Edge-Lit 4, Derby, 11th July 2015

Following the success of Edge-Lit 3 at The Quad in Derby (which I wrote about here), I was really looking forward to number 4 and, judging by the excited comments on my FB feed, I wasn’t the only one.  After last years difficulty in finding the place (damn you, Google Maps), I used the AA route-planner and had absolutely no problems at all in finding the Assembly Rooms car park.  Blocking the square this year was a beer festival - as noisy as last years Afro-Caribbean carnival, but much less colourful and nowhere near as much fun - with the attendees leaning on wire fences looking out as us like extras in some half-rate zombie flick.

At the Pendragon Press table - left to right: Wayne Parkin, Stephen Bacon, Chris Teague, me, Steve Harris, Kit Power

I went to get signed in and straight away saw Ross Warren and his sister Lisa, then Steve Bacon turned up.  He was accompanied by his friend Wayne Parkin, an aspiring writer who was one of the early reviewers for my King For A Year project - I’ve spoken with him on FB and it was nice to finally shake his hand and say hello.  Once signed in (“you’re half the man you used to be!” exclaimed the ever delightful Pixie Puddin as she gave me a big hug), Mark Morris arrived and we said hello then I saw Steve Harris and we went over to say hello to Chris Teague before heading into the (small but bustling) dealers room.  Adam Millard’s Crowded Quarantine were just inside the door and it was good to finally meet him, after being FB friends for five years (as he reminded  me).  Sitting with him and signing book-plates was Paul Feeney (whose debut print novella, “The Last Bus”, was being launched - I read it earlier in the week and really enjoyed it) and it was great to see him again (we first met at Edge-Lit 3).  At the end of the room was Andrew Hook and his partner Sophie, so Steve H & I went to see him, I bought a book and Steve bought a collection and we caught up on news.

In the bar - Alison Littlewood, me, James Everington, Richard Farren Barber, Wayne, Steve

After meeting Kit Power (who contributed a review of the Fleming novel to my “Moonraker” appreciation blog post) and a quick photo-opp with Chris, we headed for the bar where we met Alison Littlewood & Fergus.  It was great to see them both again, we had a chat and Fergus & I brainstormed some ideas for his zombie novel to rival her forthcoming one.  I spotted Paul Holmes (Pablo Cheesecake) and said hello and he chatted with us all for a while.  By now it was lunchtime so, with Terry Grimwood, Richard Farren Barber and John Travis (all old friends) in tow, Wayne led us away from last years lunchtime treat (the Acropolis (“Pensioner Special - Liver & Onions!”) café) and we wandered around to The Strand and had sandwiches from Baked.  We also utilised their toilet and when it was my turn, I hadn’t clicked the lock into place properly and a lady of a certain age blundered in on me.  She apologised and left, so when I went out I apologised about not locking it properly and she said “I’ve been married 45 years and raised two sons, I’ve seen it all before…”  The sandwiches were lovely and we ate them outside, basking in the sun and chatting.

'Lunch on the strand' (the bench and bus don't make it look as glamorous as it sounds, do they?)
Me, Terry Grimwood, Steve, Richard, Wayne - John Travis, Steve Harris, James

Steve at Eagle Books

James had to head back to the Quad and I led the others through to the Eagle Market where the great bookshop Johnny Mains introduced me to last year, Eagle Books, was situated.  I was thrilled to see he was still there (and had taken over another cubicle) and I think it’s safe to say we all had our fill (and Wayne managed to pick up a Mad Max novelisation his Mum had refused to allow him to buy when he was younger!).  I got some great old horror paperbacks and a nice, smutty NEL one - great fun.

Back to the Quad, Steve, Wayne & I bumped into Jay Eales & Selina Lock, Jethro Lentle, Ray Cluley & Jess, Graeme Reynolds, James Bennett and Roseanne Rabinowitz, I got a nice hug from Adele Wearing, said hello to Simon Bestwick & Cate Gardner, finally got to meet Lily Childs after too many years of missing each other at Cons, Jan Edwards, spotted Phil Sloman and Adam Nevill before heading up to Adam’s panel on ‘Monstrous Regiments’.  The panellists were Sarah Pinborough, Mark Morris and Alison Littlewood and it was a great session.  We headed straight down to The Box for the Spectral launch (saw Theresa Derwin on the way), where Stephen Volk, Mark Morris and Cate Gardner read from their new releases (I’ve already read Stephen’s “Leytonstone”, which is terrific).  After saying hello to them and Dean M Drinkel, we chatted with Sarah Pinborough for a while, which is always fun, then I stayed on for the Knightwatch Launch with Steve H, as Phil was reading at it.  When that session was over (and after a brief hello with Vincent Holland-Keen), we all met back in the bar and since Steve H had to leave straight after the raffle we decided to head out for a curry then.  Anthony Cowin and his daughter Honey had just arrived so, after introductions, they were quickly included in our plans as was Fiona Ní Éalaighthe, who’d also just turned up.  Last year, James organised the curry and we all complained how far away it was from the venue - this year, local boy Wayne recommended a place and we trooped off and ended up at Anoki, the exact same restaurant!  It was very nice though and they accommodated all thirteen of us with no bother and the meal was lovely - though James & I, sitting next to one another, were taken aback at how ‘warm’ our chicken curry was.

The Curriers...
Wayne, Phil Sloman, Anthony Cowin, Honey, Steve H, Richard, Terry, John, James (who's also hiding Fiona), me, Steve B

Racing back to the Quad for the raffle, we took our places (I finally got to meet Kevin Redfern) and hoped the ‘luck of Andromeda’ (see here for more details) would be with us but it wasn’t to be - only Phil and James picked up prizes.  To make up for it, the ‘drawing partnership’ of Sarah Pinborough and John Connelly was good fun and nobody can do a disinterested shrug like Pixie Puddin!  Steve H, James and Phil left (I really don’t like saying goodbyes at Cons), so Richard, Steve B, Wayne & I headed back for the bar and set up at a table with John, Anthony & Honey (later joined by Terry and Chris) and talked the evening away (and I played noughts-and-crosses and hangman with Honey).  It was the perfect way to end the day, which had zipped by much too quickly.  At ten o’clock, as other folks came over to say goodbye to us, we called it a night.  As they’d stored their book haul in my car, Steve, Wayne & I headed over to the Assembly Halls car park together and we chatted for a while.  Edge-Lit was Wayne’s first Con and I was chuffed that he’d enjoyed it (and our company) so much, he’s now coming to FantasyCon too.  We said our goodbyes (Steve gave me a big hug) and I drove off into the night and got home for about 11.30, buzzing with a huge sense of enjoyment and that wonderful creative zing I always feel after a Con.  I’m already looking forward to Edge-Lit 5 (thanks for organising everything Alex!) and, as usual, it was the people who helped make it such a great event (those I've mentioned above and loads more I've forgotten - sorry).  It was also nice to have so many people compliment me on my weight loss, a heartening reminder of the power of friendship in the horror genre.

My book haul (bottom row from Eagle Books)

Brilliant fun!  Great friends, great venue, great organisation, new books and second-hand paperbacks, wonderful food - what more could you ask for?