This, and the answer to more questions, can be found in the images below…
Charlotte at the wonderful Books & Brews asked me a few questions ahead of the Canterbury Gaming Convention on 15/16th August. We’re going to have a special corner dedicated to authors at the event, and if you love books and/or games then this is a must!
And here are my answers to Charlotte’s questions…
Here are some of the more peculiar comments from recent comic cons…
Check out my events diary here: https://markstaywrites.com/diary-and-appearances/
I had a really good time selling and signing m’books at the Canterbury Gaming Convention last year. I hadn’t done a gaming convention before, so wasn’t sure what to expect, but it turns out that gamers are a well-read bunch and really friendly and enthusiastic (it really shouldn’t have surprised me: so many of my writer friends are big gamers).
The organisers got in touch and told me that they’d had so much positive feedback from convention goers on the authors at the con that they wanted to do it properly this year. So, we proudly present a special corner of the Canterbury Gaming Convention: A Place for all your Books! This will be a dedicated area to authors and their books. We’ll be selling and signing, as you’d expect, but there will also be panels and maybe even some gaming!
The authors joining me offer a fantastic range of brilliant fiction, so there’s going to be something for everyone…
And it’s being presented in association with the wonderful BOOKS & BREWS!
Early bird tickets are selling fast, and the convention was a sell-out last year, so make sure you grab your tickets asap!
This promises to be fun! I’ll be chatting to Ben Aaronovitch about Stone Sky at the actual British Library on 30th March. Get your tickets here.
As part of the Escalate Arts Literature Festival, I’m going to be interviewing bestselling author and screenwriter JULIE WASSMER at the Staines Library Hub on Saturday 14th March, 2026 from 3-4pm… and we’re recording it for the Creative Differences podcast! And you can join us live!
Julie wrote for Eastenders for over 20 years and is the author of Whitstable Pearl mysteries, which is now a hit TV series starring Kerry Godliman, and I can tell you from past experience that Julie is a brilliant guest, so generous with advice and very funny: you don’t want to miss this!
Join us in person…
Ooh, shiny!
I’m going to be a special guest (my mum always said I was special!) at the Canterbury Gaming Convention this weekend Saturday 9th and Sunday 10th August. If you’re a fan of tabletop games then this is basically your Disneyland, and if you’re a fan of books then there are other bookish guests like the author Willow Woods, Books and Brews and little ol’ me! It’s in two — count ’em! — of the big sports halls at the University of Kent. Click on the image below to check out the amazing exhibitors and guests and for tickets… See you there!
One for the Staines Massive! I’ll be chatting with the wonderful Mr Ben Aaronovitch about his new novel Stone and Sky and all sorts of other stuff besides. Surrey Libraries always run a fun event and this will be a lively chat with books for sale afterwards. These events can sell out pretty quickly, so click on the image below for tickets…
Oh, and if you can’t make it and there’s a burning question that you’ve always wanted to ask Ben, just pop it in the comments below and I’ll report back…
I had a great time at last year’s Steampunk Day and I’m delighted to be returning this year! Although my books aren’t overtly steampunk (though the End of Magic trilogy gets more steampunky in books 2 and 3: airships, steam power, industry etc) I find that the steampunk community is polite, cheerful, immaculately-dressed and wonderfully open to trying new fiction.
There’s plenty to do on the day — lots of stalls, good food and music — and you get to hop on a steam train and blast through the English countryside! Treat yourself…
I’m delighted to be returning to the MCM Comic Con at the cavernous Excel Centre in London this weekend where I’ll be selling and signing m’books.
On the Saturday, I’ll be moderating a panel on writing comedy with these amazing authors: Joanna Nadin, MJ Northwood and Veronika Dapunt (click on the image for more details)…
If you’re one of the many thousands attending the MCM do please come along and say hello. I’ll be with all the fab authors in the WRITERS’ BLOCK where you’re bound to find a new favourite author.
Mark Stay Writes 