Nine Worlds photos

Nine Worlds Geekfest: a place to make new friends...

And meet up with old ones ...

With Kristina Lloyd

To show those Steampunk ladies how a thoroughly MODERN young woman dresses...

With Miss Emily Ladybird

and to feel superior to the rest of the human race ...

The view from the breakfast room window: plane-spotters gathering to watch the morning flights from Heathrow. Ironically, hundreds of LARPers, cosplayers, gamers, fanfic writers, bronies and comicbook fans must have looked out at them and thought, "What a bunch of nerds."

Hand on heart, I thought Nine Worlds was a whole heap of fun. Even though this was its very first year it was REALLY well organised (half-hour breaks between sessions! YES!!), and they had pulled out the stops to make it feel inclusive and safe. The female attendance must have been up around the 50% mark, there were dedicated feminism and LGBT streams, and plenty of cross-dressing cosplayers enjoying themselves. And unlike Eastercon, I went as a punter and steered clear of doing readings or appearing on panels, so it was much more relaxed experience for me!

Especially, it must be said, after this gentleman's workshop:

Mr Kit Cox: gourmet gin-tasting

Other educational highlights - the mathematical secrets of The Simpsons:

Simon Singh, mathematician

- And how to kill someone with a wooden sword:

SQWEEEEE!! Game of Thrones fan moment! It's Syrio! (Miltos Yerolemou)

Life-lessons we could all benefit from, I feel...
I'm definitely hoping to go back next year. I still didn't get round to the Brony Q&A :-)