Sheffield Fantasy & Science Fiction Social Club/BFS/BSFA
A new type of evening/pubmeet event that focuses purely on books. Author readings tend to be quite short followed by a Q&A and there is of course, food, drink and booze, too (not included!). In line with the high standards set by the Super Relaxed Fantasy Club (SRFC), we ensure everybody gets an opportunity to introduce themselves, it doesn’t matter if you’re a bookseller, editor, agent, published author, fledgling author, passionate reader, or veteran reviewer. Everyone is welcome and no one is more important than anyone else. United by a love of the fantastic, the weird, the speculative, the horrific, and the spooky, everyone gets to say ‘Hi’ and feel part of the gang.
Established in 1971, the has been a focal point for fans, writers, publishers, artists and everyone and anyone with a love of fantasy or horror in all its forms. Members are part of a society that is run by enthusiasts for enthusiasts, and includes an exclusive BFS Journal 2-3 times a year, a number of special publications and anthologies, and free entry to the annual BFS Short Story competition, as well as access to specialist writing workshops.
The British Science Fiction Association (BSFA) has been established and run by an unofficial national body of readers, authors, booksellers and publishers since 1958 -- many famous authors, critics and editors have been (and still are) members of the BSFA. Committed to putting fans in touch with like-minded people across the country and encouraging new writers of speculative fiction in all its forms, membership includes regular copies of Vector and FOCUS magazines (the latter aimed at writers of all levels) as well as access to 'Orbiters': a variety of online clustered writing groups regularly exchanging work and critiques thereof.
"I love being a part of the BSFA - I've always been a devourer of books and being part of this association has enabled me to explore some great science fiction classics - and classics of the future that I might otherwise have not heard about. I've met some lovely people with an enthusiasm for the genre, made firm friends, and got to meet some of my favourite writers, too! As a writer, I also have to say that FOCUS is the best magazine for writers I've ever come across - and as a member I get that for free. Who wouldn't want to be a part of this?"
This Sheffield variant of the Pubmeets has been created for the BSFA & BFS by Sara Smith, & Steven Poore (collectively, SFSFSocial).