Shows
Long Story Short: The Official Podcast of The British Fantasy SocietyLong Story Short Ep-22: Resistance and Resilience, with Cheryl MorganDavid and Robin are joined by Cheryl Morgan, owner of Wizard's Tower Press. Come gather round to hear the insights of an experienced independent publisher on such matters as anthologies, the dealers' room, the colonisation of Welsh mythology, and the San Francisco 49ers. Cheryl gives away the secret to making a small fortune in publishing, and provides us with enough recommendations to break a TBR pile.
https://britishfantasysociety.org/blog/bfs-podcast-long-story-short/
Are you a member of the British Fantasy Society yet? Join us here: https://britishfantasysociety.org/about-the-bfs/become-a-member/
Find out more about W...
2026-01-2157 min
Octothorpe146: It Winds Me Up Something ChronicJohn is on holiday, Alison said she’d have T-shirts ready, and Liz is back!
An uncorrected transcript of this episode is available here. Please email your letters of comment to comment@octothorpecast.uk, join our Facebook group, and tag @OctothorpeCast (on Bluesky or on Mastodon) when you post about the show on social media.
Content warnings this episode: None
Letters of comment
Doug Faunt (Facebook)
Corflu 2026: Corflu Pickled in Santa Rosa, CA, USA
Ian Hillman (DM)
Jonny Baddeley (Facebook)
Eastercon 2026: Iridescence in Birmingham
Hotels are open: Check your emails for the link
Merch sh...
2025-10-2353 min
Salon FuturaInterview with Juliet E McKenna A new Green Man book is always a major event these days. As the launch at BristolCon was going to be quite busy, with Fight Like A Girl 2 being showcased as well, Juliet sat down over Zoom to chat with Cheryl about The Green Man's War. Along they way they talk about possible future plans for the series. And, rather unusually, Juliet explains where she got (one of) her ideas from.
2024-10-3025 min
Tea and SanctuaryTea and Sanctuary Episode 3Join author Emma Newman for a cosy chat over a nice cup of tea. In this episode, Emma talks about Bristolcon, the film 'Ready or Not', the dyslexia-friendly books published by Books on the Hill, Empire LARP, and what she's working on at the moment.
The Books on the Hill website is www.booksonthehill.co.uk
If you enjoyed the show, and want to keep the teapot full, you can become a patron at www.patreon.com/emmanewman or you can gift a cup of tea at https://ko-fi.com/emmanewman
2022-11-0134 min
Champagne Social ButterfliesThe Lemonade Budget for Champagne Social Butterflies 12: BrizzleThis week, Donna is time-travelling back and forth across counties as she goes to Bristolcon in Bristol (where she was on a panel, and read a story, and hobnobbed with loads of writers) and the BBC studio in Northampton (where she was the first of the final 10 interviewed for BBC New Voices). She is also me, speaking awkwardly about herself in 3rd person! Again! Interviews with awesome writers Gareth L. Powell and Neil Beynon. Enjoy!
2019-10-2832 min
Salon FuturaRemembering Diana Wynne Jones This interview with Farah Mendlesohn & Cathy Butler was recorded at BristolCon in 2018. We are releasing it now because the conference it refers to is taking place this coming weekend (August 9-11, 2019)
2019-08-0628 min
BristolConBristolCon Fringe: November 2017 - Q&AAs is tradition, both of our authors were put to the question by Cheryl Morgan at the end of the evening. We learned that Baylea has the Best Mum in the World, and that horror writers have dreadful habits as children. Jonathan explained some of the background to After the End of the World. And Gareth Powell ask the very difficult question, "Who would win in a fight: Cthulhu or Godzilla?"
BristolCon Fringe is a monthly reading series produced by the BristolCon Foundation. For further details see our Venue and Schedule pages.
As is traditional...
2017-12-2127 minBristolConBristolCon Fringe: November 2017 - Jonathan L HowardOur second reader for November was Jonathan L Howard, who read from his recently published novel, After the End of the World. This is a sequel to the critically acclaimed Carter & Lovecraft. And yes (spolier!), the world did really end in that book. There is a little bit of explanation as to what is going on in the Q&A, but chapter 1 of the new book stands pretty much on its own. The new world that Dan and Emily find themselves in after the destruction of the world we know is rather different. Explaining just how different allows Jonathan...
