May BSFA London Meeting: Janet Edwards Interviewed by Ian Drury

Location: The Cellar Bar, The Argyle Public House, 1 Greville Street (off Leather Lane), London EC1N 8PQ

On Wednesday 22nd May 2013, Janet Edwards (author of the Earth Girl trilogy) will be interviewed by Ian Drury.

ALL WELCOME – FREE ENTRY (Non-members welcome)

The interview will start at 7 pm. We have the room from 6 pm (and if early, fans are in the ground floor bar from 5ish).

There will be a raffle (£1 for five tickets), with a selection of sf novels as prizes.

Map is here. Nearest Tube: Chancery Lane (Central Line).

FUTURE EVENTS:
26th June 2013**– James Smythe, interviewed by TBC
24th July 2013*  – Cory Doctorow, interviewed by Tom Hunter

28th August 2013- Ian Stewart, interviewed by Stephen Baxter

* Note that this is a month with five Wednesdays. The meeting will be on the fourth, not the last, Wednesday of the month.

** Due to personal reasons, Catheyrnne Valente is no longer able to attend.

April BSFA London Meeting: Lavie Tidhar interviewed by Edward James

Photo (c) 2012 Future Publishing (www.sfx.co.uk)

Location: The Cellar Bar, The Argyle Public House, 1 Greville Street (off Leather Lane), London EC1N 8PQ

On Wednesday 24th April 2013, Lavie Tidhar (author of the BSFA Award shortlisted Osama, and The Bookman Chronicles, and editor-in-chief of the BSFA Award-winning World SF Blog) will be interviewed by Edward James (Chair of the Science Fiction Foundation).

ALL WELCOME – FREE ENTRY (Non-members welcome)

The interview will start at 7 pm. We have the room from 6 pm (and if early, fans are in the ground floor bar from 5ish).

There will be a raffle (£1 for five tickets), with a selection of sf novels as prizes.

Map is here. Nearest Tube: Chancery Lane (Central Line).

FUTURE EVENTS:
22nd May 2013* – Janet Edwards;** interviewer TBC
26th June 2013 – Catherynne M. Valente, interviewed by Farah Mendlesohn
24th July 2013*  - Cory Doctorow, interviewed by Tom Hunter

* Note that this is a month with five Wednesdays. The meeting will be on the fourth, not the last, Wednesday of the month.

** Due to personal reasons, Aliette de Bodard is no longer able to attend.  We hope to invite her at a future date.

February BSFA London Meeting: Elizabeth Hand interviewed by Farah Mendlesohn

Location: The Cellar Bar, The Argyle Public House, 1 Greville Street (off Leather Lane), London EC1N 8PQ

On Wednesday 27th February 2013, Elizabeth Hand (author of, among others, Waking the Moon, Black Light, Mortal Love, and Radiant Days) will be interviewed by Farah Mendlesohn (Professor of Literary History at Anglia Ruskin University).

ALL WELCOME – FREE ENTRY (Non-members welcome)

The interview will start at 7 pm. We have the room from 6 pm (and if early, fans are in the ground floor bar from 5ish).

There will be a raffle (£1 for five tickets), with a selection of sf novels as prizes.

Map is here. Nearest Tube: Chancery Lane (Central Line).

FUTURE EVENTS:
20th March 2013* – BSFA Awards discussion
24th April 2013 – Lavie Tidhar; interviewer TBC
22nd May 2013** – Aliette de Bodard; interviewer TBC

* Note that due to the proximity of Easter to the fourth Wednesday of the month, this meeting will be held on the third Wednesday.

** Note that this is a month with five Wednesdays. The meeting will be on the fourth, not the last, Wednesday of the month.

Two BSFA interviews available as podcasts

The last two BSFA London meetings can be heard as audio podcasts.

Paul Cornell, from November 2012: http://thedoctorwhopodcast.com/upload/CornellBSFA.mp3

Dave Hutchinson from January 2013: https://www.dropbox.com/s/529fegd6kx5p5u5/BSFA%20Meeting%2030.1.13.m4a

Thanks to Paul Cornell, Tony Whitmore and the Doctor Who Podcast for the first, and to Dave Hutchinson for the second.

2013 London BSFA meeting schedule

We’ve now got the details for the first six months of the 2013 programme for the BSFA London meetings, and it looks really strong to our eyes:

23rd January 2013* – Dave Hutchinson, interviewed by Ian Whates
27th February 2013 – Elizabeth Hand, interviewed by Farah Mendlesohn
20th March 2013** – BSFA Awards discussion
24th April 2013 – Lavie Tidhar – interviewer TBC
22nd May 2013* – Aliette de Bodard – interviewer TBC
26th June 2013 – Catherynne M. Valente – interviewer TBC

* Note that this is a month with five Wednesdays. The meeting will be on the fourth, not the last, Wednesday of the month.
** Note that due to the proximity of Easter to the fourth Wednesday of the month, this will be held on the third Wednesday.

