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The British Fantasy Society

For all things fantasy, horror, and speculative fiction

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  • Announcement:

    The shortlisted works across all 13 categories of the British Fantasy Awards have been announced! Find out who’s in the mix over on our blog. Winners announced at Fantasycon in October.

BFS In-Person Events

In addition to our suite of digital events, the BFS also organises in-person events in certain regions of the UK. We’d be honoured to have you attend.

Please be aware many of our events are run with external partners. Please see event websites for specific details on accessibility and support needs. If you’d like to run an event with the BFS, please get in touch.

If you’d like to be involved in one of our in-person events, you can submit your interest via the form (click your area). Please note, we currently cover the following the areas:

London

Greater Manchester

Yorkshire

Merseyside

Oxfordshire & Berkshire

Outwith Reality – Scottish Sci-Fi, Fantasy and Horror

Shown is a graphic of the Scottish flag (white cross on a blue background) with a green silhouette of Scotland and two black silhouettes of unicorns. Top right is the Waterstones logo, a black W on a white background. On the right and left of the top text box is the BFS logo, a white dragon design curling around the letters ‘BFS’. Photos: Katie Bruce (top left); Shona Kinsella (middle right), Ian Green (middle left); Rafael Torrubia (bottom left), Lorraine Wilson (bottom right). The text boxes read “The British Fantasy Society & Waterstones Leeds, Outwith Reality – Scottish Sci-Fi, Fantasy and Horror, Ian Green, Shona Kinsella, Rafael Torrubia, Lorraine Wilson, Katie Bruce (mod), Wednesday 26th August, 7pm, Leeds Waterstones”

Date/Time: Wednesday 26th August 2026, 7pm (BST)
Location: Waterstones, Albion Street, Leeds
Cost: General Admission £5

The BFS is excited to announce the next of our in-person Leeds events, Outwith Reality – Scottish Sci-Fi, Fantasy and Horror.

Come and discuss Scottish storytelling, mythology and folklore with the British Fantasy Society and Waterstones. Join moderator Katie Bruce as she talks to Ian Green, Shona Kinsella, Rafael Torrubia and Lorraine Wilson about all things outwith reality.

Author Q&A plus book signings after the panel.

Book Now

Scottish Fantasy

Pictures of authors Shona Kinsella (a woman with dark long hair and smiling in black and white), Justin Lee Anderson (a long haired man in a red jacket standing against a brick wall) and Chiara Bullen (a long haired woman sat on a chequered floor) alongside their books: Daughters of Nicnevin (Shona Kinsella), The Damned King (Justin Lee Anderson) and The Inn at the foot of Mount Vengeance (Chiara Bullen) with text along the top reading: The British Fantasy Society and Waterstones Aberdeen presents… and text at the bottom reading Scottish Fantasy Panel In Store, Wednesday 9th September 2026, 5.30pm

Date/Time: Wednesday 9th September 2026, 5:30pm (BST)
Location: Waterstones, Bon Accord Centre, Aberdeen
Cost: General Admission £5

Come celebrate Scottish fantasy in Aberdeen’s biggest and friendliest bookshop! Authors Shona Kinsella, Justin Lee Anderson and Chiara Bullen discuss how Scotland influences their work.

Author Q&A plus book signings after the panel.

Book Now

We Are All Haunted: A Folk and Gothic Horror Panel

Shown is a black and white graphic of thorny branches. Top right and top left is the Waterstones logo, a black W on a white background. On the right and left of the top text box is the BFS logo, a white dragon design curling around the letters ‘BFS’. Photos: David Barnett (middle left), Rhiannon Grist (middle right); the two authors that make up MK Hardy (bottom left), Yvonne Battle-Felton (bottom right). The text boxes read “The British Fantasy Society & Waterstones Leeds, We Are All Haunted: A Folk and Gothic Horror Panel, David Barnett, Rhiannon Grist, MK Hardy, Yvonne Battle-Felton (mod), Thursday 10th September, 7pm, Leeds Waterstones”

Date/Time: Thursday 10th September 2026, 7pm (BST)
Location: Waterstones, Albion Street, Leeds
Cost: General Admission £5

The BFS is excited to announce our next in-person Leeds event, We Are All Haunted: A Folk and Gothic Horror Panel.

Join the British Fantasy Society and Waterstones to discuss all things folk horror and gothic horror with David Barnett, Rhiannon Grist, MK Hardy and moderator Yvonne Battle-Felton.

Author Q&A plus book signings after the panel.

Book Now

Stories that Mirror Society

Date/Time: Thursday 17th September 2026, 6:30pm (BST)
Location: Waterstones, Islingston
Cost: General Admission £5; Femme Feral (HB) £21; The Belladonna Invitation (PB) £15; The Patriots (PB) £11

The BFS is excited to announce our next in-person London event, Stories That Mirror Society.

Fiction has always been a mirror for reality. Moderator Alexandra Beaumont talks to speculative authors Sam Beckbessinger, Joseph Elliott-Coleman, and Rose Biggin about the reflections in their books and what they tell us about society. Join Waterstones and the British Fantasy for this dive through the looking glass.

Author Q&A plus book signings after the panel.

Book Now