2017-12-2122 minBristolConBristolCon Fringe: November 2017 - Baylea HartIt being just past Halloween, November was a horror month at Fringe. Our first reader was Baylea Hart who describes herself as an IT Technician by day, horror writer by night and a reader everywhere in between. She has a BA in creative writing from Bath Spa University and enjoys watching people grow slightly white after reading her stories. Her short story, "Jack in the Box", won the 2015 Bristol Horror Writing Competition and her film, Behind the Door, won a Top 50 spot in the Bloody Cuts “Who’s There?” competition and has over 500,000 views on YouTube.
Baylea read from...
2017-12-2111 minBristolConBristolCon Fringe: September 2017 - Q&AFinally for September we have the Q&A. Cheryl Morgan talked to Chloe about hitting people with big swords and her job in the heritage industry. She talked to Anna about epic poetry, studying ancient history, and whether she had any advice for Chloe about getting published. Then Justin Newland asked a philosophical question about history and we discovered that, with three historians on a panel, the discussion can go on for ever. Pete Sutton previewed this year's Bristol literary festivals.
BristolCon Fringe is a monthly reading series produced by the BristolCon Foundation. For further details see...
2017-09-2152 minBristolConBristolCon Fringe: September 2017 - Anna Smith SparkOur second reader for September was Anna Smith Spark. She lives in London, UK. She loves grimdark and epic fantasy and historical military fiction. Anna has a BA in Classics, an MA in history and a PhD in English Literature. She has previously been published in the Fortean Times and the poetry website www.greatworks.org. Previous jobs include petty bureaucrat, English teacher and fetish model.
The first book in the Empires of Dust series (The Court of Broken Knives) was published by Harper Voyager in June 2017. Anna read from the opening chapters of the book.
2017-09-2119 minBristolConBristolCon Fringe: September 2017 - Chloe HeaddonOur first reader for September was Chloe Headdon. Ever since she was little Chloe has wanted to be either a writer or a knight, so she now combines a bit of both. Chloe’s work is inspired by myths and legends, especially King Arthur, medieval history, and the British landscape. She is currently working on a young adult fantasy novel as well as other short stories. In her spare time, Chloe practises Historical European Martial Arts (HEMA) and can regularly be found fighting people twice her size with swords.
Chloe read from the first two chapters of he...
2017-09-2125 minBristolConBristolCon Fringe: August 2017 - Q&AAs we still had some time before Gemma had to leave for her train, we were able to do a joint Q&A with both readers. We continued to address issues of covers and marketing, including why Gemma writes under her initials but Lucy does not. We also talked about use of foreign and invented languages.
BristolCon Fringe is a monthly reading series produced by the BristolCon Foundation. For further details see our Venue and Schedule pages.
2017-08-2926 minBristolConBristolCon Fringe: August 2017 - Lucy HounsomOur second reader for August was Lucy Housom whose second novel in her Worldmaker series, Heartland, was published that week. The series will conclude with Firestorm next year and we have already booked Lucy to come back and read from it.
Much of the Q&A involved covers and marketing. Lucy's books have recently been re-launched with dramatically different covers. Because she works for a well known major bookstore chain, Lucy has a special insight into how books are marketed. Lucy also discussed her podcast, Breaking the Glass Slipper.
BristolCon Fringe is a monthly reading...
2017-08-2929 minBristolConBristolCon Fringe: August 2017 - G.V. AndersonOur first reader for August was G.V. Anderson who read from her story, "Das Steingeschöpf", which is a finalist in this year's World Fantasy Awards. It is Gemma's first professional sale and we are all very proud of her.
Because Gemma had to catch an early train home we did some Q&A with her immediately after her reading. Fortunately we did have time for a joint Q&A session later in the evening.
BristolCon Fringe is a monthly reading series produced by the BristolCon Foundation. For further details see our Venue and S...
2017-08-2926 minBristolConBristolCon Fringe: July 2017 - Q&AThe readings were followed by the traditional Q&A session hosted by Cheryl Morgan. There was discussion of apocalypses and their attraction for readers, particularly teenagers. There was also a great deal of discussion of feminism. Given that the announcement that The Doctor would be regenerating as a woman had been made the previous day, this was a very topical matter. For reasons that will be obvious once you have listened to the podcasts, there was also some discussion of pornography.
