Today was spent at States of Independence, a gathering of independent publishers organised by Five Leaves press and De Montfort University. Great to see so many independent publishers under one roof, and I had a great day talking with many old friends. It was also good to see both speculative fiction and comics represented byContinue reading “Independent and happy that way”
Author Archives: Damien Walter
Poetry is perfect for social media
Carol Ann Duffy’s ode to David Beckham is a perfect illustration of why poetry is experiencing a tremendous revival in the age of Twitter and social networks. Achilles (for David Beckham) Myth’s river- where his mother dipped him, fished him, a slippery golden boyflowed on, his name on its lips. Without him, it was prophesised,Continue reading “Poetry is perfect for social media”
Have we made writing too easy?
A good friend drew my attention to the disappearing act of calligraphy this week, and the beautiful work of master calligrapher Paul Antonio captured by The Guardian. Coincidentally, I am part way through reading The Book of Five Rings by Miyamoto Mushashi, a martial text from circa 17th Century Japan, an era and a cultureContinue reading “Have we made writing too easy?”
What do you think about the BSFA awards shortlist?
So no sooner does one event sail under the bridge (yesterday’s Writing Industries Conference went swimmingly, more details tomorrow perhaps) than another comes bobbing along on the white water rapids of life. I will be at the next meeting of the British Science Fiction Association on Wednesday 24th March, and will be discussing the shortlistContinue reading “What do you think about the BSFA awards shortlist?”
The Big Five-Oh
Well. Perhaps not really that big. My blog, yes, the one you are reading right now, raced past the 50,000 visitor mark today. It’s a pretty big five-oh for me, although I might reserve the actual party for 500,000. Or maybe even 5 million! Not that the number of visitors is really all that important.Continue reading “The Big Five-Oh”
Being Good and Being Great
I tend to become a night-owl in the run up to exciting events. We are x-minus 4 days to the Writing Industries Conference. A few i’s need dotting but (touchwood) everything is going to plan, and we are very close to sold out. But none the less it’s 1:26am and I am very far fromContinue reading “Being Good and Being Great”
Lost in a World of Words
I’m tired, in that good way you get from doing loads of things you really like doing. A full day of work on the writer’s conference, followed by the first Science Fiction and Politics workshop, followed by a couple more hours of graphic design work. Phew! The only problem with being this busy is thatContinue reading “Lost in a World of Words”
So, like, where’d all the politics go?
Tomorrow I lead the first of three workshops in Science Fiction and Politics. (The organisers have sold 14 out of 12 tickets, which I take as a good sign.) I’ve had good fun selecting books to talk about, and looking through the sometimes odd political perspectives SF writers have taken over the years. I’ve alsoContinue reading “So, like, where’d all the politics go?”
To do or not to do
On Monday morning my to do list looked like what the infinite monkeys came up with before they got to Hamlet, a seemingly random collection of tasks that I had no possibility of completing in the finite space of five days. Today I’ve had the pleasure of crossing half of it out. (Or rather tickingContinue reading “To do or not to do”
A plea to Iain M. Banks
Dear Iain, It’s been 10 years, and I don’t know how much longer I can wait. The millennium was new, the future seemed boundless and Look to Windward had just been published. We, your fans, were ecstatic to see a new novel from Iain M Banks. We had waited patiently as you conquered the worldContinue reading “A plea to Iain M. Banks”
A long walk back in time
Sometimes, when I’m thinking about a story, I like to go for a good long walk. Fresh air and endorphines work wonders for the imagination. Yesterday evening I was struck with an idea for a World War 2 inspired story with Weird themes. I fell asleep on the sofa making character notes, then when IContinue reading “A long walk back in time”
Reading at Short Fuse – True Romance
I will be reading at Short Fuse again on 16th February. This is my 3rd time reading at the event and I’m glad to be invited back. The night is themed around True Romance, and I will be reading a new short story ‘At the heart of the maze i will find’. More details below:Continue reading “Reading at Short Fuse – True Romance”
Damien Walter 