Category Archive for ‘appearances’ rss

Best Served Cold UK Tour ’09

May 9th, 2009 • 33 Comments

It’s only three weeks until Best Served Cold comes out in the UK. Can you feel the excitement? Can you? To celebrate the occasion, I will be doing an exhaustive tour of the UK, where you will be able to get lovely new beautiful hardbacks of Best Served Cold signed, and perhaps even lined and dated, in my flowing, fantasy-esque script. Other books too, maybe. Details are still being confirmed, but I thought I’d let you know what we do know so you can cancel your holidays/reschedule weddings or funerals/sell your children in order to attend one if not more of these once in a lifetime literary sensations:

Thursday 4th June, 7pm, Manchester
Talk and signing at Waterstones,
91 Deansgate,
Manchester M3 2BW
Tel: 0161 837 3000

Ah, my old hunting grounds in Manchester, where I attended University. Well, when I say attended, obivously I mean sat for three years in an array of freezing/filthy student houses playing Street Fighter II for 3 years. Happy days. When I think of my college buddies, Ryu, Guile and Blanka, it brings a tear to my eye. We used to call ourselves the four amigos. Ha ha ha. The stuff we got up to. Dragon punching, and Sonic Booming, and all that. Great times, man, great times. Haven’t been back for a long while, so I’m quite looking forward to this one. There’ll certainly be a reading, a Q&A;, and some signing, plus maybe a bit of chat about the new book, we shall see…

Friday 5th June, evening, time TBA, London
An event of some kind at Forbidden Planet,
179 Shaftesbury Avenue,
London WC2H 8JR
Tel: 020 7420 3666

Thence to London, where I’ll be doing something at Forbidden Planet on Shaftsbury avenue. The signing for Last Argument of Kings there was actually really well attended, so this year we’re hoping to do something more. Possibly some kind of talk. Possibly some kind of Q&A.; Possibly some kind of informal circulation, like that Barrack Obama doing town halls, only without the handsomeness, charisma, eloquence, power, appreciation, or sense of history obviously. So not like Barrack Obama at all. Except for the standing and talking.

Saturday 6th June, 1pm, Bath
Signing at Waterstones,
4-5 Milsom Street,
Bath BA1 1DA
Tel: 01225 448 515

And finally Bath, which will, by this point, be my manor, so to speak, since we’re packing up and leaving London on the 21st of May. Farewell big smoke, hello Georgian splendor. Well, you know, Georgian splendor partially ruined by rubbish, compromised, Prince Charles-esque bullshit modern development with no architectural merit. Don’t get me started. Oh, you didn’t? Sorry. Anyway, town planning will be neither here nor there at the Bath Waterstones (which is a fine Waterstones) on Saturday the 6th. Fantasy fans of southwest Britain, I expect to see you there…

Other dates, plus the details of the Forbidden Planet event, will no doubt be announced in due course.

EDIT: The FP event will consist of a reading and Q&A;, followed by signing of books. Lack of seating prevents anything more elaborate…

Scandinavians Rejoice!

April 30th, 2009 • 32 Comments

Why? Because you have some of the most progressive governments, longest life expectancies, best education systems, aesthetically pleasing modernist furniture, and finest public services in the world? No, not that nonsense! Because of this:


I am coming to visit you!

Yes indeed, from the 25th to the 28th of June this year, to read from Best Served Cold, sign (and sell) that and other books, and answer all those questions you dare not ask by email. The itinerary looks a little something like this:

25th June 18.00 – Stockholm
SF Bokhandeln, Vasterlanggatan 48, 10317 Stockholm

26th June 18.00 – Gothenberg
SF Bokhandeln AB, Ostra Larmgatan 16, 41107 Gothenburg

27th June 14.00 – Oslo
Outland, Ostbanehallen, Jernbanetorget 1, 0154 Oslo

Man. It’s enough to make me wish I was Scandinavian. Just look at that poster. See how I smoulder. Look at the eyes, the eyes. Are you on fire yet? ARE YOU?

