Mancunicon, the British National Science Fiction convention, is approaching rapidly and I have my schedule. I'm
particularly looking forward to interviewing Aliette de Bodard on
Saturday and to the Tanith Lee tribute item. I hope to see at least some
of you there!


Revealing History, Revealing Now

Friday 17:30 - 18:30, Room 8&9 (Hilton Deansgate)

We
think of historical fantasy and alternate history as changing the past:
but can they be used, instead, to reveal it? How do the tools of SF and
fantasy enable writers to tell stories that allow us to think
differently about our understanding of history? How can such stories
help us to better understand the present? (And which "us" is defining
"our", in any case?)

Susan Bartholomew (M), Jacey Bedford, Aliette de Bodard, Kari Sperring, Sarah Walters.


A Tribute to Tanith Lee

Saturday 14:30 - 15:30, Deansgate 3 (Hilton Deansgate)

Tanith
Lee was the first woman to win the British Fantasy Award, for Death's
Master (1980). She was nominated for and won various World Fantasy
Awards, and wrote over 90 novels, 300 short stories, poetry, a
children's book and episodes of the TV show Blake's 7. Her work explored
feminism and sexuality. In this discussion, five of her literary
"nieces", who all have a short story in an anthology dedicated to her
(to be published by Storm under the title Night's Nieces), enthuse about
her works and what made her such a critical figure in female and
British Fantasy until her untimely death in May 2015.

Storm Constantine, Kari Sperring, Sarah Singleton, Freda Warrington, Liz Williams, John Kaiine


Guest of Honour Interview - Aliette de Bodard

Sunday 16:00 - 17:00, Deansgate 2&3 (Hilton Deansgate)

Aliette de Bodard was born in the USA, and grew up in London and Paris, where she now lives and works.
She
began publishing short fiction in 2006, and gained rapid notice,
particularly for work in her Xuya setting, including the Nebula
Award-winning stories "Immersion" (2012) and "The Waiting Stars" (2013),
and the Hugo-nominated novella On a Red Station, Drifting (2012).
Her
first novel Servant of the Underworld, published in 2010, began the
Obsidian & Blood series of Aztec mysteries. Her most recent book is
The House of Shattered Wings, a BSFA Award nominee this year.

Kari Sperring (M), Aliette de Bodard.


Historical Fiction and Fanfiction

Sunday 17:30 - 18:30, Room 8&9 (Hilton Deansgate)

Historical
fiction is set in the past. Fanfiction is produced by fans, for fans,
using famous people or source texts as an inspiration. Frequently the
worlds overlap. This panel discusses the overlaps, benefits and pitfalls
of them. The overlaps include writing fanfiction about historical
fiction, setting fanfiction in an alternative universe by placing the
narrative in a different historical era, fanworks about real-life
historical figures (Historical RPF), or historical fanworks - any
fanwork set in the past.

Amanda Baker (M), V Allan, Kari Sperring, Zoe Sumra, ickle_tayto


Science Fiction Criticism - Masterclass 1

Sunday 19:00 - 20:00, Room 10 (Hilton Deansgate)

Every
Summer the Science Fiction Foundation holds a Masterclass in Science
Fiction Criticism with world-renowned critics, academics and authors.
This session provides a taster. Participants are required to sign up in
advance (at Ops) and should read the short story assigned for the
session. There is a limit of ten participants.
This session will be looking at Liz Williams, 'The Banquet of the Lords of Night', which can be found online athttps://clarkesworldmagazine.com/williams_05_13_reprint/

Tony Keen, Kari Sperring.

I
will also be working in Green Room (when aren't I? My favourite place!)
and helping out with the bid for Follycon, so this is shaping up to be a
busy convention.