[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":11},["ShallowReactive",2],{"blog-post-nine-worlds-geekfest":3},{"_type":4,"body":5,"bodyHtml":6,"excerpt":5,"featuredImage":5,"publishedAt":7,"slug":8,"tags":9,"title":10},"blogPost",null,"This weekend I went to my first Nine Worlds Geekfest! I did four events, but my big one was introducing \u003Ca href=\"http://www.jabberworks.co.uk/cakes-in-space/\">\u003Ci>CAKES IN SPACE\u003C/i>\u003C/a>, my brand-new book with \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/philipreeve1\">Philip Reeve\u003C/a>, and Oxford University Press came up with some pre-launch copies just for the convention. Philip and I performed in costume, of course. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/nineworlds_cakesinspace_stairs_zpsff86380b-841856e191.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nAnd we certainly weren't the only ones who dressed up! My studio mate \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/deadlyknitshade\">Lauren O'Farrell\u003C/a> had knitted a giant hammer just for the occasion. Here she is with a sword-bearing \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/AndrewDCoulson\">Andrew Coulson\u003C/a> on the bridge. The hotel (the Radisson Blu Edwardian Heathrow) was cool; it had lots of bridges, glassy atriums, waterfalls, ponds and strange air ducts.\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/nineworlds_andrewlauren_zps23caaeea-daa6c35d69.jpg\">\\r\n\u003Ci>\u003Cfont size=\"1\">Photo from \u003Ca href=\"http://instagram.com/deadlyknitshade\">Lauren's Instagram\u003C/a>\u003C/font>\u003C/i>\\r\n\\r\n\u003C!--more Click for more under the cut!-->\\r\nOf course, I was on the lookout for good hats, as always. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/nineworlds_hats_zps62d61474-84a60cc928.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nOne of the great things about this year's Nine Worlds is that the organisers made a huge effort to make it welcoming and accessible to everyone, including children and famiilies. (That isn't always the case at conventions.) I was very pleased to arrive and find I had one SUPER FAN, who went absolutely wild with joy when she found out I was there. Here's \u003Cb>Katie\u003C/b>. I had so much fun walking into rooms and hearing her cry out, 'LOOK! IT'S SARAH MCINTYRE!!!!' I stayed overnight and in the morning, I'd planned to meet up with a bunch of people for breakfast. But I didn't realise that there were three different breakfast rooms, missed everyone, and had breakfast with Katie instead. Which was great. Here are our TOAST FACES. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/nineworlds_katie_toast_zpsb22e382b-94ef2f3222.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nYou can see more photos posted by her dad, \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/worldofagwu\">Martin Hand\u003C/a>, over on his \u003Ca href=\"https://www.flickr.com/photos/worldofagwu/sets/72157646351399142/\">Flickr set\u003C/a>. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Ca href=\"https://www.flickr.com/photos/worldofagwu/sets/72157646351399142/\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/martin_hand_kid_zps3ffbf09d-487254a93c.jpg\">\\r\n\u003Cfont size=\"1\">\u003Ci>Photo by Martin Hand\u003C/i>\u003C/a>\u003C/font>\\r\n\\r\nPublisher Gollancz hosted a party on Saturday evening called 'Promnado', where I got to meet writer \u003Ca href=\"http://www.enewman.co.uk/\">Emma Newman\u003C/a>, about whom I'd heard so much from Philip Reeve (who'd been on a panel with her at Bristol Con). I found out that she's recorded a series of podcasts, in a sort of gameshow format, called \u003Ca href=\"http://www.enewman.co.uk/resources/tea-and-jeopardy-index-of-episodes\">Tea and Jeopardy\u003C/a>, and I'm looking forward to listening to them. And here she is with \u003Ca href=\"http://www.garethlpowell.com/\">Gareth L. Powell\u003C/a>, who was on a panel with me about Food in Science Fiction. Gareth was great; whenever things got a bit heavy, he'd crack a joke and have everyone laughing. Made me want to read his books.\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/nineworlds_PhilEmmaGareth_zps810ce8e5-15ce8fd704.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nThe crowd was slightly different than my usual crowd: some of the comics people, a couple people from children's books, but mostly SF and fantasy people I didn't know. Which was cool, it's nice to branch out. The atmosphere felt a bit more politically charged than gatherings I go to, more along the lines of \u003Ca href=\"http://laydeezdocomics.wordpress.com/\">Laydeez Do Comics\u003C/a> in the way people talk very academically of social issues, and it made me a little bit want to come out and say very un-PC things, just to be ornery. But most of the time it was great to see people being included so carefully. Although occasionally it was hard to maintain eye contact with everyone, ha ha...