I’m taking the day off after a very busy weekend, which was most enjoyable and ticked all the professional requirements for such activity, especially publicising my work ahead of The Green Man’s Holiday being published on Thursday.

We had 100+ people attending our panel on Saturday at Comic Con at the Excel in London – which is vastly easier to get to these days, using the Elizabeth Line. It is the first time I’ve seen so many cosplayers in an audience, as keen and engaged with our discussion as everyone else. The signing session afterwards ran the gamut for me personally, from a reader of long standing getting their copies of earlier books signed and buying The Cleaving, to one who hadn’t came across my work before, buying The Cleaving after hearing me talk. So that’s a win all round.

Bristolcon was fun as always, both taking part in my panels and sitting in the audience for others. It was also a pleasure to spend time with established friends and to make/improve other acquaintance with like-minded folk. Being surrounded by people with shared interests and enthusiasms is one of the best things about SFF conventions. The reading I offered from The Green Man’s holiday was well received, so that’s sorted for World Fantasy.

And finally, I’d like to share this absolutely wonderful gift from Penny Hill, skilled needlewoman and expert on embroidery, fabrics and much more besides. If you’re at World Fantasy Convention 2025 more of her work will be in the art show, and I highly recommend you make time to see it – along with everything else.

Tomorrow I’ll be doing my World Fantasy panel prep and other such stuff.