BFS Online: Worldbuilding – Politics & Social Conventions

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Politics & Social Conventions: Anywhere you have people you have politics and society, so what system to choose? Monarchy or feudal? Republic or dictatorship? How does the governing system impact the story? The characters?

Join moderator Lauren McMenemy and panellists Yvonne Battle-Felton, Justin Lee Anderson, and Mae Murray as they discuss the rules and rule-makers.

Yvonne Battle-Felton (she/her): Yvonne Battle-Felton is an author, academic, editor, podcaster, host, creative producer, and writer. Her debut, Remembered was longlisted for the Women’s Prize for Fiction (2019) and shortlisted for the Jhalak Prize (2020). Yvonne has six titles in Penguin Random House’s Ladybird series; and writes creative nonfiction essays, short stories, and stories for children; and novels, short stories, personal essays, and short scripts for adults. She is Senior Commissioning Editor at John Murray Press (UK) and the academic director of creative writing at Cambridge University Institute of Continuing Education. Curdle Creek is her second novel. Connect with Yvonne via her website, Twitter, Instagram, or Bluesky. Click here for Yvonne’s books.

Justin Lee Anderson (he/him): Justin was a professional writer and editor for 15 years before his debut novel, Carpet Diem, was published, going on to win the 2018 Audie award for Humor. His second novel, The Lost War, won the 2020 SPFBO award, leading to a four-book deal with Orbit for The Eidyn Saga. Find out more about Justin on his website. Or you can follow him on Bluesky. All Justin’s books can be found here.

Mae Murray (she/her): Mae Murray is a writer and editor hailing from Arkansas, now living in eerie New England. She occasionally contributes essays and film criticism to Fangoria.com and Dread Central. She is the recipient of the 2022 Brave New Weird Award for Superior Achievement in Short Fiction. The Book of Queer Saints Volume I was her editing debut and a 2023 British Fantasy Award nominee in the Best Anthology category. I’m Sorry If I Scared You is her debut novel. Find out more about Mae on her website. Or connect on Bluesky or Instagram. Grab her books here.

Lauren McMenemy (she/her): Lauren McMenemy wears many hats: Editor-in-Chief at Trembling With Fear for horrortree.com; PR and marketing for the British Fantasy Society; founder of the Society of Ink Slingers; curator of the Writing the Occult virtual events. With 25+ years as a professional writer across journalism, marketing, and communications, Lauren also works as a coach and mentor to writers looking to achieve goals, get accountability, or get support with their marketing efforts. She writes gothic and folk horror stories for her own amusement, and is currently working on a novel set in the world of the Victorian occult. You’ll find Lauren haunting south London, where she lives with her Doctor Who-obsessed husband, the ghost of their aged black house rabbit, and the entity that lives in the walls. Learn more about Lauren on her website. Or this website. She’s also a social media queen. Find her on Twitter, Instagram, Instagram (Society of Ink Slingers), Bluesky, Threads or Mastodon. Whatever your social media pleasure, Lauren has you covered.