Humber SFF & Hull University Creative Writing Presents Anna Smith Spark

Author of A Sword of Bronze and Ashes

From 7.30pm Friday 3rd May at The Arts Cafe, Hull University, Cottingham Road, Hull.

In our last venture to Hull University we will be joined by the multi-award shortlisted fantasy author Anna Smith Spark. We are pleased to welcome Anna back to Hull to talk about her most recent novel a Sword of Bronze and Ashes from Flame Tree Press.

Anna Smith Spark is the author of the critically acclaimed, Gemmell and BSF awards shortlisted Empires of Dust grimdark epic fantasy series The Court of Broken Knives, The Tower of Living and Dying and The House of Sacrifice (HarperVoyager UK / Orbit US/Can). Her favourite authors are Mary Renault, R Scott Bakker and M. John Harrison.

Hull University’s Dr Edmund Hurst will be leading the questions on the evening. Anna Smith Spark will be discussing her latest novel A Sword of Bronze and Ashes.

About A Sword of Bronze and Ashes:

A Sword of Bronze and Ashes combines the fierce beauty of Celtic myth with grimdark battle violence. It’s a lyrical, folk horror high fantasy.

Kanda has a good life until shadows from her past return threatening everything she loves. And Kanda, like any parent, has things in her past she does not want her children to know. Red war is coming: pursued by an ancient evil, Kanda must call upon all her strength to protect her family. But how can she keep her children safe, if they want to stand as warriors beside her when the light fades and darkness rises?

As always, this is free to attend, but please let us know you will be there so we can put the kettle on!

Reserve Now

International Women’s Day! Humber SFF & Hull University Presents: Louise Swanson

We’re back at the Art’s Cafe! HumberSFF has proudly showcased female SFF in the past. With Hull’s rich history of powerful female voices, it would be rude not to!

This event is free to attend.

Louise Swanson is better known as Hull based Louise Beech, an award-winning British author that writes short stories and full-length novels. Beech writes heartfelt stories about life’s many struggles and challenges. She is the author of nine novels and a memoir, Eighteen Seconds (2023). Her debut, How to be Brave, was a Guardian Readers’ Pick; The Lion Tamer Who Lost shortlisted for the Romantic Novel Awards 2019 and longlisted for the Polari Prize that same year; Call Me Star Girl was Best magazine’s Book of the Year; This Is How We Are Human was a Clare Mackintosh Book Club pick; and audiobook Daffodils shortlisted for the Audies23. Her dystopian thriller, End of Story, is written as Louise Swanson. Swanson’s next one will be released in spring 2024.

There will be the opportunity to purchase her novels on the day.

Avid scifi reader, all night tabletop RPG player. You might be starting out as a genre writer, a long time fantasy book reader or just curious about the genre – everyone is welcome.

Let us know you are coming by reserving your place through Eventbrite.

IT’S FREE!

Humber SFF & Hull University Presents: Jacey Bedford.

Humber SFF 14: HSSF Goes to The University of Hull

Science Fiction and Fantasy author Jacey Bedford in conversation with Dr. Edmund Hurst

We’ve teamed up with The University of Hull and their creative writing department!

Friday, Feb 23rd, 6.30pm Arts Cafe, Hull University.

Our guest this February is Jacey Bedford. She writes fantasy, and science fiction. Sci-fi novels, Empire of Dust, Crossways, and Nimbus, Psi-Tech and her historical fantasy Rowankind Trilogy: Winterwood, Silverwolf, and Rowankind arepublished by @dawbooks.

Jacey is also secretary of Milford Science Fiction Writers’ Workshop.

Our gratitude to Jacey Bedford for being our first guest of 2024 – and for agreeing to join us with so little time to spare!

We’re hoping there will be many more Impossible Cafes.

Tea, coffee, beer and warm comfy chairs. Entry is as always, FREE!

Let us know you’ll be joining us by registering on the Eventbrite if you can!

HumberSFF Does Hulloween – version 2.0

📢IMPORTANT UPDATE!📢

Hulloween will be located in Princes Quay due to Storm Babet

The market will take place in the event space on the ground floor. Talks, bookish madness and tea duelling can be found in an empty unit near the coach and Bonus Arena exit. Steampunk exhibits and artefacts can now be found in the atrium. All musical and dance performances in the atrium, as well as the teapot racing. The parades will now end at Princes Quay.

HumberSFF Does Hulloween 21 -22nd October

Come and find us on the ground floor of Princes Quay. There will be plenty of people to guide you to the right spot.

See you there!

HumberSFF Does Hulloween 21 -22nd October

THE LINE UP

Here it is. A weekend of gothic, steampunk, horror and more. We have writing workshops and book launches. The return of the VERY POPULAR open mic, and fun twists on panels to bring the punk back into the book world. As you know, not all books are boring.

No need to dig out the bustles or frock coat. Spend an hour, the whole day… or even weekend with us and our friends https://www.ministryofsteampunk.com/ There’s a lot going on around Trinity Market, Hull Minster, Zebedee’s Yard and Hepworth’s Arcade.

Our science fiction, fantasy and horror authors hail from across northern England.

They all have something steampunk, something gothic to share with you.

