I’m sadly behind in the blogging. Sorry but it’s been a bit of a whirlwind during this trip to the UK with not much internet. The few windows of access I’ve had I’ve peppered Twitter and Facebook with photos and stuff.
I’d thought I’d back track to talk about Loncon3, my fifth worldcon. Wow. Loncon 3 was huge. That has good sides and bad sides. To accommodate so many people meant the venue was big. But it was a convention centre after all. Despite having edits I did get to a few things.
We stayed in this fab apartment in Limehouse with Kimberley Gaal and Shauna O’Meara, fellow Canberrans and CSFG people. It gave us a bit more freedom than a hotel as we had a sitting room and a washing machine and two bathrooms. Loncon 3 was about catching up with people and about getting to see famous people in panels.
I managed to catch up with old friends and meet some new ones. Glenda Larke, Karen Miller, Cat Sparks, Robert Hood, Amanda Bridgeman, Abigail Nathan, Tansy Rayner Roberts, Alisa Krasnostein, Russell B Farr, Liz Grzyb, Ben Peek, Jenny Blackford and Janeen Webb, Justin Ackroyd and a wave or two to Jonathan Strahan. The new acquaintances were entirely international Alistair Rennie (Scotland), Fabrizio Luzzatti (Italy), Teador Relijc (Malta), Gert (Netherlands) and Isabelle Varange (France). These guys were fab.
Robert Hood, Ben Peek, Cat Sparks and Firenze?
Me and Glenda Larke
Alistair, Fabuzzio and Teodor, with Matthew
I went to a few things. Not as many as I would have liked because it was a big con and the rooms were full. I sat on the floor with Glenda Larke to hear an interview by Paul Cornell with George RR Martin and Connie Willis and that was fab. My first taste of the convention really. We went to a panel on full time writing, which was one of the best we saw. It had Scott Lynch and Juliet E McKenna, who we chatted with later. Actually Kim hijacked Juliet and took her to dinner with us. Alas, her meal didn’t arrive in time and she had to leave for a panel. The service was pretty bad at the Fox@Excel that day. Lots of people. Scott Lynch was really interesting too. The interview with Robin Hobb was very interesting. Her childhood was so interesting. In Alaska!
Scott Lynch and Matthew Farrer, Loncon3
Here is one of Matthew and Juliet E McKenna and then Kimberley Gaal doing the high five.
Matthew Farrer and Juliet E McKenna
Juliet E McKenna and Kimberley Gaal
I also met up with the lovely Tsana Dolichva too. She very kindly name-checked me in a panel.
There are other photos but they are on my iPad and as I’m travelling I’m not sure how to get them off. Ahah! secret missing to swap to iPAD accomplished.
I’ve now switched back to the laptop because I can’t control where the photos are going from the iPad. But here are a few more.
Here is Shauna on the Throne of Swords (Yes there was one in the fan lounge)
Shauna O’Meara, mother of vets, Queen of everything
I have to put up a picture of the lovely girls, who are so good to room with and hang with.
The lovely girls, Kimberley Gaal and Shauna O’Meara
Did I mention this thing where Kim takes her little Russell Bird and poses him with people. Well here is Russell B Farr with Russell Bird.
Russell B Farr with Russell Bird
And to round things off, this is Matthew and me being very relaxed at Kensington Gardens in the Orangery.
Matthew Farrer and me
So overall we love travelling around Britain and the food and the people and the accents so there will be more blogs to come. I also want to congratulate the London3 team for a brilliant job of organising the convention. The program was varied and interesting and events were well organised.
And finally from me. A photo that says everything.
Me, mother of swords, Queen of food
Donna Maree Hanson, Author, Phd in Creative Writing 