim Lebbon, James Barclay and more. You can find full details at http://leicesterliterature.wordpress.com/

Finally for all you Michael Marshall Smith/Michael Marshall fans, Michael will be appearing in Derby on March 15th at the Guildhall Theatre, supported by three leading local crime writers in Rod Duncan, Sally Spedding and Clare Littleford. If you're interested in a ticket you can visit http://www.assemblyrooms-derby.co.uk/WhatsOn/Shows/070315michealmarshall.htm

I'll also be opening up a Derby literature myspace in the near future, so will be posting that address up here also. As always if there are any question about Alt.Fiction don't hesitate to contact me at alex.davis@derby.gov.uk

Many Thanks

Alex

Into full swing

2007-02-21T03:02:00.000-08:00

Hi All,

Things are really beginning to shape up for the big day now and with only a few events and nine weeks between now and Alt.Fiction 2007 expect plenty of news to be forthcoming.

The flyer is in the final stages of design- last year we ordered (and indeed shifted) ten thousand so expect to be seeing them at a bookshop, library, university, memorabilia or comic shop near you some time within the next couple of weeks.

I'm also currently working on the webpage, which will include the first release of the finalised programme for the day. I'm really pleased with how it's come out and it should produce some great sessions on the day.

So that's what I'm beavering away at- expect another update in a couple of days.

Many Thanks

Alex

A Valentine's update

2007-02-13T03:04:00.000-08:00

Hi All,

Don't worry, it has nothing to do with Valentine's really...

First of all, apologies for the long absence in posting here. The blog will now be fully operational as the event begins to get into full swing and the date closes in. I've been kept busy with a fair few events since my last posting, including Chaz Brenchley's Phantoms for its first trip outside of Newcastle, visits from crime writers Ann Cleeves and Danuta Reah/Carla Banks and a whole host more. This Sunday also sees the visit of Darren Shan to Derby, which I'm really excited about. If you're interested you can check it out at: http://www.assemblyroomsderby.co.uk/WhatsOn/Shows/070218darranshan.htm

On to the event itself things are really beginning to shape up. The flyer is in design process, the programme is nearing confirmation and the very last of the contracts for the event are going out this week. The effort from here on in will really be marketing oriented and of course making sure everybody knows where they are going and how the day will run. Expect the programme to be posted here very soon anyway.

Tickets are also now officially on sale- full details at http://www.assemblyrooms-derby.co.uk/WhatsOn/Shows/070428altfiction.htm

In other news...

I've been working with my counterpart in Leicester, Damien Walter, on a series of events by the name of Fantastic! featuring Ramsey Campbell, Peter F Hamilton, Graham Joyce, Paul McAuley, Tim Lebbon and a whole host more. It's got reading, discussions and a series of 'masterclass' workshops for the budding genre author. You can check out the full details at http://leicesterliterature.wordpress.com/. I'll be getting to many of the events myself so hopefully I will see some of you there.

Myself and many of my local counterparts have also been busy beavering away on a literature magazine by the name of Tripod, and the first issue will feature an interview with Iain M Banks to tie into the big day. Keep your eyes peeled for further details right here.

That's all for this edition- come back soon for all the latest news on Alt.Fiction.

Many Thanks

Alex

It's been a long time...

2006-10-24T08:47:00.000-07:00

...since I put a post up! So apologies for my rather quiet nature recently. Fundamentally I've been buried in events through most of October and only now am I starting to poke my head above the parapet. We had some really good ones and overall I was a happy man come the end of a very busy period.

It's a quick update as I'm off to another event this evening but things are beginning to take more shape for Alt.Fiction- the latest version of the program will be going to authors for approval later this week, the contracts with the venue have all been signed and all the copy has gone to the venue inclusion in their early 2007 brochure. So it is beginning to move again...

FantasyCon was a few weeks ago and that was an absolutely brilliant weekend, so expect my rather more extensive thoughts on that in due course, plus we have Chaz Brenchley and Northern Gothic bringing Phantoms down to this neck of the woods on Thursday, so expect some kind of reportage on that also. The Alt.Fiction reading group opens for business in Derby soon also, so I'll post details of that in due course.