In the announcements we congratulated Jo Hall, Roz Clarke and Pete Sutton for their places on...
2017-07-2444 minBristolConBristolCon Fringe: July 2017 - Virginia BerginOur second reader for July was Virginia Bergin. She is a Bristol-based writer of YA science fiction. Her third novel, Who Runs The World?, has recently been published by Macmillan. It is set in a world in which a virus has rendered human males all but extinct and the world is run by women.
BristolCon Fringe is a monthly reading series produced by the BristolCon Foundation. For further details see our Venue and Schedule pages.
2017-07-2424 minBristolConBristolCon Fringe: July 2017 - Justin NewlandOur first reader for July was regular attendee, Justin Newland. He gave us excerpts from two separate works.
The first excerpt was from his published novel, The Genes of Isis. This is from a section later in the book where the Apocalypse is well in progress and our heroes have fled Egypt for sanctuary in Babylon.
Excerpt two is from the start of a work in progress, the novel set in Ming Dynasty China from which Justin read the prologue at the Open Mic.
BristolCon Fringe is a monthly reading series produced by...
2017-07-2427 minBristolConBristolCon Fringe: June 2017 - Q&AFinally for June we have the Q&A. Cheryl Morgan talked to our readers about a range of topics including goats, babies, real v imaginary locations and many other topics.
BristolCon Fringe is a monthly reading series produced by the BristolCon Foundation. For further details see our Venue and Schedule pages.
2017-06-2629 minBristolConBristolCon Fringe: June 2017 - Peter NewmanOur second reader for June was Peter Newman whose third book in the Vagrant series has just been published. For us he read a short story featuring one of the most popular characters from that series, the goat.
BristolCon Fringe is a monthly reading series produced by the BristolCon Foundation. For further details see our Venue and Schedule pages.
2017-06-2628 minBristolConBristolCon Fringe: June 2017 - Kate CoeOur first reader for June was Kate Coe who runs the Writing & Coe website. She read extracts from two very different stories.
Our apologies for somewhat muddy sound. This was partly because it was very hot and we needed to keep the air conditioning on, and partly because of a technical mishap which caused us to have to record on a phone.
BristolCon Fringe is a monthly reading series produced by the BristolCon Foundation. For further details see our Venue and Schedule pages.
2017-06-2615 minBristolConBristolCon Fringe: May 2017 - Q&AFinally for May, Piotr and Emma are put to the question. Cheryl and Emma go off on a bit of a feminist rant. Piotr explains where Pennsylvania is. There is some discussion of tea, jeopardy and mild peril. Peter Newman reveals what he will be reading when he headlines Fringe in June.
BristolCon Fringe is a monthly reading series produced by the BristolCon Foundation. For further details see our Venue and Schedule pages.
2017-06-0254 minBristolConBristolCon Fringe: May 2017 - Emma NewmanOur headline guest for May was Emma Newman. She read the first chapter of her novel, After Atlas, which is a finalist for the Arthur C. Clarke Award. This introduces us to the main character in the novel, Carlos Moreno. He is a detective, but also the son one of the passengers on the Atlas, the colony ship from Planetfall. This story takes place many years after the Atlas left Earth.
When introducing Emma, Cheryl Morgan mentions some top secret news that she can't divulge at the time. We can now reveal that Emma will be the...
2017-06-0221 minBristolConBristolCon Fringe: May 2017 - Piotr ŚwietlikOur first reader for May was local author and sometime radio show host, Piotr Świetlik. He read part of a science fiction story set in Pennsylvania (but not that Pennsylvania).
BristolCon Fringe is a monthly reading series produced by the BristolCon Foundation. For further details see our Venue and Schedule pages.
2017-06-0217 minBristolConBristolCon Fringe: April 2017 - Open Mic Part IIThe second session of the open mic features the following readers:
Chloe Headdon with the opening of a YA fantasy novel;
Steve Tanner with an extract from his fantasy novel, Blind Faith;
Suzanne McConaghy with part of a science fiction short story, "Partners in Crime";
Justin Newland with short story that forms the prologue to fantasy novel set in China.
