Sacred Feth! It’s that Time Again!

It’s almost become like a pilgrimage!

It’s the last weekend in September, and we’re bound for Birmingham.

This is my fifteenth GamesDay UK in a row, and goodness only knows how many the husband has attended... I’ve certainly lost count.

I’m pretty sure I’ve been to every single GamesDay UK since the inception of the Black Library, and if not, then I’ve certainly been to every one since the first novel was published.

It means I’ve been attending GamesDay UK since the last millennium. To some it means I’ve been attending GamesDay UK since before they were born. It means that Commissar Gaunt has been around for longer than they have, for goodness sake... Or should I say for Feth’s sake?

GamesDay UK is the only convention that I attend every year, come hell or high water. I was there last year, and I’ll be there next year, and every year that I’m invited to attend... Try stopping me turning up. In fact, the first year I’m not invited I’ll damned well want to know why.

The new classic edition of
First and Only
available at GDUK 2013

There is nothing quite like it. There is nothing quite like the war cry that goes up as the crowd surges into the room. There is nothing quite like the rush of excitement as the husband’s queue begins to form and then starts to snake off into the distance. There is nothing quite like the pleasure of seeing old friends and new acquaintances in that queue, and there’s nothing better than seeing the excitement in the eyes of the kid who’s just discovered the pleasures and indulgences of picking up the novels and stories associated with the Warhammer World and the 40K Universe.

There’s the family, too, the men and women that I’ve got to know over the years. There’s George and Rik, and Lindsey and Andy. There’s Eve and Rachel and Chris and Claudia. Nick will be there and Christian and Laurie and Graeme, and that’s before I even get started on the writing fraternity, in which, of course I include the women who also add their brain power and wordsmithery to the cause.

I should probably think of this as the husband’s gig. He’s contributed a vast stack of novels to the Black Library cannon, now running into the dozens, not to mention audiobooks, short stories, comics and the first ever graphic novel. I do feel as if I belong, though, even if my contribution has been small, and, for the most part, collaborative. 

It’s always a pleasure to work with the guys on the editorial team at Black Library who are some of the most enthusiastic and dedicated people in the publishing industry, and it’s more than a pleasure to work for the fans, who, however diehard, always seem to manage to take us imperfect souls to their hearts, one way or another.

I salute you all, and can’t wait to be back in your company in Birmingham tomorrow.

Bring it on!