I used to go to conventions all the time, I even made it to the holy grail of geekery: San Diego Comic Con (making the trip all the way from Australia where I was living at the time). As I'd just finished my studies and was travelling, it was easy to take time out for these events. Nowadays though, with a busy day job and other interests as well, not so much. Until last week, when I was given the opportunity to combine two of my loves at the MCM Blogger Brunch: geeking out about pop culture and books.
MCM Comic Con is one of the biggest fandom-focussed conventions in London (and beyond, as they also have cons in places in the UK). It's the place to pick up merchandise from your favourite obscure anime; go to a star-studded panel discussion from the cult movies and geeky TV-shows you love; watch in awe the amazing cosplay fellow con-goers are wearing; meet the authors of your favourite comics, sci-fi and fantasy novels; and so much more. If there is *anything* in the world of geeky fandom you're into, you'll probably find like-minded people here – and some memorabilia to go with it.
A brand-new addition to an already fun-filled programme this year was the MCM Blogger Brunch, putting the spotlight on some of the authors in attendance. Organised by the always wonderful Jamie-Lee from Tor and Quick Books, the event packed a room full of bloggers and authors chatting about all things bookish geekery while enjoying brunchy goodness (and a stunning view over the water when taking a refreshing break on the balcony outside).
The room was set up in a series of roundtables, each seat with a jam-packed themed goodie bag, and the authors rotated between the tables every 10 minutes or so. During this time we had the chance to chat to so many wonderful writers, including Susan Dennard (Something Strange and Deadly, The Witchlands series), Zen Cho (Sorcerer to the Crown, The True Queen), RJ Barker (Wounded Kingdom trilogy), Ash Poston (Geekerella, The Princess and The Fangirl), and Kristina Pérez (Sweet Black Waves, The Tesla Legacy). I loved hearing from them about writing journeys, story inspirations, how book titles were chosen, and what's coming up next. My TBR has grown considerably, it's not even funny anymore.
And my MCM Comic Con experience didn't end there either. We were given passes to enjoy the rest of the convention as well, which was an absolute blast! Though I really ran out of time towards the end of the afternoon (I'd only browsed the stalls in one half of the building, completely missing the other half) so I definitely need to carve out a full weekend for a next visit. Other con highlights included attending the Misha Collins panel (yes, Castiel from Supernatural. Who was so friggin' hilarious especially when he was detailing his first impression of the show being 'two underwear models in a show that combines The Dukes of Hazzard with Buffy' LOL) and doing all of the shopping. I bought a bunch of Pokemon themed goodies, geek-mode fully activated.
On the journey back home (which was a long one, as the convention was in ExCel) i started reading one of the books from the goodie bag: Magic for Liars by Sarah Gailey, a detective murder mystery set in a magic school. And uhm... it was *so* good, I finished it already. It's not out until 1 July 2019 but man do I hope this isn't the last we hear from Ivy Gamble and The Osthorne Academy of Young Mages as I am craving more already.
Huge thanks to Jamie Lee and team for organising the wonderful brunch at MCM Comic, giving us bloggers a chance for one-to-one time with awesome authors – and enjoy the convention too ♥
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