\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/nineworlds_noface_zps7218c004-3f8738de7b.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nFor my \u003Ci>CAKES IN SPACE\u003C/i> event with Philip, it was the first time we'd run through it, since we can't really practice, when I'm in London and he's in Dartmoor. But it seemed to go pretty well, and the next time we'll be doing it is at the \u003Ca href=\"https://www.edbookfest.co.uk/the-festival/whats-on/sarah-mcintyre-philip-reeve-cakes-in-space\">Edinburgh Book Festival on 23 Aug\u003C/a>. At the end, I taught everyone how to draw Pilbeam the robot, one of the stars of the book. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/nineworlds14_robot_drawings3_zpsca7cf4f5-0ddba6212f.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nOur audience was younger than our usual events, but I was impressed how even the youngest kids seemed able to follow along. And fun to see their parents drawing along with them. That's so important to me, seeing kids and adults drawing side by side. It makes the kids feel much more proud of what they're doing, and often surprises the adults, who might have thought they couldn't draw.\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/nineworlds14_pilbeam_drawings1_zps17f9c70e-459c94c61b.jpg\">\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/nineworlds14_pilbeam_drawings4_zps5bb6507a-06edd5fc0c.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nHere's \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/ludi_val\">Ludi Valentine\u003C/a>, who was in charge of programming for children and families, and \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/bluealchemist\">Ruth Ball\u003C/a>, who was in charge of the Foods track of the festival, and chaired my Food in SF panel. (Thanks for all your hard work, and for coming along to our \u003Ci>Cakes in Space\u003C/i> event!)\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/nineworlds14_robot_drawings2_zps643f7dc2-88edacf4de.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\n\u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/Adela_Terrell\">Adela Terrell\u003C/a> was one of the people who organised the children's activities and kept them all happy and busy. It cracked me up, watching her Spider-man son racing up and down the corridor in her high-heeled shoes.\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/nineworlds14_pilbeam_drawings5_zps1bd77e62-4204a54dc3.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nOne of the costume-related activities revolved around some blue plastic chips. Everyone got some in their registration pack and we could give them to people whose costumes we admired. At first I thought it was a bit weird, but then I came to realise it was a great way for shy people to tell other people they looked good, without worrying the other person would think they were hitting on them, or that they might be saying something inappropriate.  \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/nineworlds_promnado_zps4f207592-04c2e84dd0.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nThis Sharknado costume was pretty impressive. Sharnado Boy \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/OneChapterMore\">Max Edwards\u003C/a> came along to the Comics Monsterclass I led with Philip Reeve. Our adult group was nicely mixed; some professional comics people with people who had never made comics. Philip and I gave them some tips for drawing comics, then led them in a four-panel \u003Cb>Comics Jam\u003C/b>. It's a bit like Consequences or Chinese Whispers: everyone spends five minutes drawing the first panel, we all pass our papers to the left and pick up with panel 2 on the next comics. So we ended up with a bunch of comics where each panel was drawn by a different person. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/nineworlds_sharknaado_zpsfe91ffa7-77ea203b44.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nI'm coming out with a picture book this autumn, JAMPIRES, that's based on a Comics Jam I did with my friend \u003Ca href=\"http://www.scribblehound.com\">David O'Connell\u003C/a>. We've posted a guide to taking part and leading Comics Jams on our Jampires website: \u003Ca href=\"http://www.jampires.com/activities/\">www.jampires.com\u003C/a>. Feel free to print out the guide and use it if you want to do this with your friends, family, school, etc. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/nineworlds_comicsjam_shark_zps1ab37bce-4346fb8189.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/nineworlds_comicsjam_fly_zps07730982-bd8100e1cc.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/nineworlds_comicsjam_cows_zpsa6576787-f6064f76d3.