As everybody knows, writers are small creatures that live underground, like hobbits with broadband instead of fancy crockery. Or perhaps that’s dwarves, spending their time trying to prise precious things from beneath the weight of the mountain that is pop culture. If you are feeling less generous you might liken us to trolls who sit around with little better to do than prey upon those who think the internet should be a place of peace and love and porn; a cornucopia from which art, literature and music are freely available in unlimited quantities.
But like most of Tolkein’s archetypal races, there are certain events that will drive us from our caves and into the world of men. Some of these are nigh upon us.
I shall be a guest of the Supanova convention in Melbourne next weekend and at the Gold Coast the week after, along with many other fine comics creators from Australia and the world–including, but not limited to: Dave Gibbons, Gail Simone, Terry and Rachel Dodson, Nicola Scott, Tom Taylor, Colin Wilson, T-Rex Jones, Christopher Sequeira, Paul Mason, Jan Scherpenhuizen, W. Chew Chan, Cassandra James and Dean Rankine. Plenty of excellent novelists will be in attendance as well, including Tad Williams, KJ Taylor, Kylie Chan and Jason Fischer. (Oh, and some guy named David Hasslehoff).
April 13 &14 at the Melbourne Showgrounds and April 20 and 21 at the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Center. Look for me–there will be a sign with my name on it somewhere. I will have copies of The Sixsmiths and McBlack for sale. I will definitely have copies of Bloody Waters for sale at Gold Coast, but hopefully I will have them in time for the Melbourne show, too.
Immediately following Gold Coast Supanova I will be attending Conflux in Canberra, all through the ANZAC Day weekend. I have never been to this event before and I am not exhibiting in the dealer room, but you will find me floating around the event all day. I don’t know which, if any panels I will be participating in at this point but I will let you know as soon as I do. If you can’t find me in any of the events, look for me in the bar.
Conflux will be held at Rydges Capital Hill from April 25th to 28th.
In May I will be signing at All Star Comics for Free Comics Day. My slot is not confirmed but I expect it will be late in the day. This will take place on the 4th of May in Hardware Lane, Melbourne CBD.
I shall see you abroad, you warriors and rangers; you wizards and thieves. Come armed, but don’t forget to bring some bags of gold: the fate of Middle Earth depends upon it.