The David Gemmell Legend Awards 2012

On Friday night, while half the country were watching England get lucky against Sweden, I was fortunate enough to attend The David Gemmell Legend Awards at the Magic Circle in London.

Jared Shurin (of Pandemonium Fiction) checking out the night's auction lots.

The Magic Circle's very own magic circle.

Magic through the ages.

David Devant - first President of the Magic Circle. 

Following a drinks reception - in what has to be the most incredible venue I've ever been to, and at which there were very many familiar faces - everyone made their way upstairs to the theatre for the awards ceremony itself. After the auction (which helps to fund the Legend Awards), and an update on the football from renowned horror editor Stephen Jones (who was actually there to talk about World FantasyCon 2013), we moved onto the actual awards themselves.

In case you didn't know already (and apparently some people in Internetland knew before those of us who attended the actual awards) the winners were as follows:

Ravenheart Award (Best Cover Art)

Raymond Swanland - Blood of Aenarion

Morningstar Award (Best Debut)

Helen Lowe - Heir of Night

Legend Award (Best Fantasy Novel)

Patrick Rothfuss - The Wiseman's Fear

I must confess I was there, in part, to support the Black Library team, especially William King. However, I've also met Joe Abercrombie and have great respect for his work. It's a shame one of them didn't win the Legend Award for Best Fantasy Novel... I really feel that those nominees who actually turn up deserve some extra credits for making the effort!

The name's King... William King.

Mr and Mrs Joe Abercrombie.

Anyway, after the awards it was back to the Magic Museum for more drinks and some nibbles too, and plenty of socialising with a very entertaining crowd. Highlights for me included having a good old chin-wag with Bill King, meeting BL editor Graeme Lyon, catching up with Jenni Hill, Anne Perry and Jared Shurin, chatting with Tom Pollock about the very cool ideas he's putting into his next novel (that's a cross between Alice Through the Looking Glass and 1984), and meeting Marc and Paul from Fantasy Faction - especially as Marc told me he must have played Theme Park Panic about 200 times as a child!

Marc Aplin and Paul Wiseall of Fantasy Faction.

(Sonic fan and Turtles fan, respectively.)

Den Patrick and Sarah Pinborough - and there's David Devant again, looking on, with eyebrow raised.

Anne Perry and Jenni Hill - both of whom have had the dubious pleasure of editing my work.

Of course, as always, there were a lot more people I should have spoken to but didn't really get a chance to. If you were one of them, I apologise. Maybe next time.

Having said my goodbyes a number of us then moved on to the bar at a local hotel, only for me to bump into everyone I'd just said goodbye to again.

Paul Kane and Marie O'Regan - horror's happiest couple.

And we end with a caption competition. What is top author Sarah Pinborough saying to top editor Gillian Redfearn?