Supanova!

I’ve had a hectic – but rewarding – time lately. It’s been Supanova season and I was chuffed to be asked to be part of the program in Melbourne and the Gold Coast. I visited Supanova last year and I loved the mad whirl of creativity and playfulness that was on display. This year was the same, but more so, particularly as I was able to get a glimpse of the vast enterprise that lies behind the scenes.

It’s the crowd of excited visitors that make a show like Supanova what it is. They make the days a riotous panoply of wonder with their ingenious and dazzling costuming skills. Sitting on the author signing stand with people like Richard Harland, Brandon Sanderson, Kylie Chan, Keri Arthur, Trent Jamieson, Alison Croggon, Bevan McGuiness, Marc McBride and Ian Irvine, I was able to take in the passing parade of glory.

I love the Supanova crowd. Genre people are among the most accepting, most tolerant and most fun of them all. In the hurly-burly there was a remarkable feeling of goodwill and jollity, even as the long days drew to a close. If more of that spirit was out there in the world, it would be a better place.

I was lucky enough to meet dozens of happy readers. It’s humbling to hear about how much they enjoyed my books. Some brought battered copies of my early works for me to sign, and I saw the appreciation in every dog-eared page and every crease on the binding. And a special thank you to Korbinnian. Her gorgeous sketches showed how well she knew Aubrey, George and Caroline and I think she deserves to be in charge of Art Direction and Costuming if ever a movie is made of the Laws of Magic series. Many thanks to Dot and Sarana from Random House for all their efforts, too, on the Random House stand. In Melbourne, we were joined by Ben Chandler, Deb Abela, Sue Bursztynski and Nansi Kunze, who added their special extraordinariness to the occasion.

Being part of the program meant that I was able to meet people like Will Wheaton, Edward James Olmos, Morena Baccarin, Rainbow Sun Francks, Jaimie Alexander, Janet Fielding, Richard Horvitz, and Tom Taylor. Friendly, funny, welcoming and charming, without exception.

I have to thank the serene and organised Ineke Prochazka who was in charge of the books and authors program. She was tirelessly supportive and encouraging, as were her crew (Bob and Emma in particular).

Supanova is a head-spinning experience, but one well worth participating in. Look out for it next time around, wherever you live.