This time next weekend I’ll be at the Cedar Court Hotel in Bradford, halfway through my first Eastercon; in its 64th incarnation this year and therefore dubbed EightSquaredCon. I’ve been sent my schedule, and am flattered to find myself on the programme more times than may be entirely seemly. (Of course I’m going to share it anyway.) Let me know in comments if you’re going to be there, and if you are please do say hello!

Friday 29th March, 6pm – Debut Authors Panel

New authors talk about starting out: how to get published, and what happens when you do.

Saturday 30th March, 1pm – The Far Future

Let’s not waste time: we should get on with solving the problems facing us in five or ten billion years (crashing galaxies, red giant Sun, possible gamma bursts …). If we make it that far, what will our civilisation have grown into? Will we be ready when the stars go out? Fran Dowd moderates Stephen Baxter, Stephanie Saulter, Ian Watson and Walter Jon Williams.

Saturday 30th March, 5pm – Author Readings – Gareth Powell and Stephanie Saulter

Gareth and I read from our latest work. Mine is likely to feature a hungry, headachey (super) heroine; his a foul-mouthed monkey fighter pilot. (Which makes our books sound far more similar than they are …)

Saturday 30th March, 7pm – Genre Get-Together – Science Fiction

Meet and chat to authors, and get your books signed!

Sunday 31st March, 11am – Why is the Future Drawn so White?

When the protagonist of Justine Larbalastier’s Liar was whitewashed in the cover art, both the author and the internet were outraged and the cover was eventually changed. Yet characters of colour are still all too often absent or elided. How can we work to challenge this and why does it happen? Caroline Hooton moderates Dev Agarwal, Aliette de Bodard, CE Murphy, Tajinder Singh Hayer and Stephanie Saulter.

Sunday 31st March, 7pm – Jo Fletcher Books/Quercus Party

Join the editors and authors of Jo Fletcher Books and Quercus for a drink and a chat. This year sees debut novels from Stephanie Saulter (Gemsigns), Naomi Foyle (Seoul Survivors), and David Towsey (Your Brother’s Blood). Come along to meet the writers and learn more about them and their books.

(And remember: no need to wait a whole week for a mega science fiction fix. I’m still giving away one of the best SF novels of the year to whoever comes up with the coolest alternate universe. Short – even tweetable – answers are perfectly acceptable.)