Emma Whitehall Keith W Dickinson, Craig Hallam, Andrew Knighton, Carl F Northwood

Hear our authors read in Risen From The North. While villains from their novels are set lose on volunteers of the audience in Defensive Couture and Combative Coattails.

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Join Keith W Dickinson for a heroic hotpot of a book launch, get there before all the cake is gone! Sign up for Ethereal Voices don’t leave it till the last minute. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/humbersff-does-hulloween-open-mic-tickets-733867646887

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Building Your World – those first steps into being an author, is a twist on routes to being published. We’ll examine the steampunk markets, the choices the authors made and the obstacles they faced.

Biblomancy 101 – You asked for a writing workshop. This one merges the need for writers to stay healthy as we wander about for inspiration before settling words on the page.

You can reserve a space as always! https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/humbersff-does-hulloween-20-22nd-october-tickets-738339271637

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Hulloween – Ministry of Steampunk

20 22 October 2023

Steampunk fans will be well aware of The Asylum, the legendary Steampunk event held annually in Lincoln. Last year the M.o.S landed in Hull, and they are back in 2023.

Clear your calendar! The weekend is packed with creativity, frivolity, and general mayhem. From Teapot Racing to The Immortal Ball there is something for everyone. Naturally, we’ve thrown our hat in, too.

We’re finalising out bookish involvement and we hope you can alter course to join us.

The day events are free unless otherwise stated. Come and explore Hull Minster, Trinity Market, Zebedee’s Yard, and don’t miss the special events in Hepworth’s Arcade.

Find out more here:

https://www.ministryofsteampunk.com/hull-hulloween-overview

And for a little further inspiration, explore the 2022 gallery

https://www.ministryofsteampunk.com/hulloween-2022

Updates coming soon!

Humber Speculative Fiction Presents: An Evening with Stairwell Books.

Stairwell Books will join us at Atom Bar, on New Walkergate on 26th March. Bring your publishing questions, but not, please, your manuscripts.

Typical in March, we focus on boosting female authors and creatives. We’re switching things around!

Several of Stairwell Books’ authors will be reading from their work, and there will be the oportunity to buy novels on the night.

As always, our event is free to attend, but it helps us plan ahead if you reserve a place. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/humber-speculative-fiction-presents-an-evening-with-stairwell-books-tickets-568208004437

This month’s event is dedicated to and brought about by Clint Wastling. His work regularly featured in the British Fantasy Society’s magazine. Clint worked tirelessly within the literature scene.

Winter Warmer Review

Our thanks to everyone who joined us for our first, successful Speculative Ficion Open Mic.

A unique open mic designed to bring a different side of the genre communities together. It was an enjoyable experience which we heard from writers who have completed novels or reading from work in progress.

The range on offer covered paranormal, fantasy, science fiction, the funny and the serious.  From novels and short pieces.

Science Fiction and Fantasy author, Shellie Horst started things by reading an extract from the science fiction anthology Distaff. She read from her short story My Little Mecha.

Linda Acaster, a multi-genre novelist and short-story writer chose to read from her horror thriller, The Paintings

Carol Ann Kerry, author of Paranormal and Urban Fantasy fiction read from her urban fantasy Of Blood and Shadows.

Sue Oke who previously joined us to discuss about her role at BSFA REVIEW and her experience through writing groups she read from a current work in progress, Everything to Play For.

Wayne Ross joined us to read from Estait, a hard science fiction novel in progress. We also heard an extract from You Lucky Customer, by Mark.

Steve Kerry ensured we all left smiling, by reading extracts from his collection Legends and Bad Dreams and Other Stories.

We are hoping to bring the audio versions of all the above readings in the near future.

Dates for your Diary.

Sunday 26th March – Publisher Stairwell Books will by joining us, along with a selection of their authors.

Sunday 28th May – Anna Smith-Spark returns for our delayed International Womens Day celebration featuring A Woman of The Sword you can find an early review from Grimdark Magazine here.

Winter Warmer January 29

January. The last of the turkey and nut roast is thankfully long gone. It’s cold and it’s the bleakest time of year. That doesn’t mean we have to be alone, at home.

We’re trying something different. We’re looking forward not back.

Chase away the winter blues. Warm your heart and lift your soul. Come and meet old friends and new in a Burn’s Night inspired gathering.

Reserve your place – book now for free!

If you’d like to read, please email: humbersff(at)gmail(dot)com. Let’s get 2023 off to the best start!

Humber Speculative Fiction 9: R J Barker & Stephen Aryan

This September you can hear from two award winning Fantasy authors.

WE STRONGLY RECOMMEND YOU RESERVE A SEAT.

R J Barker is the author of The Tide Child Trilogy and The Wounded Kingdom Trilogy both published by Orbit. The Bone Ships was the winner of the Holdstock Award for Best Fantasy Novel.

https://www.rjbarker.com

Stephen Aryan is the author of the Age of Darkness trilogy and The Age of Dread trilogy, both published by Orbit. The Warrior, released August 9th completes a duology published by Angry Robot.

https://stephen-aryan.com

Tickets are available now via EVENTBRITE: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/342010973027

WE STRONGLY RECOMMEND YOU RESERVE A SEAT.