Entering our villain era can be fun. Join us for a British Fantasy Society Event where we explore the nuance of writing interesting villains that we love to love as much as we love to hate them. Gone are the times of purely evil villains, let’s bring on the era of villains that are more interesting and immerse ourselves in the depths of the morally grey protagonist.
Ruth Frances Long writes romance and fantasy from the heart which often strays into weird and wonderful liminal places. She works in a specialized library of rare & occasionally crazy books. She writes fantasy, often about scary fairies. In 2015 she won the European Science Fiction Society Spirit of Dedication Award for Best Author of Children’s Science Fiction and Fantasy for A Crack in Everything. Her new book ,The Book of Gold, is an adult fantasy featuring “an alternate-Renaissance fantasy world and inspired by the early days of printing in Europe” and the first of a trilogy from Hodderscape.
Taran Matharu is a New York Times bestselling author. He was born in London and found a passion for reading at a very early age. His love for stories developed into a desire to create his own during early adolescence, beginning his first book at 9 years old. Taran began to write Summoner in November 2013 at the age of 22, taking part in ‘Nanowrimo 2013’. Thanks to Wattpad.com and updating daily, its popularity dramatically increased, reaching over 3 million reads in less than six months. After being featured by NBC News, Taran decided to launch his professional writing career and has never looked back. His SUMMONER series is published in over 14 languages and has become a worldwide phenomenon. Dragon Rider was Taran’s first adult fantasy.
Sarah Rees Brennan was born in Ireland by the sea. After world travel and surviving stage 4 cancer, she settled there in the shadow of a 300-year-old library. Writing young adult fiction, she was a Lodestar, Mythopoeic and World Fantasy finalist, Carnegie nominee, and New York Times bestseller. Long Live Evil is her first adult work.
Tom Johnstone is the author of three novellas: The Monsters are Due in Madison Square Garden, Star Spangled Knuckle Duster, and The Song of Salomé. His fiction has appeared in various publications, including Black Static, Nightscript, Body Shocks and Best Horror of the Year.
Alexandra Beaumont is a British fantasy novelist with a passion for folklore, playing musical instruments and exploring the wilds of the UK. Her latest release, Dissonance of Bird Song, is praised for being a “visceral and lyrical” page turner with “praiseworthy worldbuilding.” Specialising in gothic and folkloric literature, Alexandra's lyrical books weave together myth, magic and intrigue.
Unfortunately we do not have disabled access to our events area as there are no lifts in the building, but staff are available to help those with mobility issues.
