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Sorcery to Spaceships 
A Speculative Fiction Weekend
15-17 September

Stuff you need to know...

Due to popular demand NEWC has organised a fabulous weekend exploring supernatural worlds, fantasy, magic, and science fiction. Award-winning authors Pamela Freeman and Ian Irvine will be joining us as our special guests, along with renowned local author Sophie Masson and illustrators Trish Donald and Fiona McDonald.

The program

Friday the 15th
FREE EVENT
4:30 pm, Readers' Companion

Meet the Authors – On the Fantasy Trail
Ian Irvine and Pamela Freeman will describe their pathways to writing and publishing speculative fiction including choice of genre, style, worlds…
Book Launch, of Ian Irvine’s Sorcerer’s Tower omnibus just published in the Second Look imprint of Christmas Press
Book Look, Pamela Freeman will outline her recent speculative fiction works.
Saturday the 16th

Pamela Freeman’s Workshop on Magical Stories for younger readers
10am - 12:30pm
The Wicklow Hotel, Armidale

Pamela will lead participants through challenges adults can face in writing for young people especially speculative fiction for children. How to place and position your work, tone, balance, messages or not, entrancing themes, lessons learnt. Including practice pieces for feedback on Sunday.
Getting to print – is it Magic? Panel session
1:30-2:15pm
The Wicklow Hotel

Chaired by award-winning author Sophie Masson, Pamela and Ian with illustrators Trish Donald and Fiona McDonald will discuss tricks of the trade and special considerations in positioning and writing speculative fiction to get published and the role of illustration and challenges in achieving illustrations matching your mind’s eye.

Ian Irvine’s Epic Fantasy Workshop

2:30-5pm
The Wicklow Hotel

Ian will relay his deep experience in building winning worlds, plots, characters, props and effects including creating realistic magic in fantasy. Ian will guide participants in writing a short fantasy story. Those who wish will be able to leave their creative piece with Ian overnight for personal feedback on Sunday.

Illustrations and Inspirations — exhibition opening
FREE EVENT
6:30pm, The Armidale Gallery

Fantasy illustrator David Allan and local artist Lee Milroy will open their joint exhibition on Saturday the 16th of September at The Armidale Art Gallery. Featuring illustrations from David’s books and new works.

Sunday the 17th
From 10am
The Wicklow Hotel

One-on-one feedback sessions with Pamela and Ian on works written during the workshops.
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When: 15-17 September, 2017
Where: Locations around Armidale
How much:
  •  Full Package: $180 for NEWC members, $220 for non members
                                     Book the Full Package here
  • Individual workshops: $95 for NEWC members, $115 for non-members
                           Book for Pamela Freeman's workshop here
                                Book for Ian Irvine's workshop here
  • One workshop + panel session: $110 for members, $130 for non-members
          Use above links to book a single workshop and panel session
  • Extra feedback session $25   
                                Book an extra feedback session here
All workshop bookings come with ONE feedback session with either Pamela Freeman or Ian Irvine. Please note your preference when booking, we will take your choice into consideration, but places are limited and we cannot promise a certain author. An extra feedback session can be booked to make sure you don't miss out!       

The guests...

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IAN IRVINE, an Australian marine scientist, has written 32 novels, including the bestselling Three Worlds fantasy sequence, 3 thrillers set in a future world undergoing catastrophic climate change, as well as 13 books for children.
In 1987, Ian got out his maps and histories and began writing the first book of his Darwinian fantasy quartet, The View from the Mirror. He worked on it continually until the final volume was published in 1999, and has been a full-time writer since. Ian’s latest is The Fatal Gate (Orbit, 2017). www.ian-irvine.com

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PAMELA FREEMAN is an award-winning author for adults and children. Her epic fantasy series, The Castings Trilogy, is published internationally by Orbit Books. Its sequel, Ember and Ash, won the Aurealis Prize for Best Fantasy Novel. Children’s books include the much-loved Victor’s Quest , Victor’s Challenge (Aurealis Award for Best Children’s Fantasy) and the Princess Betony series. Christmas Press will reissue her children’s science fiction novel, Fastest Ship in Space, in 2018. Pamela’s recent children’s book, Desert Lake, won the ASO Librarian’s Choice Award. www.pamelafreemanbooks.com

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SOPHIE MASSON has had more than 60 novels published in Australia and overseas, mostly for young adults and children including fairytale novels Moonlight and Ashes (Random House 2013), shortlisted for the Davitt  Award, and The Crystal Heart RH 2014), a CBCA Notable Book. Sophie also writes for adults, including internationally-selling Forest of Dreams (Bantam Books 2001), an adult fantasy trilogy. Sophie’s has also written ghost stories, mysteries, thrillers, family stories and a graphic novel, The Secret Army: Operation Loki (ABC Books 2006). www.sophiemasson.org

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FIONA MCDONALD is a graphic designer, doll-maker, cloth sculptor and artist. She has written and illustrated several books, including the The Popular History of Graffiti (Skyhorse Publishing, USA 2013), and Ghost Doll and Jasper (Skyhorse, USA, 2012). She illustrated Two Selkie Stories from Scotland, by Kate Forsyth (Christmas Press 2014). You can visit her magical toyshop at www.grannyfi.com

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TRISH DONALD’s life centres on a vibrant creative practice where she blends found objects, pen, paint, photography as well as digital drawing to create her unique style.  She has had group and solo shows at local art galleries focusing on landscape, and in later years, character design. Trish works as a Learning Media Producer designing online educational resources at UNE and has her first picture book for children Tissywoo and the Worry Monsters (Little Pink Dog Books), being published this year.

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