Klatching on

April 28th, 2009 • 12 Comments

I mentioned earlier that I would be appearing on a panel at sci-fi London on this Sunday May 3rd at 11.00, discussing the new heroic fantasy along with Stephen Deas, Adrian Tchaikovsky and my dear personal friend and bitter rival Tom Lloyd. Don’t miss it. As a further irresistible inducement, I can now confirm that later in the day I will be doing a Coffee Klatch, as they say, or Kaffeeklatsch, or whatever. An informal little round table thing where a handful of people can pick my enormous brains about whatever subject should please them. I imagine a lot of corduroy, a spotlit affair in which faces taut with emotion occasionally edge from the inky darkness. A bit like a high-stakes televised poker game. An event where you will not only be able to hear and see me, but smell my characteristic odour. What could be finer?

It’s free, but numbers are limited, and tickets are on a first come first served basis. I urge you to apply here.

I would hate to be klatsching alone, after all, if that is even possible…

Heroic Fantasy at Sci-Fi London

April 2nd, 2009 • 12 Comments

Heretofore, Sci-Fi London has been mostly a festival for the sci-fi film, but this year they’re also running some literary events, discussions with proper, honest-to-goodness authors such as that clever China Mieville, that insightful Charles Stross, that talented Chris Wooding, and yes, you guessed it, that unbearably smug Joe Abercrombie. You can see the full schedule of films and events here, but of course the one that really interests US is this particular panel:

Sunday 3rd May at 11:00 – The New Heroic Fantasy
The days of by-the-numbers ‘swords and scorcery’ seem to be well behind us and modern fantasy writers have brought a new type heroic fantasy to the masses. Is that a conscious effort by today’s fantasy writers or just a new sensibility for a modern world? How has the massive rise in popularity of fantasy fiction changed the writers approach? How hard is it to maintain a fresh approach to such a well-defined genre?

Panellists: Joe Abercrombie, Stephen Deas, Adrian Tchaikovsky

I may also be participating in a few bits and pieces later on in the day, more news as I get it, but I’m sure there will be many other talks and workshops of interest to folks like YOU, despite the insurmountable handicap of me not being directly involved…

January Ends

January 26th, 2009 • 14 Comments

Hmmmm. Trying to move house, at the moment. Well, found a house, now we need to sell our flat. Good moment to buy. Not such a good moment to sell. We shall see.

But you come here to hear about writing, right? Not houses.

I’m researching.

Alright, you got me, I’m playing Total War.

And I’m tinkering with my short story, which features Curnden Craw, Mistress Wonderful, Jolly Yon Cumber, Brack-i-Dayn, Never, Scorry Tiptoe, and Shimla of Bligh. Oh, and the Father of Swords, which the valley-folk worship as a God.

So there.

My thanks to those who turned up to the ten-author signing at Forbidden Planet, by the way. Especially those who bought books, of course. My thanks to the other authors that attended and allowed me to bask in their reflected glory, especially David Devereux, who was the one who actually had a book out. It seemed like a great success, though, so perhaps there’ll be other like events in future. Since someone was asking, I’ll probably be doing a signing there in June for Best Served Cold when that comes out, some day around the 18th, I would’ve thought. More when I have a date.

Right, got to go.

Total War doesn’t play itself, you know…

Magnificent Eight

January 4th, 2009 • 16 Comments

Thanks to master of the occult, security consultant, keen pilot, social gadfly, and even occasional writer David Devereux, who when asked to do a signing for his new book, asked a few other authors if they fancied joining him.

The result will be an eight-way signing/chat/blather-fest to be conducted at Forbidden Planet, 179 Shaftesbury Avenue on the 22nd of January (a Thursday evening) and featuring the following personable and higly talented authors (and me):

Joe Abercrombie
Alex Bell
Mark Chadbourn
David Devereux
Jon Courtenay Grimwood
Tom Lloyd
Suzanne McLeod
Steve Savile

Man, I love alphebetisation. No one beats me at alphabetisation. I, and indeed everyone else in my family, are the lords of alphabetisation. Unless you know anyone called Abbot. Get them away from me! They are my kryptonite.

Anyway, if you should desire to buy books from, have books signed by, hurl abuse at, pick the brains or bask beneath the sunny smile of any or all of these authors, come along from five until … don’t know. Closing time?

Unless your name’s Abbot.

