Additional to the information in Progress Report #3 (being mailed to all registered members this week), National Express Coaches (www.nationalexpress.com/Airport/heathrow.cfm) runs a regular service to Brighton and Gatwick Airport from the central bus station at Heathrow Airport (which can be reached by the walkways linking Terminals 1, 2 and 3). The central bus station is well sign-posted from all terminals and is located next to the London Underground station for Terminals 1, 2 and 3.
A return journey on National Express is approximately £30.00 ($50.00) and the journey will take approximately 2 hours 30 minutes. You will want to get off at the "Pool Valley" stop, directly outside the back of the Royal Albion Hotel and adjacent to the Radisson Blu hotel.
If you are 60 years old or over, the return journey is approximately £15.00 ($25.00).
Also, easyBus is having a sale (ending midnight February 8) for 450,000 seats from various locations (including a number of locations in London) to Gatwick Airport at 50 pence ($1.00) per seat. For more information go to: www.easybus.co.uk/?ReferURL=010&gclid=CKnQioyE1p8CFdkB4wodCXSYdA
In other news, tickets for The Horror Writers Association's prestigious annual BRAM STOKER AWARDS are selling fast, with fewer than 40 now remaining. The awards will be presented at a gala Fish & Chips Banquet on the evening of Saturday, March 27. This event will be one of the highlights of the convention, and will include past Grand Masters, Stoker Award winners and our Guests of Honour as presenters. Seating is strictly limited, so if you have not booked yet and still want to attend, please go to: www.whc2010.org/banquet-tickets01.html and register now via the PayPal buttons.
JO FLETCHER's "PUBLISHING & EDITING" WORKSHOP is now completely full and all the manuscript critique slots have sold out. However, there are still some places available in NANCY KILPATRICK's "VAMPIRE FICTION" WORKSHOP, and she is also offering manuscript critiques. Or you can still sign up for THE "CREATIVE WRITING" WORKSHOP being taught by award-winning author PAUL McAULEY. These really are unique opportunities to hone your writing skills and learn the tricks of the trade from some of the most experienced people working in the genre.
Our KAFFEEKLATSCHES have proved extremely popular, with several filling up in a matter of days. There are still some slots available for either UK or overseas attendees with the remaining names. If you want to spend an hour with some of the biggest talent in the fields of imaginative fiction, then sign up on the website now. Even better, it's FREE! It's looking highly unlikely that there will be any places left by the time of the convention.
As you may have noticed, the convention has now SOLD OUT. We have been warning for months that this was going to happen, but due to fire regulations and health & safety laws there was a total number of attendees that we and the participating hotels just did not feel comfortable about exceeding. This has, perhaps inevitably, led to a rush of last-minute applications that we are attempting to meet by transferring the memberships of those individuals who have already purchased one, but can no longer attend. So, if it looks like you are now unable to join us in Brighton, please let us know AS SOON AS POSSIBLE by e-mailing info@whc2010.org. We can facilitate the transfer of your membership to one of the many desperate people on our waiting list and refund your money immediately!
Celebrating its 20th Anniversary, The World Horror Convention will be held over March 25-28, 2010, in the historic Regency seaside city of Brighton, on the picturesque south coast of England. This is the first time that the event will have been held off the North American continent.
The theme is "BRIGHTON SHOCK!—A CELEBRATION OF THE EUROPEAN HORROR TRADITION FROM VICTORIAN TIMES TO THE PRESENT DAY", and the convention will host numerous panels, talks, presentations, readings, workshops and displays devoted to horror, macabre, mystery and thriller fiction and art in all its varied and fearsome forms.
The venue will be the historic Royal Albion Hotel, which dates back more than 180 years and is situated directly opposite the iconic Brighton Pier and a stone's throw from the beach. There are plenty of alternative hotels and Bed & Breakfasts in the immediate surroundings, catering for all budgets, and Brighton is filled with restaurants, wine bars and clubs. Antiquarian shopping precinct The Lanes, the Sea Life= 0Centre and the world-famous Royal Pavilion are also within easy walking distance.
Brighton has direct transport links from Gatwick International Airport and the centre of London, and is easily accessible for overseas visitors, especially those from mainland Europe. And if you want to extend your stay, then Britain's annual National Science Fiction Convention, Odyssey 2010, is being organised near to Heathrow airport the following weekend. Come for World Horror and stay for Eastercon!
