Workshops at AsylumFest 2025
Step beyond the veil and into the haunted halls of the Olivene High Security Ward, where creativity meets the macabre.
AsylumFest’s exclusive workshops offer a rare chance to learn from masters of horror and speculative fiction, guiding you through the eerie corridors of storytelling like never before.
Saturday, October 25th
New Science in Science Fiction
New Science developments of recent decades have forced Science Fiction writers – and, more generally, Speculative Fiction writers – to renovate older Science Fiction tropes and themes.
We note also the rise of the ‘Quantum Fiction’ genre in the 2nd half of the 20th century. This workshop will briefly introduce important Quantum Fiction renovations to five major science fiction story tropes and themes. Includes writing exercise.
Ian Irvine (Hobson)
Ian Irvine (Hobson) is a poet, lyricist-musician, fiction & nonfiction writer and writing teacher, with work published in many literary journals, including several Australian national anthologies.
Since 1999, Ian has taught in the Professional Writing and Editing program at Bendigo TAFE. He’s also taught at Victoria University and La Trobe University.
Sunday, October 26th
Character and Setting: Making your story live on the page
Join Amanda J Spedding and Kaaron Warren in one of the secluded areas of the asylum, where you'll spend time examining the setting, absorbing the atmosphere, listening to the ghostly voices, and building characters to bring your story to life.
Kaaron Warren
Kaaron Warren is a multi-award-winning writer based in Canberra, Australia. She’s sold over 200 short stories to publications big and small around the world, including Ellen Datlow’s Year’s Best. She was Guest of Honour at World Fantasy, Stokercon and Genrecon.
Her latest novel, The Underhistory, from Viper Books, was described in the Guardian as ‘a beautifully constructed, suspenseful gothic tale’.
Her other novels are Slights, Mistification, Walking the Tree, The Grief Hole and Tide of Stone. She has seven short story collections. Her writing podcast Let the Cat In showcases ideas, objects, and inspirations.