Swancon is over for another year.
It was just as much fun as I expected. I enjoyed the panels I was on – some were better than others. I enjoyed even more the panels I listened to. Robert Shearman and Ken MacLeod were great guests – knowledgeable, funny, friendly and extraordinarily approachable. Rob may have been a last minute replacement, but he did a great job.

My Oz Guest of Honour speech was a mish-mash of stuff – mostly about how my life has impacted my work, I guess. So lots of pretty rainforest pix…and others showing me writing in some unusual places.

The writing workshop I gave was fun from my PoV, and I just hope that some of those who attended will get some benefit from some of what I said.

Getting together with old friends was a highlight of course – Karen Miller and I had some interesting conversations in the middle of the night. Fabulous to see Trudi and Paul again; Satima and Helen Venn (first time I’ve seen the latter since we were in uni together, and that’s more years than I want to admit to.) Seeing people I know from other conventions in the past like some of the Swancon committee – Ju, Dave, Anna and Art, and Davina. Talking to other writers and editors: Cat Sparks, Jonathan Strahan, Joel Shepherd, Simon Haynes, Dave Luckett, Sean Williams, Ian Nichols, Bevan MacGuiness, Marianne de Pierres. Meeting Sue and Steve, the Duff guests, from Kentucky – who never did get all their luggage! Sara and Geneva, Danny, Dianne de Bellis – ah, I could go on and on. All in all, far too many interesting, intelligent, witty people to be able to mention them all.

It is hard to explain just how much I appreciate the opportunity to meet like-minded people. To talk about sff, and not feel that the audience is half-expecting you to apologise for having such a (weird) interest. I feel as if I have just had a dose of inspiration, and now I have to make it last until the next con I go to.

So my deep gratitude to the committee for inviting me as the Australian Guest and so enabling me to participate in the experience. I am honoured to have been part of Swancon 2008 – thank you. Thank you to everyone who came to my panels/workshop/speech prepared to listen to me rabbiting on…

Just: thank you.

The Hugos shortlist has been announced – great news for West Australians! No less than 3 up for these prestigious international sff awards: Jonathan Strahan, ShaunTan and Greg Egan. Right now I am bursting with pride to be from W.A.

Yesterday there was a HarperCollins launch for new books from Sean Williams and Karen Miller (writing as K.E.Mills). There was also another panel for me, some book signing, and the masquerade…

PHOTOS:

• Theresa and me and one scary character…
• Me.
• Sean Williams and Karen Miller.
• Karen Miller and Sean Williams sign books

At the book launch: Karen Miller

At the book launch: Karen Miller, Theresa Anns, Stephanie Smith, Jonathan Strahan, Sean Williams.

Karen Miller talks to HC rep Theresa and Associate Publisher Voyager HarperCollins, Stephanie Smith.

Karen Miller with HarperCollins rep Theresa Anns – the best rep we authors could have!

Bevan MacGuiness, Voyager author.

Book signing from Rob Shearman.

At dinner: Karen Miller, Trudi Canavan, Joel Shepherd, Paul Ewins, Stephanie Smith
Having too much fun to blog much…! It has been terrific to see old friends, and make new ones. Lovely to catch up with fellow authors/editors like Karen Miller, Trudi Canavan, Dave Luckett, Bevan MacGuiness, Ian Nicols, Cat Sparks, Jonathan Strahan, Joel Shepherd, Sean Williams and others…

On a panel: Ju Landeesse, Satima Flavell, Juliet Marillier and self.

Great to see my Voyager editor, Stephanie Smith and the HarperCollins rep here in Perth, Theresa Anns.

At breakfast (?): Theresa Anns, Bevan MacGuiness and Karen Miller

Then there’s old friends like Satima Flavell and even someone I haven’t see since we were at University together back in the 1960s, Helen Venn. Wow. That’s going back a bit…

I was on a panel today with the very talented writer Juliet Marillier. And after that I gave a workshop for some 20 people. Workshop is a bit of a misnomer. More that I just talked about writing and answered questions…wasn’t half long enough! I just keep my fingers crossed that there may have been something of help there to someone. I remember only too clearly the ache to be published and how I wished I could have talked to someone who had got there.

At a panel: Voyager authors Karen Miller and Bevan MacGuiness, with Lee Battersby (left).