Must dash- it's a half hour walk to this venue, but expect a rather longer and more satisfying post in a day or two...

Thanks

Alex

A final entry before vanishing...

2006-09-18T04:05:00.000-07:00

Hi All,

A rather belated entry from a rather absentee bloggee...blogger...bloggist?

Anyway, unfortunately I was off for much of last week feeling rather unwell but a few days recouperation seem to have done me some good. And what have I been working on in the meantime you may ask?

I was recently hosting a fantasy night in Nottingham featuring Alison Davies and Steve Dean which went very well. I seem to be doing more and moe introductions recently...anyway, we had a good crowd of about 25/30 and they all seemed to enjoy their evening. Many of us popped out for a drink in Nottingham afterwards and overall just very enjoyable really. Alison's book for the charity Debra, 'Shrouded by Darkness' is launched at FantasyCon and I hope people really get behind it. It's such a good cause and it also features some fine writers...

What else...I've gotten involved in a horror day over in Chesterfield, which takes place on October 13th. The event will feature Simon Clark, Paul Kane and Marie O'Regan and will present a selection of afternoon workshops and an evening reading q+a, both at Chesterfield library. Expect full details in the near future.

And speaking of full details, anybody in the Derby area may be interested to know the Chaz Brenchley's 'Phantoms' event will be taking its first trip outside Newcastle to visit Derby on October 26th featuring Chaz (naturally), Gail-Nina Anderson and Sean O'Brien. The event takes place at the suitably spooky Dolphin Inn and tickets are £8/£6 including your evening meal, which can't be bad. Call me if you'd like to reserve a space- 01332 715434.

The big day itself still seems to be ticking along- my next big planning blitz will be late October as I have a whole host of events coming up throughout October, so expect plenty of further news then. And of course there will be news upcoming on the Leicester events in the new year.

And of course I'll be at FantasyCon over the weekend- I go away for a three-day conference tomorrow and then it's straight from the Lake District to Nottingham. It should be great fun and hopefully I'll see a number of you there.

Thanks for listening- I'll be putting another post up next week once I've recovered from FantasyCon....

Cheers

Alex

FantasyCon and other matters...

2006-08-24T06:02:00.000-07:00

Hi All,

Alt.Fiction has slipped into its inevitable lull and a lot of my time is currently taken up with organising a host of October events in Derby, as well as a couple in the very early days of September. If anybody does want to know what I get up to day in day out I do have a newsletter by the name of Live Words, so if you're living locally and you want to know what's going on literature wise just let me know.

The program for AF needs a little re-jigging, which is probably going to be a task for one evening (when I have an evening free that is). I will have an initial pre-release flyer for the event at 'Flights of Fantasy' in Nottingham, which I'm introducing on September 7th. The event features local fantasy writers Steve Dean and Alison Davies and takes place at Angel Row Library from 7:30 until 9. If you're in the area I think it will be a really good night.

Plus I've also heard about this event called FantasyCon, at which I will have some flyers and be present from Friday afternoon until close. Looking forward to the event more and more the closer it gets and the program looks excellent. Do come find me for a chat and a drink...strictly non-alcoholic for me. No, seriously.

And on the topic of FantasyCon I've been asked to be part of the Commitee for the 2007 FantasyCon, which I'm really pleased with. It's great to be invited to take part in the event and I'm looking forward to getting stuck in really!

So a slightly strange update in that it's much more associated news than AF news...but I'll be sure to keep you posted as soon as anything else becomes clear...

Thanks

Alex

Ticking along...

2006-08-15T00:49:00.000-07:00

Hi All,

Apologies for the lack of posting lately. I'm organising quite a lot of events for October so have been busy in that planning stage.

However Alt.Fiction has not left my mind and quietly things have been moving along. I have drawn up a provisional programme, which has gone out to all the day's participants. While there are a few bits of tinkering to be done, there's nothing too wholesale to be altered, which is nice to know. It was only in putting together the program that I actually realised how many good writers we had on board. As soon as that is finalised I will obviously post it here.

I have had a chat with the venue about the event and its future and they seemed pretty keen to maintain their involvement, which is good news. We've also talked about a range of literature events at the Assembly Rooms so hopefully we can build an even better working relationship.

