Once and future readings

I went to two readings last month. The first one took place at Fark Convention , a wonderfully nerdy event in an old mine near Saarbrücken. I can only recommend it to everyone. There was role playing, a post-apocalyptic camp with impressive homemade end of time cars, much Steampunk, much costuming, a humungous dealers’ area and of course: readings. And it was all for a good cause, too. The event managed to make – and donate over € 20,000 to a children’s hospice. So not just fun, but help for those who need it. What could be better?

I was scheduled for two readings. I read from my novel “Schwingen aus Stein” and also from my “Cinderella” interpretation published in the photopraphic + short story project “Wahre Märchen 2” (True Fairy Tales). I had a nice, interested audience both times.

This is unfortunately not always the case. Only two weeks later a reading scored 2:0. Two authors – zero audience. That too can happen to writers sometimes, and one may be miffed about it, but if it turns out that there had been no advertising done for the event, then it can hardly be surprising. If no one knows that will be reading somewhere, no one will show up. Obviously.

The next reading will certainly not lack an audience. It will take place at this year’s BuCon (Frankfurt Book Fair convention). On Book Fair Saturday at 12:00 a.m., you can come and hear me read.

In any case, I strongly recommend this entire event. It’s been going and growing for many years, and it is the meeting point of pretty much all the German fantasy-authors, bloggers, critics, specialist publishers, etc. In the evening, the Deutsche Phantastik Preis (German Speculative Fiction Award – comparable to the Hugo) is awarded to the deserving winners, and you can enjoy an awards ceremony that could not be more unlike the Oscar night. And I mean that with a wink and a smile.

This time I’m not nominated. But I have already been awarded the SERAPH in March. Two awards for the same book would probably be immodest. And, dear me, we can’t allow that.