Nine Worlds Geekfest 2016

With deadline day looming for my latest project, it has taken some time to get my thoughts together about this year’s Nine Worlds Geekfest. I’m always in awe of the people who write their blogs the day after – it takes me a few days to get back to real life after a con, even if I don’t have a project on the go.

For those who aren’t familiar with it, Nine Worlds Geekfest is:

“Three days and nights of books and comics, gaming, film and TV, fandom, crafts, cosplay and creativity, geek culture and academe, and above all meeting awesome people and having a really big party.”

Kez and I (and Sammy) have been attending since we backed the original Kickstarter in 2013, and is something we look forward to every year. Each year has been a different experience for us, as Sammy has in turn been in-utero, a non-mobile baby, a toddler on the move, and this time – a chatty budding geek.

Inclusivity is the backbone of the con, not just in how attendee diversity is supported and respected, but also as part of the programme content. This year included panels, amongst many others, on:

* Figuring It Out: Non-Binary Gender In Contemporary Comics

* Intersectionality 101

* Writing Neurodiverse Characters

* Fat Representation In Geek Culture

* LGBTQIA+ Representations in Saga

Nine Worlds is a great annual reminder to check my white- male- cis- het-privilige, both in life and in my work.

Passion for Lego reignited by Nine Worlds – our lounge is now one big construction site

Despite the fact there were so many interesting panels and workshops, we spent most of the time in the kids area with Sammy. Fortunately it was at the side of the board games room, so we were able to play a couple of games while keeping an eye on Sammy. Sammy was introduced to Lego for the first time, and it was very difficult to remove him (and Kez) when it was time to eat. Given there is a schedule of activities aimed at children, we hope that all three of us will be able to take part a bit more in the panels and workshops as the years move on.

I did manage to attend a panel on self-publishing, something I hope will be useful for a personal project in the 12 months, and another on PTSD in fan-fiction that I’ve already been able to apply to one of my current projects.

This year’s new venue – the Hammersmith Novotel – was better than previous years in so many ways, most noticeably the attitude of staff and available food options. I understand the organisers took a hit on funding this year, but I hope with enough support for next year’s con they’ll be able to keep the same venue.

Undoubtedly the best part of Nine Worlds is the people. I’ve been around enough conventions now that there’s usually at least one person I know if I look across a room, which for an introvert like me is very reassuring. But the difference with Nine Worlds is that everyone is attending as a fan of their own geekdom, even if they are working in a professional capacity at some point over the weekend. There’s no exclusivity of celebrities you have to pay to meet, or VIP tickets or areas, you just get to meet your tribe and geek-out with them. We’ve met some wonderful people at Nine Worlds, and even Sammy has friends he looks forward to seeing again.

Forbidden Planet book signing with Mike Brooks

I had one work session this time – a book signing at the Forbidden Planet stand with the lovely Mike Brooks. I was pleased to sign copies of Angels of Caliban, The Unforgiven, The Beast Must Die, but also that someone brought their 3rd edition Codex: Eldar for me to sign. I wish I’d had more time to chat with a few other people who made a point of coming to say hello, but Sammy-wrangling occasionally got in the way.

So it has been over a week since we left the Hammersmith Novotel, and said goodbye to our ‘people’ for another year. If you’ve never attended a convention before, I can heartily recommend Nine Worlds as a safe space to dip your toe in the water. Tickets for 2017 are already on sale, and you can get an early-bird rate if you buy before 31st August.

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