BFS Panel: Write for the Fight
Delighted to be joining some suitably scrappy SFF cohorts for a BFS Online event, Write for the Fight, on Wednesday 3rd September 2025, 7pm (BST).
Many of you probably know that I did more than a decade in Dark Age and Medieval re-enactment, running round muddy fields, occasional beaches and lots of castle grounds, and walloping my mates with a joyous assortment of cutlery. But, has this helped me write about it? Does the experience of being on a battlefield actually help you break it down, describe it and bring it to life, for someone reading a book?
For this mighty undertaking, I’ll be joined by siblings-in-arms Amy de la Force and Andy Wilkinson, chaired by Stewart Hotston.
Amy de la Force (she/her): Amy’s the debut author of A Kiss of Hammer and Flame, Book 1 in the Fated For Hael fantasy romance. She’s an Aussie expat living in London, and used to train in Shaolin kung fu and medieval sword fighting.
Andy Wilkinson (he/him): Andy’s appeared on screen in films such as Henry V and Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, often training other performers in swordplay. He’s co-writer, choreographer and director of Golden Swords, and was the coach and fight director the first – and only – time the British Academy of Fencing won the World Artistic Fencing Championships.
Stewart Hotston (he/him): Stewart’s written several novels, with Project Hanuman out this November plus as three more on the way. He’s treasurer for the BFS and a Councillor for the BSFA. A lifelong role-player and LARPer he’s also a happy long-distance runner with a PhD in theoretical physics.
Reading: The Bone Raiders, by Jackson Ford (who may or may not be Rob Boffard, if you listen to the rumours). It’s exactly the sort of rollicking fantasy that I love, and the perfect antidote to too much cozy, or romantasy, or all those cutesy little shops that sell gingerbread dragons or whatever the fuck they do. I like my dragons full-sized and fire-breathing, thank you, so bring on the adventure!
Watching: Isaac and I have returned to Gotham, a series we really enjoyed. Both Robin Lord Taylor and Corey Michael Smith are stunning in their respective roles, Jada Pinkett Smith is so brutal and beautiful that she takes your breath away, and Sean Pertwee is the Alfred we all need. In fairness, though, there’s not a weak link in the bunch (tho’ it does go a bit screwy by season four), so if you’ve never watched it, go do the thing.
Gaming: New character for Al-Qadim now statted, and I’m playing a mage (a water-mage, in fact) for what I think is the first time ever. I tend to play fighters or rogues, more physical characters, if you like, so the idea of starting out with four hit points is a bit alarming.
And a footnote: YouTube, bless their cotton socks, rolled out a new AI thing last week, and my son lost his channel, all his hits and followers, the whole shebang. He still has his videos – all his really cool fan-edits – and has started uploading them again, so please go give him a follow @wearerofthecheese.