I'm going to work on some sort of pre-release flyer for the event which I can take to Nottingham for FantasyCon, just to let people know the date, the price, the venue and the guest list. The webpage is down for the moment (you have to set an expiry date) but I am hoping to get that working again soon.

And if anyone does want to have a chat at FantasyCon about Alt.Fiction then just let me know- my email is alex.davis@derby.gov.uk. I'm looking forward to seeing the program there and enjoying the weekend. I'll be over with a friend of mine and despite living a bus ride away we've decided to stay over so as not to miss all the late-night shenanigans...

Final point from a more personal perspective- I've been back writing for the first time in ages (probbly nearing a year)- 5 short stories in 2 weeks. A couple of modern/urban fantasies, a near sci-fi piece (it's about time travel but in an abstract sort of way), a Lovecraftian tale and a rather nasty near-horror piece. I wonder where these things come from sometimes...but it feels great to be getting creative again and long may it continue!!

Anyway, be back again soon

Alex

The joys of programming

2006-08-02T02:33:00.000-07:00

Hi All,

Alt.Fiction seems to still be moving along and this week I have been taking on the task of programming the event. I'd consider myself about halfway but the biggest problem that I am encountering is fitting everything and everyone in! I want all the participants to be able to say their piece and be involved in a way they are happy with.

I think that the day will almost certainly be longer than last year as there are more writers on board and also a set of book launches taking place that will (hopefully) have their own distinct space. It's currently looking like we will have eight sessions throughout the day rather than seven and I'm currently toying with an earlier start rather than a later finish. However if anyone did have any strong opinions on this please feel free to express them! I'm also hoping to have some more 'paired' readings and bring some new topics for discussion such as scriptwriting and the work of small presses.

Hopefully the plan will be in place by the end of the week to send out to participants. The final plan will probably look nothing like this original as obviously I absolutely want to ensure that all particpants are happy with their time allocation and their topics (where appropriate). So the whole programming process I would estimate takes a couple of months. But it's a great feeling when you have the layout finished...it somehow makes the whole thing more real. It's that point of transformation from a list of participants to a very focussed plan of action.

In other news...

It looks likely that Alt.Fiction 2007 will have an accompanying film show at the Metro Cinema in Derby. Had a very positive meeting there yesterday and they seem happy to work with us to bring some movie material to the Alt.Fiction audience (do I dare say Alt.Film? Hmmmm....). I'd love these to be films with literature connections in particular but obviously it's not something for me to dictate on. I'd quite like a few films to be suggested by the day's writers to see if Metro could get those. That's all up for grabs but the upshot is that there will be a post-Alt.Fiction screening, which is reall exciting news.

I've been in preliminary discussions with Damien Walter, Literature Development Officer for Leicester, to take a couple of Alt.Fiction events over there in early 2007...watch this space for updates on that one. Damien has been very supportive towards Alt.Fiction and I know is a very keen sci-fi fan, so I'm really looking forward to working with him on those.

I guess that's all for now- things are continuing to tick along towards next year. I'll be working on updating the Council's Alt.Fiction webpage in the near future too so will be putting some info on there also.

I'll be back for another update next week...

Thanks

Alex

As the dust begins to settle...

2006-07-24T01:03:00.000-07:00

Hi All,

Apologies for the absence last week but due to my moving house things have been a tad hectic. But now I have the key in my hands and things have gone smoothly enough so far despite locking myself out of the house on Saturday (who invented Yale locks? Honestly. They completely stop you getting into the house...). One locksmith and one £20 note later and that drama was resolved anyway. Thus with my attention slightly elsewhere I don't have quite as much news as I may have liked.

However I did go for a very constructvie meeting with Solaris publishers, based at Games Workshop (or to be more specific Black Library) in Nottingham. To slightly go off topic what a great setup there! The shop and gaming area is absolutely massive and Bugman's Bar is mightily impressive. If it were in Derby town centre I' d be in there all the time...

Back to the point, I met George Mann, Mike Ball and Christian Dunn, all of whom came across as being great guys and reallty dedicated to what they do. The first set of books comes out in April next year, which ties it in beautifully to Alt.Fiction and as a local venture which seems to really be going places it'll be great to get some work going with them. All three seemed keen on some kind of collaboration in the future which I think will be really beneficial to both parties.

