We wish it weren’t true — but it is. Bloc’s leading purveyor of fish and filth is departing these shores for the South of France.

He will of course carry on the revolution from the sunny porch outside his rural farmhouse. As he sips vintage wine and samples fine cheeses, his thoughts will never be far from the people’s glorious struggle in rain-lashed Auld Reekie.

Stef will remain involved with Writers’ Bloc in every way he can, but we do expect the profanity percentage in our shows to take a significant dip.

Come to Stef’s last show for a while on Tuesday 24th as part of the Unbound programme at the Edinburgh International Book Festival, Charlotte Square. It runs 9pm-11.15pm and entry is FREE.

We’re pure-mad excited over here at the Bloc Command Bunker. The next show is in the offing and it’s set to be the mutt’s proverbials. Planet of the Apps will be about all things techy, social media, webby, and with buttons that are just too small. Expect new stories about: next-generation Nigerian 409 scams; burlesque-themed alien abductions; stalkings via social media; park keepers dealing with digital debris; and a steamy extension to the Dewey Decimal System, all performed with our trademark energy and verve.

Planet of the Apps takes place at the Ghillie Dhu, 2-6 Rutland Place, Edinburgh EH1 2AD, on Wednesday 21st July from 8pm. Admission is an affordable £4 (£2 concessions).

We’re trying something new too! We plan to have a live twitter feed during the show and we want you to get involved. As well as your general Bloc chat, we want you to submit twitter short stories leading up to and even during the show. The best story will receive a prize (more about that soon) and we’ll publish our favourites on the Bloc site.

Even more fun than that, we’re handing creative control to you, our beloved audience. As you may know, the titles for Bloc shows are rigorously researched months in advance, and much care and deliberation goes into the choice of theme and title…… honest.

Anyway, we want you guys to submit your ideas for themes and or titles for the show following our signature Halloween show. We’ll let you vote on the night for the best title/theme and we’ll make that the focus of our post-Halloween show. You have been warned.

You can follow us on twitter as Writers_Bloc_UK and use the hashtag #blocshow for all your tweets.

‘App killed App! App killed App!’

It’s Perestroika time at Bloc! Out are the 5 year plans and ill-fitting overalls – mostly. We now have a twitter account so you can follow all our exciting literary goings on. Expect micro stories, news, updates, events, musings, rambling, and general waffle. Follow us on Writers_Bloc_UK Forward comrades!

When it looked like Ken MacLeod’s next book, The Restoration Game, would be published in March rather than in July, Blackwell’s on South Bridge very kindly and cannily offered to host a launch party at (6:30 for) 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday 17 March at the nearby Pleasance Theatre. We’ll have to wait another four months to see the novel, but the event is still on — and you’re invited.

It will now consist of readings followed by discussion with Ken, and Writers’ Bloc personnel Charles Stross and Andrew J. Wilson. Ken’s own reading will be from The Restoration Game, and anyone pre-ordering at the event will get an early copy (signed, if you like). Charlie may well be reading from his novel-in-progress, Rule 34, and Andrew will offer a short story.

This event is ticketed, but all tickets are FREE. Tickets are available from the front desk at Blackwell Bookshop, 53-59 South Bridge, Edinburgh, EH1 1YS. For more information or to reserve tickets, please contact Ann Landmann on 0131 622 8206 or
events.edinburgh@blackwell.co.uk

The Restoration Game has been briefly and favourably reviewed in The Guardian [www.guardian.co.uk]:

As ever, MacLeod’s grasp of political intrigue is first rate, and in Lucy he’s created a complex heroine forever in doubt as to the true nature of events.

Hope you can make it,

Writers’ Bloc.
—
www.writers-bloc.org.uk