Ancient Futures with Fonda Lee, Soraya Bouazzaoui & A. S. Tamaki

Join us for an evening panel with three fantastic SFF voices—acclaimed author Fonda Lee and debut novelists Soraya Bouazzaoui and A. S. Tamaki—as they introduce worlds shaped by ancient myth, fragile alliances and the dangerous dance of power.
THE LAST CONTRACT OF ISAKO is the searing new science fiction epic from Fonda Lee, author of the World Fantasty Award-winning Jade City. One battleworn samurai's final mission thrusts her deep into a world of corporate espionage, dark secrets and tarnished honour. There, she will uncover a conspiracy that could upend society on an isolated colony planet.
AICHA is a Soraya Bouazzaoui's fierce debut - a devastatingly powerful romantic epic fantasy retelling of the Moroccan myth, Aicha Kandicha. When the Portuguese invade Morocco and Aicha witnesses the slaughter of her loved ones, the monster within her is unleashed, making her a creature of rage and vengeance.
A. S. Tamaki's debut, THE BOOK OF FALLEN LEAVES, is a fantasy retelling of an ancient samurai saga, The Tale of the Heike, which in turn was based on historic events. Following an exiled prince, the peasant girl who saved his life and an empire in chaos, this is an emotionally-charged tale of love, loss and vengeance, set against a vivid backdrop of political intrigue and civil war.
The trio will be chatting to Eliza Chan, author of the Drowned World duology and the soon to be released HARBOUR OF HUNGRY GHOSTS, and answering audience questions, followed by a signing. Doors at 6pm.

About the authors

FONDA LEE is an award-winning, New York Times bestselling fantasy and science fiction author. Her modern epic, the Green Bone Saga, has been translated into fifteen languages and named one of Time magazine's 100 Best Fantasy Books of All Time. She is also the author of the novella Untethered Sky and several young adult novels: Zeroboxer, the Exo duology, and, cowritten with Shannon Lee, the Breathmarked duology. Fonda is a winner of the World Fantasy Award and the Locus Award, as well as a six-time winner of the Aurora Award and a finalist for the Nebula Award and the Hugo Award. A former corporate strategist and black belt martial artist, she hails from Canada and the Pacific Northwest and currently resides in New England. The Last Contract of Isako is Lee's first forray into adult science fiction.

SORAYA BOUAZZAOUI is a born and bred Londoner with a day job in book editing. She has written for publications like Stylist, Bad Form, Metro and Aurelia. Aicha is her debut novel.

A. S. TAMAKI grew up in Los Angeles, where he spent his childhood climbing trees and making short films in his backyard. After working in Hollywood for several years, he now lives in the Pacific Northwest, and when he's not writing, spends his time routesetting at local climbing gyms. The Book of Fallen Leaves is his first novel.

ELIZA CHAN is a Scottish-born speculative fiction author who writes about East Asian mythology, British folklore and reclaiming the dragon lady. Her debut fantasy novel Fathomfolk, published in 2024, was an instant Sunday Times bestseller. Tideborn completed the duology in 2025. Her next novel, Harbour of Hungry Ghosts, a historical fantasy set in mid-Opium War era Hong Kong, is forthcoming in July 2026. She lives in Manchester with her family and dragon collection.

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