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nSome more people photos. Here's writer \u003Ca href=\"http://sophiamcdougall.com/"\">Sophia McDougall\u003C/a>! I briefly reviewed her book \u003Ci>Mars Evacuees\u003C/i> at the end of \u003Ca href=\"http://jabberworks.livejournal.com/595967.html\">this previous blog post\u003C/a>; I really enjoyed it, and it's suitable for kids, perhaps slightly older than \u003Ci>Cakes in Space\u003C/i>. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/nineworlds14_sophia_zps2a8b6eb1-c825348482.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nSome more fine folk at Promnado: \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/TinyMaster\">Emma Price\u003C/a>, \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/VonPud\">Andrew Ruddick\u003C/a>, \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/simongurr\">Simon Gurr\u003C/a> and \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/Emmavieceli\">Emma Vieceli\u003C/a>. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/nineworlds_pudsimonemma_zps6c6e6b6c-1ece847baf.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nThe best bit about Promnado was seeing Philip in EYE MAKEUP, with BLUE STREAKS in his hair. I'd already seen him wear blue lipstick at \u003Ca href=\"http://jabberworks.livejournal.com/648480.html\">our pre-launch party\u003C/a>, but... BLUE LIPSTICK. Ha ha, so awesome.\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/nineworlds_philip_lift_zps362b862e-5325ba4595.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nBefore he got all spaced up, we ran into ,a href=\"http://www.joanne-harris.co.uk/\">Joanne Harris\u003C/a> (author of \u003Ci>Chocolat\u003C/i>, among other books), who'd just finished speaking on a panel. I follow her on Twitter - \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/Joannechocolat\">@joannechocolat\u003C/a> - and she often says things that make me think.\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/nineworlds_philip_joanne_zps7058a8a9-4ef84130ed.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nAnother person I love following on Twitter is \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/EwaSR\">@EwaSR\u003C/a> (Ewa, pronounced 'ever'), and I discovered she's even taller than I am! By an inch. And she never fails to dig up the most interesting stuff on the Internet. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/nineworlds_EwasR_zps67d9ac28-2ab58e770f.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nAnother fun thing was getting to meet \u003Ca href=\"http://www.emmavieceli.com/\">Emma Vieceli\u003C/a>'s collaborative comics partner, writer \u003Ca href=\"http://malinryden.wordpress.com/\">Malin Rydén\u003C/a>, who'd come specially from Sweden. They're posting their comic \u003Ca href=\"http://www.breakscomic.com/"\">\u003Ci>BREAKS\u003C/i>\u003C/a> online as they go, then printing it up at the end. Here they are with a printed prologue. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/nineworlds_BreaksTeam_zps23137597-79bd18bc9d.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nSo much of the hotel was nice, and the event spaces friendly, that this one anomaly threw me for a loop. Such a weird room, with a vending machine that didn't accept money. It's like \u003Ca href=\"http://youtu.be/009tNfQRd4o\">Floor 7 1/2\u003C/a> in the film \u003Ci>Being John Malkovich\u003C/i>.\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/claustro_hotel_zps417a6c00-ce048e69aa.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nHuge thanks to writer \u003Ca href=\"http://danieware.com/\">Danie Ware\u003C/a> for hosting us at the Forbidden Planet table and stocking \u003Ci>Cakes in Space\u003C/i> and \u003Ci>Oliver and the Seawigs\u003C/i>. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/nineworlds_fp_books_zpsc1559ab2-2502694cc6.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nAnd an enormous round of applause for \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/pornokitsch\">Jared Shurin\u003C/a> and \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/thefingersofgod"\">Anne Perry\u003C/a>, the driving force behind Nine Worlds. (They were dressed up for the other days; sorry for catching you on the one day you were in civies, guys!) They are truly amazing people. Thanks for inviting me, Anne and Jared! And thanks to the big team who made everything go so smoothly. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/nineworlds_jared_anne_zpsb0fad6e8-26281eae19.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nMy next events - on Friday - are at World Con, otherwise known as \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/loncon3\">LonCon3\u003C/a>, and you can find out more \u003Ca href=\"http://guide.loncon3.org/#part/5242\">over on their website here\u003C/a>. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Ca href=\"http://guide.loncon3.org/#part/5242\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/loncon3_logo_zpsedaaf423-ad669cef82.jpg\">\u003C/a>","2014-08-11T21:46:00.000Z","nine-worlds-geekfest",[],"nine worlds geekfest",1776628726726]