Photo: Rob Shearman talking to Elaine, Karen Miller.

Arrived safely in sunny Perth – over 30 celsius – and the city looks bright and clean-cut against that brilliant sky, just as it usually does. I get that feeling that I am home.

Karen Miller and I have done one helluva lot of talking ever since, even thought she is deep in the page proofs of book three (Hammer of God) of her latest trilogy, Godspeaker. Great to see her again.

She blew me away with something she did. I still can’t believe it. She’s dedicated her book 2 (The Riven Kingdom) to me (it’s already out in the shops. If you haven’t bought it, do so. Now. And read the dedication. What a great lady…)

Photo: Ken MacLeod and wife Carol

Last night was the pre-con dinner – a chance to meet the international guests: Ken MacLeod (author of such great sf books as “Newton’s Wake”) and Rob Shearman (writer for media – including a particularly brilliant Dr Who episode) , catch up with old friends…talk books, talk films and TV shows and. Well, just talk… What a great evening.

Two weeks more and I am off to Perth for Swancon.
Check out the website here.
This is a first for me – first time I have been a guest at a con – at any convention or conference, in fact. (Although once I did help to organise an international conference.)
You can have no idea how much I am looking forward to this.

And it’s not too late to buy a membership and turn up, ok?

I shall be giving a workshop entitled: “From an Idea to a Publishable Book: Avoiding Beginner’s Mistakes” – open to con goers.

It is more usual on the last day of the year to look backwards, and contemplate the year past.

I am not going to do that. I want to look forward.
To all the good things ahead.

January: Another chance to win an Aurealis Best Fantasy Novel in the coming month. (Ok, I am not really expecting that one, but well, it’s nice to have a chance. And if I don’t, Jenny Fallon might, and that’s almost as good…)

February: French version of The Aware out – my first trade paperback, from J’ai Lu. It’s called La Clairvoyante.

March: Being a guest at a sff con. First time, and in my home city. Swancon/Australian Natcon, Easter. Perth. Be there. Seeing all my Oz friends/family. And a bit of down time with Karen Miller beforehand. Nice.

March-April: Wandering off with my sister around the wild southern coast of Australia, camping out under the stars … ah. That’s food for the soul.

May 1st: Song of the Shiver Barrens out in the UK.

August: Worldcon, Denver, USA. My first US con. Sharing a room with pal Donna. First time in Colarado. Yay on all counts.

August, or maybe July. Or sometime in 2008 anyway. A very special wedding of someone close to my heart. Maybe in Hawaii.

August-September: Looking after gorgeous grandson over in Virginia.

The rest of the year is still up for grabs…but I reckon it’s looking pretty good from here.

How about you all?

Anyway, Happy 2008!!!!

I lived the first 24 years of my life in Australia; Western Australia to be exact. Since then, the longest time I have spent in Oz was about 7 months or so, which I have done a couple of times.

I have lived, all told, about 29 years in Malaysia (18 months of that in Borneo); almost 7 years in Vienna, Austria; and two years in Tunis, Tunisia.

That’s no less than 4 continents and a very large island… So where is home?

Well, I think I found out when the West Australian Science Fiction Foundation (WASFF) invited me to be a guest at the next Swancon 2008 (which in 2008 also happens to be the Australian National Convention for science fiction and fantasy).

Quite frankly, I’m delighted to be invited to be a guest at any sff convention, but the idea that my home town issued the invitation just bowled me over.

It is especially meaningful on a number of levels:

1. W.A. is where I grew up. It is “home” in that special way that no other place can ever be.
2. They invited me in a year when Swancon is also a national convention.
3. Swancon was the first sff con I ever went to, back in 2003. I attended knowing no one, in trepidation, thinking I would be out of place, or lonesome, or something. I was made welcome, met some fantastic people, was made to feel as if I belonged. I realised right then that I was a con junkie. If I had the money I’d go to one every couple of months…
4. Because I am from West Australia, the invitation seemed to be an acknowledgment to a local “made good”, a tribute from the home team. [They may not have meant it, but that’s how it feels…don’t disabuse me, will you?]

So you folk from W.A., I am looking forward to being a guest at Swancon. Very much. Thank you for the invite. I can’t wait for Easter March 20-24! Besides, I get to meet Ken Macleod and Paul Cornell.

How cool is that?