There is no Q&A in the open mic, because we want to make the experience as friendly as possible for the readers.
BristolCon Fringe is a...
2017-05-2527 minBristolConBristolCon Fringe: April 2017 - Open Mic Part IOur April event is traditionally an open mic where anyone can come and read, but just for 5 minutes. For reasons that will be explained on the podcast, this month's event was hosted by Tom Parker. The readers in this session are:
Cheryl Morgan, with part of a short story about Amazons in Space;
Ian McConaghy with the opening of a science fiction novel set in near future Los Angeles;
Joanne Hall with a short story about monks, illuminated manuscripts and dragons; and
Felicia Barker with a fantasy short story featuring some...
2017-05-2525 min
NerdVsWorldEpisode 73: Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar NerdsOn this week's show, Brendan and Spindles give their thoughts on the latest rounds of trailers for Guardians of the Galaxy 2, Rogue One and more.
For tickets and more information on the upcoming MCM London Comic Con, check out http://www.mcmcomiccon.com/london/ and see if you can spot Spindles there.
And for BristolCon have a look at http://www.bristolcon.org/ and see if you can manage to track down Brendan at the event.
As always you can find us on facebook: http://www.facebook.com/nerdvworld
Or follow us on twitter:
Br...
2016-11-0400 min
NerdVsWorldEpisode 72: WestNerdOn this week's show we carry on with our first impressions of this season's new and returning shows including the new remake of WestWorld, Timeless, Macgyver and more.
For tickets and more information on the upcoming MCM London Comic Con, check out http://www.mcmcomiccon.com/london/ and see if you can spot Spindles there.
And for BristolCon have a look at http://www.bristolcon.org/ and see if you can manage to track down Brendan at the event.
As always you can find us on facebook: http://www.facebook.com/nerdvworld
Or follow us on...
2016-10-1400 min
Salon FuturaWord of Mouth, June 2014 - Part IOnce a year the BristolCon crowd takes over Word of Mouth, a monthly reading series run by Tangent Books and hosted by the Thunderbolt pub. Normally we'd put these readings on the BristolCon Fringe podcast stream, but that has limited capacity and these readings turned out to be quite long, so they are being hosted by Salon Futura instead.
The three readers are Pete Sutton, Joanne Hall and Scott Lewis. Pete's story in this section is a rare (for him) science fiction piece. Jo reads from her latest novel, The Art of Forgetting: Nomad. And Scott reads th...
2014-07-0742 min
Impossible Podcasts - science fiction, fantasy & Doctor Who fan commentariesBristolCon 2012: My first science fiction and fantasy conventionLast year, I attended my very first science fiction convention! And they say you never forget your first time...
I decided to go firstly because I'm a reader and fan: to meet authors whose books I've enjoyed, such as Philip Reeve, Alastair Reynolds and Ben Jeapes, among others; to discover new authors and titles that I will enjoy. The second reason I went was as a writer. It's a chance to be inspired, to meet other writers, to learn more about developing my craft and about genre publishing.
Not having been to a convention before, I wasn't sure what to e...
2013-10-2500 min
Salon FuturaJoanne Hall on UjimaThis is a podcast of an interview that Cheryl did with Joanne Hall as part of the Women's Outlook show on Ujima Radio. Topics addressed include Jo's book, The Art of Forgetting: Rider; QUITLTBAG characters in fiction; the Bechdel Test; and Bristolcon. The interview was originally broadcast on June 26th.
2013-08-0625 minImpossible Podcasts - science fiction, fantasy & Doctor Who fan commentariesWhy are Apocalypses so popular in Science-Fiction? BristolCon PanelIt's the end of the world... again. Whether it's a zombie outbreak, nuclear war, alien invasion or just some unspecified Terrible Event, it seems that many of us love a good apocalypse. But why the obsession with the destruction of human civilization? What's the appeal of seeing society collapse, and is it a healthy thing to dwell on? What do our fears of the future tell us about our societies now?
Recorded at BristolCon 2012, this panel discussion is moderated by fantasy author Juliet E McKenna, and features the wit and wisdom of Michael Dollin, Janet Edwards, Tim Maughan, and John...
2012-11-1100 min