Just back from this year’s World Horror Convention, in Toronto, Canada, which will generally be remembered as being the one at which a lot more Brits than usual turned up (because they feel safer in Commonwealth countries, perhaps?) and grumbled about jet-lag. No, in fact it will be remembered for a good deal more than that! The con was principally organised by Stephen Jones, Mandy Slater, and Amanda Foubister, and they did such a terrific and professional job that it was, by common agreement, the best WHC ever. A great time had by all. Huge thanks and congratulations to them.
THIS YEAR’S BOOK NEWS: My first ever p/b collection of short stories is due out at the end of this month. But now there’s another one due in the autumn. Whereas ‘Going Back’ is mostly a collection of dark-fantasy and slipstream tales, Gray Friar Press have agreed to collect about a baker’s dozen of my more genre-oriented supernatural and horror stories, including ones that made their first appearance in Pan Horror, Fontana Ghosts, and Weird Tales. No title has been decided on as yet, but I’ll let you know as soon as we pick out a catchy one.
AND ON THE SAME SUBJECT: Last year, I announced Pendragon Press were bringing out a paperback compilation of three of my novellas. Well, the book’s still coming out, but they’ve decided to include a fourth. My brand-new ‘A Black Glass Slipper’ – set mostly in London, and centred around sex-trafficking – is going into the book as well. Still no title. Keep you posted.
‘Going Back’ – my first ever paperback collection of short fiction (dark fantasy, slipstream, one mystery story, one mainstream tale) – was launched at the Alt.Fiction festival in Derby on the weekend of the 28th. I went along, read from the book, did a Q&A, and then spent the rest of the evening hanging out with friends and meeting new ones. A brilliant event, thanks to Alex Davis and his intrepid team, and one I’ll certainly be going back (’scuse the pun) to next year. You can find out more about the book by returning to this site’s Home Page and scrolling down (or visit Elastic Press in Links).