There's no writer news beyond that but in other news I will be starting an Alt.Fiction reading group in Derby in November. It'll be a chance to discuss books with genre fans and to find out about books you may never have heard of, or books that you've always wanted to read but just needed that extra push. I will be getting flyers and such-like out there nearer the time but consider this an advance warning. Now I've got to decide on the first books...

Also, if people are looking to come to Alt.Fiction next year we now have the discounted rates in for the European Inn. It's located right by the train station and is ideal for those of you travelling in that way- I'll also be getting some rates from the Midland (which is just across the road) in due course. The European have quoted me £28.00 per person per night bed & breakfast based on two people sharing a twin / double room. The rates for single rooms will be £43.00 per person per night. It's really good of the venue to offer us such a competitive rate and if you're travelling in, or even thinking of travelling in, hopefully that will make the whole journey a little lighter on the pocket. Or just give you more money for books. Or drinks. Or whatever else you may wish to spend the money on.

The European Inn website is at http://www.euro-derby.co.uk/ and you can contact them on 01332 292000.

In terms of what else I've been up to I'm looking at starting a new performance poetry night in September/October as well as working with our local independent cinema, Metro, to discuss having some readings or literature and film tie-ins there (which may include Alt.Fiction...). I'm also looking to have a series of events in October just after National Poetry Week which includes some Russian writers, a performance poetry group, a couple of workshops and a poetry and music performance. There are a few other smaller scale things going on also and I feel that Derby is a city moving in the right direction for literature at the moment. Which hopefully means I'm doing something right....hopefully.

Thanks a lot, and I'll pop another post on later this week...

Alex

Early morning update

2006-07-14T00:35:00.000-07:00

Hi All,

Posting bright and early today...got into work at 7:30 this morning despite having had a rather busy last few days (working on interviewing for 11 hours yesterday...). This does offer the advantage however of being able to leave early for a slightly longer weekend.

Alt.Fiction has been continuing to gather pace and I've been lucky enough to be able to invite numerous of last year's guests back for a second time. Return visitors so far include Chris Teague, Andrew Hook, John Jarrold, Alison Davies, Mark Morris, Sarah Pnborough, Peter Crowther, Ramsey Campbell, Paul Kane and Marie O'Regan. I have also extended an invite to the Write Fantastic and have so far had a definite yes from Chaz Brenchley, Stan Nicholls and Juliet McKenna.

At this point I'm trying not to accrue too many more guests as we only have limited time and space to fit them into...anyone else attending would have to be a pretty big name to force their way into the line up. I'm really happy with the way it has shaped up this time around and people seem really keen to take part, which is really encouraging for the future of the event.

In related news....

I will be over at FantasyCon in September if anyone wants to collar me for a chat about Alt.Fiction or any other subjects at large really....I'm hoping to have some kind of pre-publicity so people can take some details away with them should they wish to. I'm also hoping to get to NovaCon in November although that could be based on finances rather than my desire to go...

I've been in talks with Chaz Brenchley to bring his Phantoms at the Phil down to Derby for Halloween and have agreed a date of October 26th. I love the idea of the event (nothing beats a good ghost story...) and I'm really looking forward to finding a suitably atmospheric venue. Those of you who watch Living TV will be aware of Derby's ghostly reputation and I think we will be able to find an amazing venue for the night.

Jenny Barber's blog at Bradan Press http://bradanpress.blogspot.com/ reports that Derby is in the final two contenders for FantasyCon 2007. I'd be thrilled to have the event in Derby and it's something I'd really look forward to getting behind in my capacity here. We'll just have to see what pans out...but I'll be there either way!

I suppose that's all for now- next time I'm on I'll gather together a full guest list for everyone to peruse...

Thanks

Alex

That Friday Feeling...

2006-07-07T06:17:00.000-07:00

Hi All,

Ah, Friday afternoon. The quietest time of the week, which surely represents an ideal opportunity to catch up on some blogging.

