After Edge-Lit at Derby – which was excellent! – Worldcon in Dublin is now on the horizon, and I’ve just received my schedule. For anyone who wants to know where I’ll be (with the usual caveats, subject to possible last-minute change, you know how conventions are) . . .

A portable kind of magic: why we love books-about-books

15 Aug 2019, Thursday 14:00 – 14:50, Liffey Room-1 (CCD)

Whether it’s a library of every book ever written, a compendium of magical creatures, or a hitchhiker’s guide to the universe, we’ve always loved a good story-about-a-story. What is behind our fascination with books and libraries, and why does it translate so well to SFF? How does the history of book-making connect to our myths and legends, and what shape will our meta-stories take in the future?

Now We Are Witnesses: Doctor Who’s New Historicals Format: Panel

16 Aug 2019, Friday 11:00 – 11:50, Wicklow Room-1 (CCD)

It’s the other revolution of the Chris Chibnall era; he gave us the closest thing to “pure” historical stories that Doctor Who has seen for decades. We will discuss the evolution of Doctor Who’s historical adventures over time, as well as considering why these two episodes worked so well, why Jodie Whittaker’s Doctor was the right Doctor for these stories, and what other adventures lie in the future.

Hammer Horror

16 Aug 2019, Friday 14:30 – 15:20, Odeon 3 (Point Square Dublin)

Terry Pratchett, Guillermo del Toro and writers of Doctor Who (during the Tom Baker period) have all evinced admiration and  inspiration from a set of horror flicks produced by a long dormant British film producer Horror Films from the 1950s and 1960s. Our panellists look at what makes them so enamoured of their productions.

Down the rabbit hole: the appeal of portal fantasy

18 Aug 2019, Sunday 10:00 – 10:50, Liffey Room-2 (CCD)

In portal fantasies people are transported from our world to another, which allows the reader to learn about this new world at the same time as the protagonist. What is the appeal of portal versus secondary world fantasies? Why are portal fantasies so often written for children and teens rather than adult readers? The panel will discuss the appeal of portal fantasy and its place in the fantasy genre.

Autographs: Sunday at 13:00

18 Aug 2019, Sunday 13:00 – 13:50, Level 4 Foyer (CCD)

Reading: Genevieve Cogman

19 Aug 2019, Monday 14:00 – 14:20, Wicklow Room-5 (Workshops) (CCD)

The year marches on, and there’s less than a fortnight to go till Edge-Lit 8 in Derby, which I will be attending (see https://www.derbyquad.co.uk/whats-on/events/edge-lit-8 for details). The lineup and schedule sound excellent, and I just need to get the copy-edits of book 6 (UK and US) finished and handed in . . .

The Invisible Library is on ebook offer at amazon.uk at the moment, at just 99p for (I think) the rest of July. I apologise to the rest of the world – believe me, there have been plenty of moments when I’ve seen a marvellous ebook offer on amazon.com and been unable to take advantage due to my own location.

And speaking of the rest of the world, The Lost Word (or A Trama Perdida) comes out in Brazil on the 9th August. Many thanks to my publishers, Morro Branco.

I’m also in the middle of working on book 7. You know what they say – when in doubt, have your villains threaten to burn down a library, or a London, or something like that. Besides, as any villain would be quick to point out, it’s all Irene’s fault for being there in the first place, everyone and everything would be safe if not for her presence, etc, etc. That bit of self-justifying reasoning probably goes all the way back to the first villain who ever twirled a moustache.

There’s hardly time to do any sewing in the evenings – and I’m regretting having started a large project which involves sewing in a lot of loose ends. Mental note: if I ever do something in this pattern again, use a different method to quilt it. Ah well. I will feel very virtuous and accomplished when it’s done – and I will be able to get on with all the wonderful projects which I’ve thought of while being chained to the current project. (You know how that works.) I might even have it done in time for Worldcon in August, which is coming up fast . . .