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50 Years of Fantasycon and the British Fantasy Society: After its founding 1971, the BFS held its first Fantasycon in 1975. We take a look back at the traditions and changes of the last 50 years.
Join Ramsey Campbell, Debbie Bennett, Allen Ashley, and moderator Karen Fishwick to discuss their memories of the society and its prestigious annual event.
Ramsey Campbell (he/him): The Oxford Companion to English Literature describes Ramsey Campbell as “Britain’s most respected living horror writer”, and the Washington Post sums up his work as “one of the monumental accomplishments of modern popular fiction”. His awards include the Grand Master Award of the World Horror Convention, the Lifetime Achievement Award of the Horror Writers Association, the Living Legend Award of the International Horror Guild and the World Fantasy Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2015 he was made an Honorary Fellow of Liverpool John Moores University for outstanding services to literature. Ramsey celebrated his 60th Anniversary of his debut publishing in 2024, meaning that his work and influence spans the 50 years, both as an author, the longest running President of the British Fantasy Society (1977–2013) and his inimitable presence at Fantasycon in the UK. Find out more about Ramsey’s role in WFC here or follow him on Bluesky.
Debbie Bennett (she/her): Debbie Bennett tells lies and makes things up. Sometimes people pay her for it. She started writing fantasy and horror as a teenager and joined the British Fantasy Society way back in the Stone Age (1990). These days she mostly writes dark and gritty crime thrillers and claims to get her inspiration from the day jobs she used to have – but if she told you about that, she’d have to kill you afterwards. She’s been long-listed for the Debut Dagger Awards and often worries about her Google search history. Find out more on Debbie’s website. Or follow her on Twitter or Facebook. Grab Debbie’s books here.
Allen Ashley (he/him): Allen Ashley is a British Fantasy Award winner. The author of 199 published short stories and countless poems and flash. He is the founder of the advanced SFF group Clockhouse London Writers. Find out more about Allen on his website. Or follow him on Facebook or Twitter. Buy Journey to the Centre of the Onion or Echoes from an Expired Earth.
Karen Fishwick (she/her): Karen is the Chair of World Fantasy Convention 2025. She has a professional background in volunteer management and community projects having worked in this area for over 15 years. Karen is a disabled woman who is passionate about access and supporting marginalised voices. Find out more about Karen and the World Fantasy Convention here and keep up-to-date with WFC on Bluesky or Facebook. You can keep in touch with Karen and HWS Events on Instagram.