Friday 15 January 2010

PAUL McAULEY JOINS THE WHC 2010 CONVENTION

Photo (c) 2004 Ali Karim 'The Straw Men' > Mike Marshall [Smith] with Paul McAuley

I’m getting really excited for the World Horror Convention in Brighton, and have been speaking to Stephen Jones, Mike Marshall [Smith] and the hard working Amanda Foubister in fact the WHC 2010 committee is tremendous in getting the event into the UK.

A short update – and if you haven’t organized your place, I’d move fast as the hotels are booking up fast. Many Crime / Thriller fans / writers are also Horror Fans / Writers, so I hope to see a number of Shots readers in Brighton.


Regrettably, Mort Castle has had to withdraw from World Horror Convention 2010 and sends his sincere apologies to everyone who signed up for his Creative Writing Workshops.

However, we are delighted to announce that acclaimed British author PAUL MCAULEY has agreed to take over the CREATIVE WRITING WORKSHOPS on the Friday and Saturday afternoons.

"McAuley is one of the best" —THE INDEPENDENT.

"McAuley matches the best of his American rivals for zest and scope" —THE GUARDIAN

"A crafty and inventive writer" —LOCUS

"McAuley is part of a spearhead of writers who, for pure imagination, hipness, vision and fun, have made Britain the Memphis Sun Records of SF" —Mark Thomas, MAIL ON SUNDAY

"Usually you get ideas or voice. With McAuley you get both – in spades. Without question, the most exciting of Britain’s new-edge writers." —Michael Marshall Smith

"Paul McAuley’s balanced grasp of science and literature, always a rare attribute in the writer of prose fiction, is combined with the equally rare ability to look at today’s problems and know which are really problems, and what can be done about them." —William Gibson

Paul McAuley has been writing for most of his life. He worked as a research biologist in various universities, including Oxford and UCLA, and is now a full-time writer and has published seventeen science fiction, thriller and crime novels. His first novel, FOUR HUNDRED BILLION STARS, won the Philip K. Dick Memorial Award; his fifth, FAIRYLAND, won the Arthur C. Clarke and John W. Campbell Awards. His other titles include SECRET HARMONIES, RED DUST, PASQUALE’S ANGEL (winner of the Sidewise Award), the three books of Confluence (CHILD OF THE RIVER, ANCIENTS OF DAYS, AND SHRINE OF STARS), THE SECRET OF LIFE, WHOLE WIDE WORLD, WHITE DEVILS, MIND’S EYE, PLAYERS, THE QUIET WAR and GARDENS OF THE SUN.

He has also published a DOCTOR WHO novella, THE EYE OF THE TYGER, and over seventy science-fiction and horror short stories, as well as editing the anthology IN DREAMS with Kim Newman. His reviews and articles have appeared in numerous periodicals, including INTERZONE, CRIME TIME, THE GUARDIAN, THE INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY, T3 and WIRED UK.

Paul McAuley has given talks about creative writing and the freelance writing career at a number of universities, and teaches a short workshop course on science fiction and fantasy writing at London’s Kingston University that accommodates everyone from beginners to devotees of the genres. During the two sessions at WHC 2010, he will lead class discussions and exercises about good work habits, getting from idea to story, research and plausibility, world-building, interactions between character and narrative, and revision and preparation for publication.

To find out more about Paul McAuley, you can visit his blog -

Places are strictly limited to 15 participants on a first-come, first-served basis. Registration is only £30 per person for the four-hour seminar. Just pay in advance via PayPal.

Although JO FLETCHER’s PUBLISHING & EDITING WORKSHOP is now completely SOLD OUT, she still has some MANUSCRIPT CRITIQUES available. Please go to www.whc2010.org/workshop-jfletcher01.html to sign up.

Also, there are still a few spaces left in NANCY KILPATRICK’s VAMPIRE WRITING WORKSHOP and MANUSCRIPT CRITIQUES. These have also proved extremely popular, so you should sign up now if you want to participate.
Please go to www.whc2010.org/workshop-nkilpatrick01.html for more information.

Please note: You must be a current member of World Horror Convention 2010 to participate in Workshop events. Due to the nature of this event, if you cancel or fail to attend any of the seminars, you will not receive a refund.

The opinions expressed in these workshops and meetings are purely subjective and based on the experience of the tutor. Other people’s opinions may differ.

* * *

Celebrating its Twentieth Anniversary, The World Horror Convention will be held over March 25-28, 2010 in the historic Regency seaside city of Brighton, on the picturesque south coast of England. This is the first time that the event has been away from the North American continent.

The theme is BRIGHTON SHOCK! – A CELEBRATION OF THE EUROPEAN HORROR TRADITION FROM VICTORIAN TIMES TO THE PRESENT DAY, and the convention will host numerous panels, talks, presentations, readings, workshops and displays devoted to horror, macabre, mystery and thriller fiction and art in all its varied and fearsome forms.

