This week, Nine Worlds holds its second convention in London, from August 7th-9th. The convention features a veritable smorgasbord of events, screenings, panels, etc., and we wanted to share the schedule for our authors.

Friday, August 7th

• 11:30am-12:30pm — Panel: “Monsterclass – Mechanics of Publishing” — John Wordsworth  —  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.
• 1:30-2:45pm — Panel: “Evidence Handling – Primary source work for historians and writers” — Kari Sperring — What is a primary source, and how do historians use them? Three professional historians lead a workshop on how to work with various kinds of evidence, both written and physical. Examples of sources will be provided for participants to explore and analyse.
• 3:15-4:30pm — Panel: “The Companions – They save the universe a lot” — Kari Sperring — Our intrepid panellists discuss the companions of Doctor Who. Which ones worked best, and which ones fell by the wayside? Who’s under-rated and who deserved a run of seven years? What companion storylines have been the most compelling? And going into the future: what do we want to see on-screen, what can we realistically get, and what new archetypes and new ideas would we like to see played out?
• 5:00-6:15pm — Panel: “Childhood Influences – I want to be a Wild Thing when I grow up” — Edward Cox — From the fantasy worlds of Blyton’s Magic Faraway Tree to 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?
• 6:45-8:00pm — Panel: “Historical Heroines – The women from history that we admire” — Kari Sperring — History is often seen as being about Great Men, but there were plenty of Great Women, from Katherine the Great to Florence Nightingale. This panel celebrates the women who have, against the odds, made their mark on history: a group of historians and writers will pick their favourites.
• 8:00-10:00pm — Event: “Jo Fletcher Books – Summer Party & Book Launch” — Naomi Foyle and Ian McDonald in attendance

Saturday, August 8th

• 9:00-9:45am — Panel: “What makes Fantasy fantastic?” — Anne Lyle — 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?
• 10:00-11:15am — Panel: “The End of Author Mystique” — Edward Cox — 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 peaks, have our expectations as readers changed?
• 11:45am-1:00pm — Panel: “Collaborative Writing – How to write with others (and stay friends)” — Naomi Foyle — Our panel discusses the trials and pitfalls of collaborative writing, examining why people write together, and the best techniques and technologies to use.
• 3:15-4:30pm — Panel: “Favourite Historical Movies – What we like and why” — Kari Sperring — Historians are often thought of as people who sit and watch historical movies, looking for the errors. But there are some movies set in the past that we like. Here, a group of historians will talk about their favourites, and why they are particularly loved.
• 5:00-6:15pm — Panel: “The dead will rise again – Resurgence of Gothic Literature” — Lavie Tidhar — Some of the greatest monsters just can’t stay dead. Here, we explore the pull of Gothic literature.

Sunday, August 9th

• 10:00-11:15am — Panel: “They used what? – Historical research for fanfiction” — Kari Sperring — Writing fanfiction set in a historical period can involve a great deal of research. (Possibly more than has been done by canon creators, in some cases!) And writing historical AUs can be a great way of unpacking the unspoken prejudices of a modern-day canon. Research can be immensely diverting, it can spark a renewed interest in history, and it can affect the course and content of your story. This panel will discuss how historical AUs open up some canons, and share some of the more interesting facets of their own research into various historical periods.
• 1:30-2:45pm — Panel: “The Stars My Destination – Exploring the Future of SF” — Naomi Foyle — 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?
• 3:15-4:30pm — Panel: “Writing the Other” — Naomi Foyle

The Nine Worlds 2015 convention takes place at the Radisson Blu Edwardian, Heathrow, 140 Bath Rd, Hayes, Middlesex UB3 5AW. (Google Maps)