After Gallifrey One

I’ve been back from the Gallifrey One convention for a couple of days now, and, despite jet lag, I’m managing to keep the feeling of it going in my heart.  It’s always an extraordinary experience, with so many people I love gathered in one place, talking in our shared fan language, but this year it was life-changing.  I mean that in several senses.  The ‘Gallifrey Waits No More’ panel, with so many amazing women from the show, moderated by Deb Stanish, turned into a harrowing series of revelations about the extent to which just about every person on that stage had experienced sexual harassment and abuse.  I was standing near the back and watching as, summoned by the reaction on social media, the room filled up.  I made it to the green room in time to see the applause as the, often quite shaken, guests made their way back there.  It was extremely moving, a #MeToo moment that was also the most important thing I’ve seen onstage at a convention.

The week before the convention, taking meetings in L.A., might have been life-changing in another way, for me personally.  It was the first time I’ve been out there specifically to talk to people in the media industry that I might end up working with.  It also included, on a just for fun basis, a visit to Critical Role, which my wife Caroline is an enormous fan of.  We’re still talking about which photos from the night we can share, so I’ll try to do a separate post about that later, but suffice it to say she was thrilled.  Everyone involved was delightful, and so welcoming to us visiting Brits.

Highlights of the convention itself, for me, included hanging out with new 13th Doctor comics writer Jody Houser, who was also great on a very raucous session of my late night panel (once podcast), The Cornell Collective.  (We did shag, marry or kill with subjects ranging from physics concepts in Doctor Who to characters from DC’s Young Animal range to classic Hollywood stars.)  I very much enjoyed hosting Would I Lie to You?, especially when Cav Scott got increasingly bemused by Liz Myles’ surreal questions, and Steven Schapansky successfully convinced the professionals team that he’s conducted a full orchestra.  And I loved running the Doctor Who Deathmatch, where, in 90 minutes, we scientifically proved that Peter Capaldi’s second season is the greatest of all time.  (Previous winners included Jon Pertwee and The Spy Who Loved Me, so make of that what you will.)  It was also a pleasure to be on Joseph Scrimshaw’s comedy panel.  All in all, there was so much quality comedy this year, with Verity’s head to head In Defence Of and Head Over Feels’ This or That and the awesomeness that is the Reality Bomb live recording (in which I took part, and all I can say is that mistakes were made) also packing them in.  I was pleased as always to be part of the Titan Comics gang.  They just about sold out of comics on their stand, and it was cool to be with Jessica Martin and Christopher Jones onstage for their big 7th Doctor comics announcement.  I also took part in the inaugural Gallifrey One academic track, presided over by Joy Piedmont, which felt like it was a great success.  I presented a paper on the influence of the comic strip The Tides of Time.

It was also great to see Steven Moffat in his element, hanging out at the bar, talking to anyone who wanted to talk, and probably not having to buy many of his own drinks.  I got to meet Who writers Peter Harness (such a lovely fellow, especially when wearing a lapel badge of Sarah Dollard’s face), Stephen Wyatt and Rona Munro (I’ve spent my life meeting all living writers from the show), and got to spend quality time with Matthew Graham, popping in to his first Gallifrey, and Philip Martin, who I knew as a youngster.

Here, because I told her congregation I’d prove that this actually happens, is Caroline signing autographs in the dealer room.  (And there’s that carpet pattern that those who attend Gallifrey every year can’t get out of their heads.)

One of the best things about Galley is the cosplay, and this year was no exception.  Here are two of my favourites, Baby Davros (who is the child of this Instagrammer) and Lego 13th Doctor!

But the best things of all about Gallifrey One are the running jokes, the gossip, the creative projects, the sudden ideas of my friends, old and new, all the tribes of the bar.  It’s impossible for a picture to capture the feeling of comradeship that warms and strengthens me so much, but I think maybe this one comes close.

Thanks, y’all.

One very important thing that was announced over the weekend was the first batch of releases for the Bernice Summerfield 20th Anniversary at Big Finish.  These two box sets are available for pre-order now.  It was The Grel Invasion of Earth that I popped in to see the recording of a few weeks back.  (Good fact!)  There’s quite a lot more to still be announced.  It was a pleasure as always to spend time with Lisa Bowerman at Gallifrey, and watch an excellent career retrospective interview with her.  Here’s me, Lisa and Stephen Fewell on the day of that recording.

Out now is a brilliant new novel from a friend of mine, SF writer Gareth L. Powell.  Embers of War is a terrific read, and rarely has a publisher provided a happily-blurbing author with an image of his blurb, but in this case, that has happened, so –

And it is, too!  Isn’t that handy?  Gareth will be signing the book tonight (22nd February) at Bristol’s Forbidden Planet.

While I was out in L.A., the second proper episode of the Hammer House of Podcast, featuring X the Unknown, was released.  I’m very much enjoying yelling about Hammer movies with Liz Myles.

And, talking of podcasts, I guested, talking mainly about Saucer State, on #182 of See You On The Other Side, a series that deals with all aspects of the unexplained.

Well, that’s me right now, tired but happy, as they say, and fortified for the year until the next Gallifrey One.  I hope you have something like that of your own.  Cheers.

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