Back from Holland

December 16th, 2008 • 12 Comments

I have returned from my whirlwind trip to the Netherlands. The midwinter fair was kind of crazy. Takes place in an archeological park where prehistoric and medieval buildings have been recreated. Lots of folks dressed in medieval garb. And I mean lots. More than half the people have made some effort in that direction, I’d say. Some have made a LOT. Shops selling mystical knick-knacks, mead, and foam-rubber swords. Goth bands and more faithful medieval instrumentation mingle upon the air. Very well attended, though, and a hugely friendly feel.

But the literary aspect is very much a sideline. Professor Roland Rotherham packs ‘em in for barnstormingly entertaining lectures on mysticism and related subjects (and brilliant performances they are too), with maybe 100 attendees a go. I will confess my own gripping talk on Expectations in Epic Fantasy plus brief reading from Best Served Cold was marginally less well attended. Two members of the public on the Saturday. By Sunday, word of my awesome crowd-pleasing abilities had evidently spread, because I had doubled my attendance to four. Although I’m reasonably sure one of those had only come in because it was warm, and his eyelids were very definitely drifting down at times. Still, the Dutch writers who were in attendance all pitched in, and we made an intimate chair circle and it was actually a lot of fun. And a couple of people still made the effort to come all the way specifically to see me, which moved me deeply (in so far as it’s possible to strike sparks of warmth from my flint of a heart). So my deep thanks to Erik and Tamara for making the effort on the Saturday, and to Wilfred for driving up there on the Sunday. Wilfred, if you read this, send me an email to the address on the contact page, and in due course I will send you something back to say thanks.

Great thanks also to the Dutch authors who made every effort to make me feel loved. Particularly to Wim Stolk/WJ Maryson (for they are the same man), who not only went to the trouble of organising the event, but also took on the driving duties, and is, it would appear, a very nice fella to boot (aside from an occasionally troubling fire behind the eyes…)

Then it was off to Amsterdam where I got put up in a hotel much too good for me, and on the following was day placed in a small room with two chairs while a variety of interviewers were brought through one at a time, each hour, on the hour. Talking about myself for four hours straight. You can imagine how much I hated that experience. Then straight into a cab, off to the airport, and back here. Shame I couldn’t stay longer, because Amsterdam really is very beautiful. Oh, one other weird occurence which some of you may find amusing. I was sitting having breakfast, looking across Herengracht, one of the major canals, and a van drove past with Sony Ericsson written on the side. So what, right? It’s not like it’s even spelled the same way as fantasy author Steve Erikson.

It was directly followed by a lorry with BAKKER written on it in huge letters.

Strange, isn’t it? Most people would just have seen a van then a lorry drive past, nothing to remark upon. I was laughing for about ten minutes.

Midwinter Fair and etc.

December 10th, 2008 • 10 Comments

OK, so I’m definitely going to be at the Midwinter Fair at Alphen aan den Rijn this weekend. Schedule is as follows:

Saturday 13th:
4.00 pm – Brief talk on expectations in epic fantasy, brief reading from Best Served Cold, opportunity for questions and signing.
4.44 pm – Buried under a hail of abuse and rotten vegetables by the 6 irate Dutch fantasy fans who stayed until the end.

Sunday 14th:
14.30 pm – Brief talk on expectations in epic fantasy, brief reading from Best Served Cold, opportunity for questions and signing, now somewhat nervous after the hail of abuse and rotten vegetables yesterday.
15.29 pm – buried under a hail of abuse and rotten vegetables again.
15.30 pm (or as soon as vegetables are cleared) – Panel – Sense of Wonder, with Anne West, Thomas Olde Heuvelt and W.J. Maryson.

Monday 15th:
No less than four interviews with assorted fantastical press in Amsterdam – even I’ll be sick of talking about myself after that lot (alright, you got me, I won’t at all) – before hopping on the flight back to London. Home before midnight.

