A Festival Celebrating ESEA Speculative Fiction and Authors

Sunday 30th November 2025, 11am–4:45pm GMT

In a time when mainstream media spews out news that seems darker than the dystopian volumes on our shelves, hope might seem far-reaching… utopian even. However, in reality, hope is not the antithesis of dystopia, rather, it can be the effect of – a consequence of – or even an inevitability of it. After all, as Ursula K. Le Guin tells us in The Farthest Shore, “To see a candle’s light one must take it into a dark place.” If mainstream media demands us to face the darkness they paint, Imaginarium II’s response is to seek the candles lit through the speculative fiction of hope, which burns brighter each day.

Join us in exploring diasporas as a rich source of heroes in speculative fiction; how ESEA creatives are making and using opportunities out in the wild; and the interconnectedness of dystopia and hope. The industry panel will discuss how speculative fiction is innovating in the current fast-paced technology-driven climate. We are honoured to welcome Vandana Singh, to present a keynote, touching on the realities of being a speculative fiction writer today.

As part of our collaboration, the British Fantasy Society is offering a discounted digital membership to all attendees of this event. A full year of membership will cost you only £15. Just add it to the cart at checkout. If you want to know more about membership of the BFS, you can find it here.

Welcome & Introduction (10:55am)

Please note that the Zoom platform will open at 10:45am.

Panel (11:00am–12:00pm): Diaspora heroes to the rescue

With the seeds of dystopia flourishing in the scopes of speculative fiction (and reality) there is space for new heroes, who are culturally and socially more diverse and sensitive. Are diasporas, who naturally traverse multiple cultures, the new heroes in speculative fiction? Come and listen to our panellists, Pim Wangthechawat (The Moon Represents My Heart), Ann Sei Lin (Rebel Skies series), The Mollusc Dimension (The Weird and Wonderful Surviveries of Squid Horse) and JM Engineer (Leaves – a short story in Covert literary magazine), in discussion with moderator Elaine Chiew.

Break (12:00–12:15pm)

Industry Panel (12:15–1:15pm): Innovation!

How is speculative fiction innovating in the current fast-paced technology-driven climate? What advice does the industry–at the forefront of change–have for seasoned writers as well as new writers from ESEA communities trying to break in? Moderator Eric Huang will explore Innovation! with our panellists Felicia Low (Difference Engine), David Polfeldt (Li’l Factory), and Fabienne Schwizer (Ki Agency).

Break (1:15–1:45pm)

Keynote Speaker (1:45pm–2:15pm): Vandana Singh

Vandana Singh is a writer of speculative fiction, primarily science fiction, and a professor of physics and environment. Her stories are grounded in a South Asian ethos but often take flights across space and time to other worlds and other possibilities. Her short fiction has been reprinted in numerous Year’s Best collections and won the Parallax award and an Otherwise Honor award. Her 2018 collection, Ambiguity Machines and Other Stories was a finalist for the Philip K. Dick award. She was a Climate Imagination Fellow at Arizona State University’s Center for Science and the Imagination in 2021. Among recent publications is a collection of essays and stories in the PM Press Outspoken Authors series, Utopias of the Third Kind.

Break (2:15pm–2:30pm)

Panel (2:30pm–3:30pm): Opportunities in Speculative Fiction

A round-up of all the wonderful things that have been happening in speculative fiction across all forms of media, where trends are kicking off, in which parts of the world, by whom, and much more! Join moderator Lauren McMenemy, and panellists Wayne Ree & Benjamin Chee (author & illustrator of Work-Life Balance: Malevolent Managers and Folkloric Freelancers), CW Shern (game narrative designer) and Zhui Ning Chang (producer of time travel adventure Asian Pirate Musical), as they explore how ESEA creatives are making it out in the wild!

Break (3:30pm–3:45pm)

Panel (3:45pm–4:45pm): Zoefuturism: A connected futurism

Zoefuturism is a term inspired by the study of zoetology (by Prof Roger Ames) that explores the connectedness/relationalism in ancient East Asian knowledge, where constant change rooted in all nature is acknowledged as fundamental to living. It supports everything through interconnectedness, giving space for all to ‘become.’ Join moderator Danbee “Tauntaun” Kim with Eelyn Lee (award-winning artist and filmmaker), Sigrid Marianne Gayangos (Laut: Stories), and Ana Sun (https://singingtotigers.com/) as they discuss the relationship between hope and dystopia.

Further information:

Any queries, please contact the Lian Connect team at lianconnect121@gmail.com or Pam via onlineevents@britishfantasysociety.org.

Imaginarium II is made possible by the wonderful partnership with the British Fantasy Society and generous support from Difference Engine, Li’l Factory, and Writing Our Legacy, and our team of volunteers.

Organising Committee:

Elaine Chiew, Yen Ooi, Sheyna Zaid Lam, Eric Huang

Collaborative Partners:

British Fantasy Society, Difference Engine Publishing SG, Writing Our Legacy, Li’l Factory