November BSFA London Meeting: Paul Cornell interviewed by Roz Kaveney

Author photo by Rob Monk, copyright SFX Magazine, 2012

Location: The Cellar Bar, The Argyle Public House, 1 Greville Street (off Leather Lane), London EC1N 8PQ

On Wednesday 28th November 2012, Paul Cornell (novelist, and comics and TV writer) will be interviewed by Roz Kaveney (critic and author), mostly about his new novel, London Calling.

ALL WELCOME – FREE ENTRY (Non-members welcome)

The interview will start at 7 pm. We have the room from 6 pm (and if early, fans are in the ground floor bar from 5ish).

There will be a raffle (£1 for five tickets), with a selection of sf novels as prizes.

Map is here. Nearest Tube: Chancery Lane (Central Line).

FUTURE EVENTS:
(There is no BSFA Meeting in December).
23rd January 2013* – Dave Hutchinson, interviewed by Ian Whates
27th February 2013 – Elizabeth Hand, interviewed by Farah Mendlesohn
20th March 2013** – BSFA Awards discussion

* Note that this is a month with five Wednesdays. The meeting will be on the fourth, not the last, Wednesday of the month.
** Note that due to the proximity of Easter to the fourth Wednesday of the month, this will be held on the third Wednesday.

Science Fiction Foundation Conference; CFP closes on 30 September

Just a reminder that the Call For Papers for the Science Fiction Foundation’s Conference “Swords, Sorcery, Sandals and Space: The Fantastika and the Classical World” (Liverpool, 29 June-1 July 2013) closes on 30 September.  Details here: http://www.sf-foundation.org/conference

Special BSFA Meeting: Han Song interviewed by Lavie Tidhar

On Wednesday 10th Octber 2012, Han Song (Chinese Science Fiction author) will be interviewed by Lavie Tidhar (Israeli SF writer), with Antoaneta Becker translating.

Although little of his work has been translated into English* Han Song is one of the most prolific of Chinese SF writers, and has won the prestigious Galaxy prize six times.

*One recent exception is the short story ‘The Wheel of Samsara’, published in 2009 in The Apex Book of Science Fiction, edited by Lavie Tidhar.

This event is supported by the British Council in collaboration with the Chinese organising committee as part of the China Market Focus 2012 cultural programme at The London Book Fair.

ALL WELCOME – FREE ENTRY (Non-members welcome)

The interview will start at 7 pm. We have the room from 6pm (and if early, fans are in the ground floor bar from 5ish).

There will be a raffle (£1 for five tickets), with a selection of sf novels as prizes.

Location: Cellar Bar, The Argyle Public House, 1 Greville Street (off Leather Lane), London EC1N 8PQ. Map is here. Nearest Tube: Chancery Lane (Central Line).

Please note that this is now the new permanent venue of BSFA Meetings.

FUTURE EVENTS:
24th October** - Nina Allan, interviewed by Niall Harrison
28th November - Paul Cornell, interviewed by Roz Kaveney
(There is no BSFA Meeting in December).
23rd January 2013** – TBC

** Note that this is a month with five Wednesdays. The meeting will be on the fourth, not the last, Wednesday of the month.

September BSFA Meeting: Robert Shearman interviewed by Simon Guerrier

On Wednesday 26th September 2012, Robert Shearman (author, playwright, Doctor Who writer) will be interviewed by Simon Guerrier (Doctor Who writer).

ALL WELCOME – FREE ENTRY (Non-members welcome)

The interview will start at 7 pm. We have the room from 6pm (and if early, fans are in the ground floor bar from 5ish).

There will be a raffle (£1 for five tickets), with a selection of sf novels as prizes.

Location: Cellar Bar, The Argyle Public House, 1 Greville Street (off Leather Lane), London EC1N 8PQ. Map is here. Nearest Tube: Chancery Lane (Central Line).

Please note that this is now the new permanent venue of BSFA Meetings. It would be nice if we could get a good turnout for the first meeting.

FUTURE EVENTS:
10th October – Special Meeting: Han Song, interviewed by Lavie Tidhar
24th October** - Nina Allan, interviewed by Niall Harrison
28th November - Paul Cornell, interviewed by Roz Kaveney
(There is no BSFA Meeting in December).
23rd January 2013** – TBC

** Note that this is a month with five Wednesdays. The meeting will be on the fourth, not the last, Wednesday of the month.

London in 2014 party

The London in 2014 Worldcon Bid are holding a party on Sunday 2 September, to coincide with the announcement of the 2014 site selection. It’s at the Green Man & Porter’s Bar, on the corner of Great Portland Street and Euston Road, from 4 pm onwards. You are encouraged to arrive promptly, as the announcement is expected soon after 4.

The BSFA supports the London in 2014 bid.

Details here:

http://www.londonin2014.org/content/london-party