Alt.Fiction continues to take shape very quickly and we look like having a bumper crop of writers on board. A rather exciting phone call from George Walkley at Orbit confirmed that Mike Carey would be making the trip up, which adds to an already very strong guest list for 2007. I've also begun asking some of last year's guests to come back for the event and agreements have been reached with many of our horror contingent including Ramsey Campbell, Alison Davies and Sarah Pinborough as well as Chris Teague (Pendragon Press), Andrew Hook (Elastic) and John Jarrold (sci-fi and fantasy factotum). John has been a massive help in getting the whole thing of the ground, contacting editors and writers on my behalf, and it'll be a pleasure to have him back. I'm sure I owe him plenty of drinks yet...

One of the hardest things I've found in deciding the line-up is that there are people who were great last year and that I really got on with that I can't have back! Obviously we have to make the day sufficiently different to maintain interest plus my budget has to be far more cost-effective this year. If it's any consolation it has been a really hard process...On the bright side, if I have anything to say about it, the event will remain annual and there will be plenty of opportunities in the future.

I suppose that's all for now...I'm now going to head home for a nice relaxing weekend. For some reason I woke up at 4:30 this morning and couldn't get back to sleep so an early night may be in order...

Cheers

Alex

Post-holiday update

2006-07-04T06:07:00.000-07:00

Hi All,

Apologies for the short period of non-posting but I was away on holiday during all of last week. A really good break in Center Parcs, relaxing, unwinding and all that. Unfortunately much of that was undone when the roof of our bedroom decided to leak profusely on Sunday evening- I think it's actually being repaired as I type this. And of course you come back to a full in-box, in-tray and answering machine- it's taken me this long to get anywhere near caught up!

So, on to the Alt.Fiction latest and I have to say I'm becoming quite excited about this event. I'm in initial talks with Adam Nevill and Peter F Hamilton about appearing at next year's event and even more great news in that Harry Harrison will be appearing at the event. It's a real honour to have such a science-fiction legend appearing in Derby and I'd like to thank Paul Tomlinson, who has been a instrumental in securing this and has been very supportive of Alt.Fiction throughout its lifespan so far.

Of course we're not yet done for writers and hopefully there will be plenty more big names coming and supporting the event. I think this year presents a real opportunity to cement Alt.Fiction's place in the calendar and mark it as one of the significant events in the UK for genre readers.

Finally, I am in talks with a couple of Derby hotels to try and secure reduced booking rates for people attending the event. Both the European and the Midland have been very helpful so far and if you are thinking of travelling in I think this will be a real benefit for you.

Keep your eyes peeled for more updates...

Thanks

Alex

Latest Author news...

2006-06-21T01:29:00.000-07:00

Hi All,

I've decided to post today because it's very likely that I won't be in the office at all tomorrow as I'm working away at a conference- I'm looking forward to it mind, it's been really good seeing the whole thing take shape and it'll be even better to see the final product.

On to Alt.Fiction however and things have been developing- I've made agreements for the day with Steve Dean (author of Soulkeepers, pub. by Hades Gate http://www.hadesgate.co.uk/), Tony Ballantyne, David Barnett (author of Hinterland), Freda Warrington, Graham Joyce, John Berlyne (of SFRevu), Tim Lebbon and Iain (M) Banks. It's a real pleasure to be bringing such great names to Alt.Fiction and I already think next year is shaping up to be even bigger than this year's event. The only bad news was that Brian Lumley was already booked for the date over in the US- however he got back to me very promptly and seemed to be thankful for the offer. Maybe next time around...

I'm still purusing some further big names plus making arrangements for various launches with publishers- if we're going to keep Alt.Fiction going it needs to support the trade at large and this year I'm trying to do that through making a real commitment to promoting publishers both large and small.

I'm also working on negotiating discounted hotel rates for those who want to stay overnight before/after the event so I'll make sure to keep you posted on how that develops. I'll be aiming to offer people as good a deal as possible in terms of keeping ticket prices low, keeping quality high and working to improve the offer of the event at large.

That's all for now...It'll be about a fortnight before the next post because of my upcoming holiday but hopefully we'll have even more exciting news then.

Thanks

Alex

Event planning: Round 1...

