From about 8am on Thursday I’ll be gone. I spend a good chunk of today travelling to Canberra, and then I’m in Canberra till late on Tuesday evening. If you need to contact me, I’ll be sporadically available on email (I’ll try to check it early in the morning and late at night). If it’s super-urgent, I’m at Conflux staying in the Con hotel. But let’s not have super-urgent, if that’s ok?  I’ve just survived one case of that on Wednesday morning, and I really would rather not do it again any time soon.

…I am :

• suffering from a sore back;
• packing to go away;
• listening to The Weepies (crap name, great music, click on the link to listen);
• watching The West Wing;
• reading Jim Butcher (cos I can!); and
• drinking Laphroig.

Life is complicated, but mostly good. See you in Canberra.

This morning Sophie and Jessica have two birthday parties to go to. While Jessica was at unigym, Sophie and I goofed around and took some photos. Here’s one.

Sophie says: “Daddy and me took photos in the morning. From Sophie to Nanny Ellen & Daddy. Love Sophie & Daddy.”

I have my schedule for Conflux.  I fly into sunny Canberra on Thursday, and will be there till Tuesday. These are the events at the Convention I’ll be on. I will be around the whole weekend, though, so please feel free to come up and say hi.  In terms of events, I’m most excited about doing the kaffee klatche (If you edit anthologies or want to, please come along. There are so few places where you can discuss editing anthologies, so this should be interesting. Note: This won’t be about writing for anthologies or how to sell stories to them. It’ll be about the nuts and bolts of anthology work.) and the conversation with Terry.  I think it should be a very interesting weekend. See you there!

Friday, September 28
7.00 pm: Opening ceremony (with open mike readings)
9.30pm: Cocktail party

Saturday, September 29
2.00 pm: Panel – Where to start? The must-reads
4.30pm: Mass book signing
7.00 pm: Regency Gothic banquet

Sunday, September 30
10.00 am: Kaffee klatche with Jack Dann (First nine people who sign up)
3.00 pm: Panel – Zen and the art of anthology making
8.00 pm: Masquerade disco

Monday, October 1
11.00 am: GOH Spot: In conversation with Terry Dowling
12noon: (Book launch – Terry Dowling’s Rynemonn)
3.00 pm: Panel – Space opera, did it ever die? (with Kevin J Anderson, Robin Pen, Sean Williams)
4.00 pm, closing ceremony, followed by Dead Dog Party in Cahoots Bar.

Well, Conflux gets underway in just over a week. In fact, in a week’s time I’ll be getting ready to get on the flight to Sydney and start my day long peregrination to Canberra, which I think ends in what sounds like a fun dinner out with the other guests that night.  I don’t actually have a final schedule yet, but I think I’m doing a panel on space opera, one on the best stuff of the year, a kaffee klatch with Jack Dann on editing for editors (which I’m really looking forward to), and am going to be interviewed by Terry Dowling (who’s book I’ll also be launching). Although I’m starting the whole thing tired, I’m looking forward to it.  I hope to see a lot of old friends, and maybe make some new ones.  The editor guest of honour at these things is always something of a third wheel in my experience, so please feel free to come up and chat, ask questions or whatever. Despite all the rumours, I don’t bite. Oh, and if you’re not sure about it, please come to Canberra!  This looks to be a lovely intimate event with all kinds of cool people showing up. One of my favourite writers in the universe, Graham Joyce, will be there. He’s fantastic, and a lovely guy.  Simon Brown and Garth Nix are simply two of my favourite people on the planet, while dinner this week only confirmed how great Kevin and Rebecca willl be. So come along. It’s going to be great.