The venue will be the historic Royal Albion Hotel, which is more than 180 years old, and is situated directly opposite the iconic Brighton Pier and a stone’s throw from the beach. There are plenty of alternative hotels and Bed & Breakfasts in the immediate surroundings, catering for all budgets, and Brighton is filled with restaurants, wine bars and clubs. Antiquarian shopping precinct The Lanes, the Sea Life Centre and the world-famous Royal Pavilion are also within easy walking distance.

Brighton has direct transport links from Gatwick International Airport and the centre of London, and is easily accessible for overseas visitors, especially those from mainland Europe. And if you want to extend your stay, then Britain’s annual National Science Fiction Convention, Odyssey 2010, is being organised near to Heathrow airport the following weekend. Come for World Horror and stay for Eastercon!

Author Guests of Honour are TANITH LEE and DAVID CASE, Artist Guests of Honour are LES EDWARDS and DAVE CARSON, and Editor Guest of Honour is HUGH LAMB. Best-selling author JAMES HERBERT is the Special Guest of Honour, INGRID PITT is Special Media Guest, and Mistress of Ceremonies is JO FLETCHER.

Other writers, artists, agents, editors and publishers already registered as attending World Horror Convention 2010 include: ABADDON BOOKS (UK), John Joseph Adams, ANGRY ROBOT BOOKS (UK), Kelley Armstrong, Mike Ashley, ASH-TREE PRESS (Canada), ATOMIC FEZ PUBLISHING (Canada), Anne Billson, Randy Broecker, Edward W. Bryant Jr., BURNING EFFIGY PRESS (Canada), Pat Cadigan, Ramsey Campbell, CENTIPEDE PRESS (USA), Mort Castle, CHIZINE PUBLICATIONS (Canada), Vincent Chong, Simon Clark, Lawrence C. Connolly, Storm Constantine, Basil Copper, Paul Cornell, Steve Crisp, Peter Crowther, DARK ARTS BOOKS (USA), Ellen Datlow, Scott Edelman, Bob Eggleton, Steven Erikson, Gemma Files, Paul Finch, Christopher Fowler, Jane Frank, W. Paul Ganley, GOLLANCZ/ORION PUBLISHING GROUP (UK), Simon R. Green, Heather Graham, IMMANION PRESS (UK), John Jarrold, JEMMA PRESS (Greece), Stephen Jones, Graham Joyce, Paul Kane, Nancy Kilpatrick, Robert S. Knowlton (Bob Hadji), Allen Koszowski, Joel Lane, Tim Lebbon, Samantha Lee, D.F. Lewis, John Ajvide Lindqvist, LITTLE, BROWN (UK), Brian Lumley, Dorothy Lumley, Kristina Lloyd, Patrick Marcel (France), Tony Masero, Graham Masterton, L.H. Maynard & M.P.N. Sims, Paul McAuley, Gary McMahon, Farah Mendlesohn, MORRIGAN BOOKS (Sweden), MORTBURY PRESS (UK), Mark Morris, Lisa Morton, Yvonne Navarro, Adam L.G. Nevill, NEWCON PRESS (UK), Kim Newman, NIGHTJAR PRESS, NIGHT SHADE BOOKS (USA), Reggie Oliver, Weston Ochse, Michel Parry, Stephen W. Parsons, PENDRAGON PRESS (UK), Sarah Pinborough, David Pirie, John L. Probert, PS PUBLISHING (UK), QUERCUS BOOKS (UK), Tina Rath, REBEL E PUBLISHERS (South Africa), Tony Richards, David A. Riley, Barbara & Christopher Roden, Nicholas Royle, Lynda E. Rucker, Mark Samuels, SCI FI WIRE, SCREAMING DREAMS (UK), Steven Savile, Robert Shearman, Douglas Smith, Guy N. Smith, Michael Marshall Smith, SNOWBOOKS (UK), Alexandra Sokoloff, David A. Sutton, TARTARUS PRESS (UK), TELOS PUBLISHING (UK), Melanie Tem, Steve Rasnic Tem, TRANSWORLD (UK), Lisa Tuttle, Stephen Volk, Ian Watson, Conrad Williams, F. Paul Wilson, Chelsea Quinn Yarbro and ZENO AGENCY LTD. (UK), amongst many others.

The Horror Writers Association’s prestigious annual Bram Stoker Awards for excellence in horror and fantasy fiction will be presented at a gala Fish & Chips Banquet on the evening of Saturday, March 27. This event will be one of the highlights of the convention, and will include past Stoker Award winners and our Guests of Honour as award presenters.

All information about the convention, hotel and location is available on our website:
http://www.whch2010.org/, including an easy to use PayPal Registration Form (which will automatically convert your payment at the current exchange rate). Or you can print off the form and send it with a cheque (sterling only) to: World Horror Convention, PO Box 64317, London NW6 9LL, England.

With numerous writers, artists, editors, publishers and booksellers expected to attend from all over the world, this is the one event that the dedicated horror fan, professional, collector or dealer cannot afford to miss!

Wish you were here? Well, now you can be . . .
WORLD HORROR CONVENTION.
MARCH 25-28, 2010.
BRIGHTON, ENGLAND.
http://www.whc2010.org/

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