2006-06-15T02:47:00.000-07:00

Hi All,

I've just decided that Thursday will be my regular day for posting on this blog, so that'll be the day to come and look and what is going on. I've been pretty busy since Monday pursuing various leads and possibilities.

I've just confirmed Paul Finch for the event, who is a pretty experienced scriptwriter and will be involved in a session exploring this form of writing. I'm also looking to have a slot for young adult writing at Alt.Fiction so we can broaden out the event. I'll be glad to hear any panel ideas that people may have...

I've sent some enquiries to possible participants for next year and there are a few fairly big names in there...I don't want to jinx it but I'll keep you posted on the yes and nos! Obviously there will be quite a few of last year's participants invited back although I can't invite everybody back for a second time (although I believe the majority would come back if invitied!). I'm basically going to work on the first-timers initially and get onto the repeat visitors in due course so I don't want anyone to be disheartened! Even if I'm not inviting people back it's more than likely there are possibilities for 2008 and beyond.

Next Thursday I'll be fairly busy working at a Deaf and Integrated Arts conference...I've been on the steering group since coming into post and it's nice to see the whole thing coming to fruition. The event has drawn people from around the country which is really encouraging. That's the next big thing on the horizon and then I have a week's holiday at Center Parcs from the 26th which will be a great chance to relax and unwind.

Anyway, expect some more news in the near future...things should be taking more of a shape next time I post.

Cheers

Alex

Welcome!!

2006-06-14T02:34:00.000-07:00

Welcome!!
Welcome one and all!

My name is Alex Davis and perhaps I should start with a little about me...

I've always been interested in literature- I've written actively since I can ever remember and went on to study Creative Writing at the University of Derby. It was after that I got interested in literature work through volunteering and running a writing group in Derby. Eventually I was lucky enough to be offered a post organising Nottingham 2005 Poetry in the City Festival and following that experience I was offered the post I currently occupy, Literature Development Officer in Derby.

The post is one that I really enjoy and involves helping budding writers through guidance and resources, assisting writing groups to develop, offerign work and profile to more established writers and also organising events both large and small. Which brings me to the whole reason for this blog...Alt.Fiction 2007.

Alt.Fiction 2006 was my first brainchild in post and ran on May 6th of this year. The whole thing took around six months of planning and work and was generously supported by Derby City Council and Arts Council England, who were invaluable in making the event happen. We were able to draw together a host of twenty-five fantastic horror, science-fiction and fantasy writers including Ramsey Campbell, Simon Clark, Justina Robson, Richard Morgan, Chaz Brenchley, Mark Chadbourn, Juliet McKenna, Simon R Green, Stan Nicholls, Peter Crowther and many more. The writers and publishers took part in a host of workshops, discussions, readings and Q+A sessions throughout the event. The day went really well and in particular the response after the event was overwhelming.

The 2006 event was pretty much a pilot and it was only in the cold light of day after the event that we realised we had some decisions to make on its future. I thoroughly enjoyed putting the whole day together and with all the positivity surrounding it, we decided that it would be folly not to run again. So this blog is dedicated to giving news, thoughts and updates for Alt.Fiction 2007.

The very basics first of all: The event takes place on 28th April 2007 and runs again at the Darwin Suite of the Assembly Rooms, Derby. Times have yet to be confirmed.

This year the event has to run on a tighter budget so at present I am pursuing publishers and various other organisations to see if they would like to be involved by having book launches or sessions at Alt.Fiction. It seems likely already that Stephen Hunt (of SFCrowsNest) will have an opportunity to launch his book at the event courtesy of Voyager. I'm also arranging a meeting with Solaris, who are affiliated with Games Workshop who have their head office over in Nottingham, to see if they would be interested in some kind of involvement.
But I certainly wouldn't want anyone to think I was resting on my laurels and I have plenty of big names in mind also to ensure that we can match the high standard of this year's event. Expect some repeat visits plus a whole host of new names for 2007. I'll be trying to post on the blog weekly so keep heading back for all the latest news.

In the meantime, any of you interested in the 2006 can find a nice range of photos on Paul Kane's Shadow Writer website...visit http://www.shadow-writer.co.uk/altfiction.htm.

Cheers

Alex