Just Like That!
I found it a bit difficult to stay asleep this morning... an amazing night last night, a day of wonderfulness ahead, plus I couldn't rest until I'd totted up how many Whale Weighers' points I think I may have had last night. 61, by my guess. This leaves me with all my points today, 13 for the week and 2 more to tackle the Good Food show at the NEC. I have a press pass - how exciting! The first press pass I've had since doing the film show as a student... and I get to go eat, and stare at celebrity chefs with it!
Bur last night was about the David Gemmell Awards. I actually won the tickets to go to this at Newcon last year. Might be the nicest thing I've ever won (and I'll certainly take advantage of such luck until I'm invited to these things in my own right ;P)!
The awards are held at The Magic Circle Headquarters in London... what a place to have your not-secret society, magicians - a back alley! We arrived in the nick of time - slightly damp due to the inclement weather. The interior of the building is decorated with posters, paraphernalia and portrait murals - it certainly makes you go 'wow' when you enter, which we did. We went up to the Devant room via an amazing spiral staircase for a champagne reception, where we chatted to our friends who were there for a bit before being ushered into the ceremony in the theatre. The awards followed a reading by James Barclay and an auction for a load of amazing stuff, during which Neil and I looked at each other with 'for God's sake don't even twitch' expressions.
Our friend, the wonderful Anne Sudworth presented the Ravenheart Award for best fantasy art, and we were very impressed by the work of the winner, Olof Erla Einarsdottir, who had travelled in all the way from Iceland. Darius Hinks won the Morningstar Award for best newcomer (yay - one for my bosses at Black Library) and Brandon Sanderson won the Legend Award and so got to take away the huge axe Snaga trophy. All the finalists got a baby Snaga too (I want one!).
We then all got to go back to the Devant room for lots more free wine and nibblies - and I got to stand next to this:
What a fabulous night!
Bur last night was about the David Gemmell Awards. I actually won the tickets to go to this at Newcon last year. Might be the nicest thing I've ever won (and I'll certainly take advantage of such luck until I'm invited to these things in my own right ;P)!
The awards are held at The Magic Circle Headquarters in London... what a place to have your not-secret society, magicians - a back alley! We arrived in the nick of time - slightly damp due to the inclement weather. The interior of the building is decorated with posters, paraphernalia and portrait murals - it certainly makes you go 'wow' when you enter, which we did. We went up to the Devant room via an amazing spiral staircase for a champagne reception, where we chatted to our friends who were there for a bit before being ushered into the ceremony in the theatre. The awards followed a reading by James Barclay and an auction for a load of amazing stuff, during which Neil and I looked at each other with 'for God's sake don't even twitch' expressions.
Our friend, the wonderful Anne Sudworth presented the Ravenheart Award for best fantasy art, and we were very impressed by the work of the winner, Olof Erla Einarsdottir, who had travelled in all the way from Iceland. Darius Hinks won the Morningstar Award for best newcomer (yay - one for my bosses at Black Library) and Brandon Sanderson won the Legend Award and so got to take away the huge axe Snaga trophy. All the finalists got a baby Snaga too (I want one!).
We then all got to go back to the Devant room for lots more free wine and nibblies - and I got to stand next to this:
What a fabulous night!