Artemis Fowl creator Eoin Colfer, Darren Shan (The Saga of Darren Shan) and Hugo Award-winning author Ian McDonald (Brasyl, Desolation Road) are among the many creators who will be attending the first WexWorlds Festival, in Wexford, Ireland from Friday 20th to Sunday 22nd November 2009.WexWorlds is the first Sci Fi and Fantasy Fiction Festival in Wexford, the brainchild of Eoin Colfer and the Wexford Arts Centre, and is supported by Failte Ireland, Wexford Borough, Wexford Council, Wexford Library, Wexford Chamber, hotels including Talbot and Whites of Wexford, book stores and other businesses.
Over the course of the weekend a range of activities will be taking place – including talks and readings, science experiments, comic art workshops, an exhibition on the process of writing for a comic, activities for younger children, discussions about fantastic literature, a selection of competitions and performance events – at varied venues in Wexford town, which will include Wexford Arts Centre, Wexford Library, book stores, related businesses and hotels.
Other professionals expecting to attend include:
• Judge Dredd and Warhammer comic artist Paul J Holden
• Transformers artist Nick Roche
• Author Oisin McGann (Small Minded Giants, Strangled Silence).
• 2000AD comics writer Michael Carroll (also author of The New Heroes series).
• Author Sarah Rees Brennan (The Demon’s Lexicon).
• Comics writer Andrew Donkin (Transformers, Batman, Doctor Who).
• Freakshow and Eagle Award-nominated comic writer and publisher for Atomic Diner comic books Robert Curley
The majority of the events over the weekend will be free, with only a minimal charge (€5) for three of the workshops.
As well as books and comics, the weekend is a celebration of all fantastic fiction, so there will also be workshops on costuming, light-hearted sessions with kids and foam weaponry, and movie screening. The festival will coincide with an exhibition by emerging visual artist Vera Klute at Wexford Arts Centre.
Situated on the south-east coast of Ireland, Wexford’s history is steeped in myth and legend and makes this a perfect location for a festival of the fantastic. A story tells of its origin in the mists of time, when Garman Garbh was drowned on the mudflats by waters released by an enchantress. The vast expanse of harbour thus created was named ‘The lake of Garman’ or Loch Garman, the Gaelic name for Wexford.
Wexford is also home to one of the top fantasy fiction writers: Eoin Colfer, author of the famed Artemis Fowl series, currently working on the much anticipated new follow-up to Douglas Adams’s The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy which is due to be released a short time before WexWorlds.
Accessible from mainland UK and Europe via sea (Rosslare Harbour) and air (Waterford/Dublin), with bus and train access from major cities in Ireland, this festival in Wexford will make a great weekend away for any international and national tourists with a taste for the fantastic.
The orgnaisers say they're currently working on programme development and will update progress on the festival website in due course.
• If you are interested in participating – as an artist, trader, visitor or volunteer – please email info@WexWorlds.net or visit www.wexworldsfestival.com
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