Imaginarium: Celebrating British and International ESEA Speculative Fiction

Elaine Chiew, founder of Lian Connect and Imaginarium – the debut festival, supported by the BFS, celebrating East and South East Asian speculative fiction – recaps the first edition and her hopes for future iterations.

On September 22, 2024, Lian Connect and British Fantasy Society (BFS) hosted Imaginarium, a debut day-long online speculative fiction festival featuring ESEA authors, both British and international, all in honour of ESEA Heritage Month. It featured four panels of fun and hefty discussions, including a dynamic and informative industry panel on the rise of ESEA speculative fiction within publishing. A fireside chat between Lian Connect and the BFS explained the impetus behind the festival, the partnership with the first online ESEA bookshop Juniper by the Sea, followed by a raffle of books. 

The first panel on defining an ESEA aesthetic featured International Rubery Book Award shortlistee and author of The Infinite Library, Victor Fernando Ocampo, all the way over in Singapore, plus artist and designer Sinjin Li, and Xueting C. Ni, compiler of Sinophagia: A Celebration of Chinese Horror 2024 and Sinopticon: A Celebration of Chinese Science Fiction. Moderated by organiser Elaine Chiew, the panel highlighted the complexities of defining an ESEA aesthetic that could represent a region so multitudinous and awash in syncretic influences, cultural and religious, and what the UK politically-designated term ‘ESEA’ encompasses. Fascinating also was how the panellists articulated their lived personal experiences and how that influenced their approaches to their creative works, and how they often come at it from a ‘third space’.  

The second panel on ghosts, mythical beings and the Asian gothic featured BFS favourite and bestselling author of Fathomfolk, Eliza Chan, author of King of the Sea, Dina Zaman, and multimedia artist and author of The Last Phi Hunter, Salinee Goldenberg. Moderated by co-organiser Sheyna Zaid Lam, the panel delved into hilarity with some Malaysian tales designed to get children to come in out of the dark – such as the hantu tetek (breast ghost) – and myths like dragons that haunt the Asian diaspora. Interesting also was the exploration of the differences between Asian and Western treatment of the supernatural, and whether ghosts and mythical beings are seen as real or ‘analogies’ of our lives. 

The third panel on the trajectory of speculative futures featured Angela YT Chan (artist, data engineer and researcher on climate history, and co-director of the London Science Fiction Research Community), Neon Yang (biologist, journalist, and author of The Tensorate series), and Dr. Danbee ‘Tauntaun’ Kim (neuroscientist and author of The First VIRS). Moderated by co-organiser Dr Yen Ooi, the panel explored where an ESEA-driven future would lead us, given the predictions for the future – both fantastical and technological. One thing that came out of the discussion was how much speculative fiction exploring the future asks the important question of “What If?” and engaged in secondary (or alternate) world-building, making space not just for the wild imaginary (or in Dr. Kim’s words, ‘a plurality of futures’) but also how it then conversates with a reality that constrains and grounds us. What is the creative’s responsibility in navigating alternate worlds and social realities?

Last but not least, Eric Huang led the industry panel to discuss the trending rise of ESEA speculative fiction, and what might be the factors driving that. His panellists were editing consultant and former bookseller Michael Rowley, Angry Robot editor Desola Coker, and film agent, entertainment lawyer and owner of Viv Loves Film, Emma Topping. The panellists spoke about the ripple effect of films such as Parasite and Crazy Rich Asians, how the politics of representation led to Hollywood introspection, the popularity and influence of Asian manga and anime, and that crucial volta, where entertainment flows where the money is – Korean funding. 

Stories & Voices for the Multiplicity of Asia

While premature, it is worthwhile noting that Imaginarium makes a mark on the landscape of British and international speculative fiction, carving out a space to promote both homegrown and international ESEA creatives. Shona Kinsella, Chair of the BFS, stressed the importance of initiatives that champion the amplification of traditionally-underrepresented voices. It is heartening to see the abundance and hybridity of wonderful, imaginative stories coming out of the ESEA world, which the publishing industry is now beginning to recognise. These stories and voices illustrate the multiplicity and syncretism of Asia and its complex social and cultural realities.

I, together with the industrious team of Dr. Yen Ooi and Sheyna Zaid Lam, are really pleased that this debut speculative festival has been so well-received. It is the mission of Lian Connect, which I founded, to bridge communities and creatives. Thus, it was gratifying to bring together British and international speculative fiction authors through the auspices of the British Fantasy Society – in this way, connecting three worlds in one space. The digital space also enables access in ways that a London-based live event would not.

It is our hope that this endeavour can continue and we can bring more international speculative fiction writers to another iteration of the festival and promote more home-grown ones too. This festival would not have been possible without the partial funding of Angry Robot Books and private donors to Lian Connect, as well as the technical support and event guidance of British Fantasy Society.