Author Guests of Honour are TANITH LEE and DAVID CASE, Artist Guests of Honour are LES EDWARDS and DAVE CARSON, and Editor Guest of Honour is HUGH LAMB. Best-selling author JAMES HER BERT is the Special Guest of Honour, INGRID PITT is Special Media Guest, and Mistress of Ceremonies is JO FLETCHER.
Other writers, artists, agents, editors and publishers already registered as attending World Horror Convention 2010 include: ABADDON BOOKS (UK), John Joseph Adams, ANGRY ROBOT BOOKS (UK), Kelley Armstrong, ASH-TREE PRESS (Canada), ATOMIC FEZ PUBLISHING (Canada), Anne Billson, Randy Broecker, Edward W. Bryant Jr., BURNING EFFIGY PRESS (Canada), Pat Cadigan, Ramsey Campbell, CENTIPEDE PRESS (USA), Mort Castle, CHIZINE PUBLICATIONS (Canada), Vincent Chong, Simon Clark, Lawrence C. Connolly, Storm Constantine, Basil Copper, Paul Cornell, Peter Crowther, DARK ARTS BOOKS (USA), Ellen Datlow, Scott Edelman, Bob Eggleton, Gemma Files, Paul Finch, Christopher Fowler, Jane Frank, Gary Fry, W. Paul Ganley, GOLLANCZ/ORION PUBLISHING GROUP (UK), GRAY FRIAR PRESS (UK), Simon R. Green, Heather Graham, IMMANION PRESS (UK), John Jarrold, JEMMA PRESS (Greece), Stephen Jones, Graham Joyce, Paul Kane, Nancy Kilpatrick, Robert S. Knowlton (Bob Hadji), Allen Koszowski, Joel Lane, Tim Lebbon, Samantha Lee, D.F. Lewis, John Ajvide Lindqvist, LITTLE, BROWN (UK), Brian Lumley, Dorothy Lumley, Kristina Lloyd, Patrick Marcel (France), L.H. Maynard & M.P.N. Sims, Gary McMahon, Farah Mendlesohn, MORRIGAN BOOKS (Sweden), MORTBURY PRESS (UK), Mark Morris, Lisa Morton, Yvonne Navarro, Adam L.G. Nevill, NEWCON PRESS (UK), Kim Newman, NIGHT SHADE BOOKS (USA), Reggie Oliver, Weston Ochse, Michel Parry, Stephen W. Parsons, PENDRAGON PRESS (UK), Sarah Pinborough, David Pirie, John L. Probert, PS PUBLISHING (UK), QUERCUS BOOKS (UK), Tina Rath, REBEL E PUBLISHERS (South Africa), Tony Richards, David A. Riley, Barbara & Christopher Roden, Nicholas Royle, Lynda E. Rucker, Mark Samuels, SCI FI WIRE, SCREAMING DREAMS (UK), Steven Savile, Robert Shearman, Douglas Smith, Michael Marshall Smith, SNOWBOOKS (UK), Alexandra Sokoloff, David A. Sutton, TARTARUS PRESS (UK), TELOS PUBLISHING (UK), Melanie Tem, Steve Rasnic Tem, TRANSWORLD (UK), Lisa Tuttle, Stephen Volk, Ian Watson, Conrad Williams, F. Paul Wilson and Chelsea Quinn Yarbro, amongst many others.
You can also sign up for three different Writing Workshops held over the Saturday and Sunday of the convention. These will be tutored by MORT CASTLE ("Creative Writing"), NANCY KILPATRICK ("Vampire Fiction") and JO FLETCHER ("Publishing & Editing"), who will also be holding manuscript critiques. More details can be found on the website.
The Horror Writers Association's prestigious annual Bram Stoker Awards for excellence in horror and fantasy fiction will be presented at a gala Fish & Chips Banquet on the evening of Saturday, March 27. This event will be one of the highlights of the convention, and will include past Stoker Award winners and our Guests of Honour as award presenters.
All information about the convention, hotel and location is available on our website: www.whch2010.org, including an easy to use PayPal Registration Form (which will automatically convert your payment at the current exchange rate). Or you can print off the form and send it with a cheque (sterling only) to: World Horror Convention, PO Box 64317, London NW6 9LL, England.
With numerous writers, artists, editors, publishers and booksellers expected to attend from all over the world, this is the one event that the dedicated horror fan, professional, collector or dealer cannot afford to miss!
Wish you were here? Well, now you can be . . .
WORLD HORROR CONVENTION.
MARCH 25-28, 2010.
BRIGHTON, ENGLAND.
www.whc2010.org
(February 6, 2010)