First significant foreign publicity trip I’ll have done, not to mention the first talk I’ll have given to readers, and the first reading I’ll have done, for that matter, so I am somewhat excited/nervous. The first book has only just come out in Holland, so it seems unlikely I will be besieged by fans, but I guess they read quite a lot in English out there anyway, so we will see…

Midwinter Fair On – Aetherica Cancelled

November 11th, 2008 • 8 Comments

The lord he giveth and the lord he taketh away…

Sorry to say Aetherica, the new convention in Chester that I was due to be guest-of-honouring at in June 2009, has been cancelled. Poor economic circumstances and some unforeseen problems with the venue are apparently to blame. And not at all outrageous demands on the part of the guests of honour, I assure you. I would have made those as the lights went up and the people were waiting, like Chuck Berry used to. A shame, but these things happen. Thanks to those who worked hard to put it on, apologies to those who were planning to attend.

But on the upside, it appears that I’ll be guest-of-honouring at the Midwinter Fair at Alphen aan den Rijn in Holland, on the 13th-14th of December this year (so in a mere month), partly to promote the Dutch edition of The Blade Itself, which is out this week. Not totally sure what I’ll be doing there, but some combination of reading, signing, and answering questions will almost certainly be involved. More as I hear it…

Magic March

March 1st, 2008 • 14 Comments

March is upon us and, by heavens, I do declare that it will be the biggest month yet here at joeabercrombie.com. We’re all very excited. Well I am, anyway. There is no we. There’s only me here. But let’s not dampen the enthusiasm, but look forward, forward, to good things this month! Appearances on TV and in person! Releases by the bucketload! New books! Old books! You lucky f*ckers!

March 4th - Official release date of Before They are Hanged, US edition courtesy of the wonderful Pyr Books. The shine has been taken off this a tad because the book’s actually been available on amazon for about a month already. Will it stop me celebrating this very special day? No, it won’t.

March 5th - The Worlds of Fantasy on BBC4 at 9.00pm, repeated at midnight – proper television, mind you – will be on the subject of the creation of fantasy worlds, focusing on writers the likes of Tolkien and Peake. It will feature comments from, among other proper authors such as Philip Pullman, China Mieville, and Terry Pratchett, me. That’s right, if you’ve ever wanted to see me looking uncomfortable and talking bollocks in a darkened room, this is your chance.

March 12th - SFX 168 goes on sale, with a profile of that Joe Abercrombie guy – ha ha ha, that there is one rising star of the UK fantasy scene that always cracks me up – plus a lead review of his latest book, Last Argument of Kings. I’ve seen it already. It’s good. Very good. The review, that is, not the book. Though the book is also very good. But don’t take my word for it, take SFX’s. On March 12th.

March 13th - Release of the UK Mass-Market edition of Before They are Hanged. You like it small and floppy? Handbag size BTAHs should be available in all good bookshops from this date, in good time for…

March 20th - Here’s the big one, folks. It’s only the UK release date of the final thrilling installment of The First Law trilogy, Last Argument of Kings! 11,000 copies sold already, incidentally, and it isn’t even on the shelves yet. To mark the occasion I’ll be signing books at Forbidden Planet on Shaftesbury Avenue from 6pm to 7pm or even beyond, if necessary. If you’ve ever wanted to see me looking uncomfortable and talking bollocks in a well-lit cellar, this is your chance. If you want a book signed, this is your chance as well. Take those chances, people. Take them.

March 21st-23rd - Orbital. Eastercon will be taking place at the Radisson Heathrow, accompanied no doubt by the lilting purr of low-flying aircraft and the gentle whoop-whoop of drunken genre authors. I’ll be one of them. Authors, that is, not aircraft.

I’ll be there Friday, Saturday overnight, and Sunday, and I will be appearing on 2 panels, believe it or not. Adapting Tolkien from book to film, Tetworth Room, Saturday at 11.00 and Roughening up Fantasyland, Tetworth Room, Sunday at 21.00. All attendees are of course welcome to come along and see me make an ass of myself. Otherwise I’ll be attending other panels and listening to some of the guests of honour, hanging around the bar, or around Gollancz’s stand in the dealer room. If anyone wants anything signed, by all means come along to either of those panels or just collar me about the place. If anyone wants to buy any of my books, they should be available at the Gollancz stand, and of course I’m happy to sign those too. If anyone wants to attack me, not in the face.

And I think that will just about wrap it up for March. Are you as stoked as me? What’s that? You’re MORE stoked? Get out of here!