[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":11},["ShallowReactive",2],{"blog-post-night-of-wind-rum-and-steampunk":3},{"_type":4,"body":5,"bodyHtml":6,"excerpt":5,"featuredImage":5,"publishedAt":7,"slug":8,"tags":9,"title":10},"blogPost",null,"On the way to \u003Ca href=\"http://www.foyles.co.uk/bookstore-charing-cross\">Foyles bookshop\u003C/a> on Charing Cross Road, I spotted this window display, which sums up steampunk festivities pretty well.\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/steampunk_1-77b445838b.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nFirst stop, a signing by \u003Ca href=\"http://www.philipreeve.blogspot.com/\">Philip Reeve\u003C/a> of his Mortal Engines quartet, with me drawing for the people in the queue and occasionally signing \u003Ci>Vern and Lettuce\u003C/i>. Philip just LOVED the drawing I made of him...\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/blackwells_steampunk_18-ebae1d4a0e.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\n\u003C!--more Click here for lots more photos under the cut!-->\\r\n\\r\nIt was fun seeing how many people had brought along first editions and versions with lovely covers. These were my favourites, I wish they'd do a reprint of them.\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/blackwells_steampunk_4-a2a2a50815.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nSurprise visitor! The amazing \u003Ca href=\"http://www.mckean-art.co.uk/\">Dave McKean\u003C/a> (\u003Ci>The Day I Swapped my Dad for Two Goldfish, The Wolves in the Walls, Mirrormask\u003C/i>, loads of other fine stuff). Hurrah!\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/blackwells_steampunk_2-a08e8c50aa.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nAnd I was chuffed to meet teenage blogger \u003Cb>Rhys Jones\u003C/b>, who runs a website that reviews Young Adult novels called \u003Ca href=\"http://www.thirstforfiction.com/uncategorized/philip-reeve-and-steampunk-event\">Thirst for Fiction\u003C/a>. Here's \u003Ca href=\"http://www.thirstforfiction.com/uncategorized/philip-reeve-and-steampunk-event\">Rhys's write-up of the evening\u003C/a>.\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/foyles_steampunk_4-5563332673.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nI've recently referred several young friends to Rhys's blog because it's an excellent way to immerse themselves in the book world, get publishers to send them free books and invitations to events, meet other writers and study the craft of writing. I used to review books for \u003Ca href=\"http://www.justimaginestorycentre.co.uk/\">Write Away\u003C/a> and I found being an official reviewer a real door opener. Blogs are free and easy to start up, all you need is time to do it.\\r\n\\r\n\u003Ca href=\"http://www.thirstforfiction.com/uncategorized/philip-reeve-and-steampunk-event\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/thirst_for_fiction-3c903ae407.jpg\">\u003C/a>\\r\n\\r\nAfter getting hit in the shins by tumbling, airborne cardboard boxes on the road, the next stop was \u003Ca hreef=\"http://bookshop.blackwell.co.uk/jsp/editorial/index.jsp?dept=Book&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=blackwells%20books&utm_campaign=Brand%20Keywords\">Blackwell's\u003C/a> bookshop for a \u003Ca href=\"http://www.thekitschies.com/kitschies-steampunk.html\">Steampunk Evening\u003C/a>! And that meant COSTUMES.\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/blackwells_steampunk_5-b648f212dc.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\n...And Plarchie the giant squid! The party had a stellar cast list, including (from left) \u003Ca href=\"http://www.stewartandriddell.co.uk/\">Chris Riddell, Paul Stewart\u003C/a>, Philip, \u003Ca href=\"http://www.whodunnknit.com/\">Lauren O'Farrell\u003C/a> and \u003Ca href=\"http://www.alexmilway.com\">Alex Milway\u003C/a>.\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/blackwells_steampunk_9-7ae2125a76.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nLook, it's Philip with \u003Ca href=\"http://www.panmacmillan.com/author/chinamieville\">China Miéville\u003C/a>!\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/blackwells_steampunk_11-16e28cdcb6.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nI met China earlier this year at the \u003Ca href=\"http://jabberworks.livejournal.com/397994.html\">Heffers Sci-Fi Evening in Cambridge\u003C/a>, which is also where I met \u003Ca href=\"http://www.sophiamcdougall.com/\">Sophia McDougall\u003C/a>, shown here with a fan holding a copy of \u003Ci>Romanitas\u003C/i>.\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/blackwells_steampunk_10-996bf94911.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nPlarchie was a real groper during the evening, just couldn't keep his tentacles to himself.\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/blackwells_steampunk_8-100e6ae326.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\n\u003Ca href=\"http://www.garynorthfield.co.uk\">Gary Northfield\u003C/a> made some excellent steampunk watercolour pictures on the night.\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/blackwells_steampunk_25-d8cf7defa4.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nChris Riddell, Paul Stewart, Philip Reeve\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/blackwells_steampunk_30-18ed57dd81.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nPhilip and \u003Ca href=\"http://heatherkilgour.com/\">Heather Kilgour\u003C/a>\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/blackwells_steampunk_29-e886b83e0c.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nI was very impressed by Heather's hairdo, which she managed to assemble without even having a mirror to hand! But she had to be careful about leaning back suddenly with all that weaponry in her topknot.\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/blackwells_steampunk_21-0308a41b83.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/blackwells_steampunk_22-86ed27c23e.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/blackwells_steampunk_14-b0d439fa61.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nGary gets 'tache tips from \u003Ca href=\"http://www.shaw-morton.co.uk/\">Vincent Shaw-Morton\u003C/a>.\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/blackwells_steampunk_17-f4f6b96e0b.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/blackwells_steampunk_7-5ccd1735c6.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nHere's Max Edwards, who was a little nervous at turning up by himself, but who had a great time and came away a blogger. Here's \u003Ca href=\"\\r\nhttp://onechaptermore.blogspot.com/2011/12/evening-of-steampunk-or-eccentric-world.html\">Max's first blog entry about the evening\u003C/a>.\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/blackwells_steampunk_20-5225edf968.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/blackwells_steampunk_6-1349940b7a.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nThanks to \u003Ca href=\"http://www.thekitschies.com/\">The Kitschies award organisers\u003C/a>, Kraken rum for the tipples and all the writers and illustrators who made an effort to come along on that windy night!\\r\n\u003Ci>Edit: You can read \u003Ca href=\"http://philipreeve.blogspot.com/2011/12/ooiee-me-books.html\">Philip Reeve's write-up about it over here on his blog\u003C/a>!\u003C/i>","2011-12-10T00:28:00.000Z","night-of-wind-rum-and-steampunk",[],"night of wind, rum and steampunk",1776628721087]