Grab your ticket here
We have six readings from a range of authors – fantasy, science fiction and horror – to help you find your next book (or add to that beautiful TBR pile). Bring your favourite tipple and enjoy some first-rate readings from the SFFH community.
Readings from Susan Maxwell, XX, Stephen Oram, Amal Singh, Elizabeth Broadbent, and M V Melcer. Find out more about them below.
Susan Maxwell (any): Susan Maxwell is an independent author and scholar who writes literary/slipstream fiction for adults and fantasy literature suitable for younger readers. She has published four novels and a collection of short stories, and her work has appeared in magazines and anthologies.
The short story ‘Necrologue’ was the title story of a 2004 Lambda Award-winning anthology, and her novel Good Red Herring (Little Island) was included in the Irish Times best books of 2014 for children and young adults. Subsequent books are published independently. Born near Tullamore in Ireland, Maxwell has worked as a professional archivist in Ireland, the UK, and the Netherlands. She holds a PhD from Northumbria University and writes non-fiction on themes related to archives and literature. She has served on fiction and non-fiction juries for the British Fantasy Awards and reviews regularly for Inis, the magazine of Children’s Books Ireland. Connect with Susan on her many platforms via Linktree and buy her books here.
Reitha Pattison (she/her): Reitha Pattison has published poetry, essays, translations, and has short stories forthcoming in print (including in BFS Horizons Magazine). You can read her first speculative graphic novel, Tinne, about a robot who discovers alchemy, as well as see drawings to accompany her other short stories. Connect with Reitha on Instagram.
Stephen Oram (any): Stephen Oram writes near-future fiction which has been praised by publications as diverse as The Morning Star and the Financial Times. He also works with scientists, and technologists to explore possible future outcomes of their research through short stories. He has two published novels, three collections of sci-fi shorts, has co-edited four anthologies and is published in many anthologies and magazines, including The Best of British Science Fiction (2020 and 2022). Find out more about Stephen on his website. Or follow him on Instagram.
Amal Singh (he/him): Amal Singh is a Sturgeon Award nominated author of science fiction and fantasy from Mumbai, India. His short fiction has appeared in numerous prestigious venues like Reactor, Clarkesworld, F&SF, Asimovs, among others. His debut novel The Garden of Delights was published by Flame Tree Press in 2024. Connect with Amal on Bluesky, Twitter, or Instagram. Get his book here.
Elizabeth Broadbent (she/her): Elizabeth Broadbent left the South Carolina swamps for the Commonwealth of Virginia, where she lives with her three sons and husband. She’s the author of Naked & Famous (ELJ Editions, 2023), Ink Vine (Psychotoxin Pink), and Blood Cypress, coming out in 2025 with Raw Dog Screaming Press. Her speculative fiction has appeared with HyphenPunk, Tales to Terrify, If There’s Anyone Left, Peunumbric, and The Cafe Irreal, among others. During her long career as a journalist, her nonfiction appeared in places such as The Washington Post, Insider, and ADDitude Magazine. Learn more about Elizabeth on her website. Or follow her on Facebook, Instagram, Threads or TikTok.
M V Melcer (she/her): M V Melcer is the author of science fiction novel Refractions, and the upcoming sequel Inversions (August 2024). Her critically acclaimed short fiction has appeared in Clarkesworld, GigaNotoSurus, Daily Science Fiction, Nature, and others. Born in Poland, M V has lived in the USA, the Netherlands and Belgium before settling in the United Kingdom. When not writing, she is pursuing a degree in astronomy. Find out more on her website.