World Fantasy Convention (WFC) is an annual gathering to celebrate Fantasy & Horror. It brings together professionals working within the genres, particularly within the fields of literature and art. 2025’s event also includes Fantasycon, the UK’s annual fantasy and horror convention run by the British Fantasy Society.
Both welcome authors, editors, artists, poets, publishers, agents, critics, reviewers and bloggers, academics, script and games writers, podcasters and readers. Anyone who is involved in the industry and all those who love fantasy and horror are welcome.
This event will include the award ceremonies for both the British Fantasy Awards on Saturday evening and the World Fantasy Awards, which will take place Sunday afternoon, following the World Fantasy Banquet.
This page forms part of the World Fantasy Convention 2025’s Terms and Conditions.
When: WFC is a four-day event running from Thursday 30th October to Sunday 2nd November. There will be some trips and online activities available on Wednesday 29th October and Monday 3rd October.
Where: Brighton, East Sussex, on the southern coast of England. See hotel page for more info.
Guests: (see Guests page for more info)
The Themes of the Convention:
Lyrical Fantasy and 50 Years of British Fantasy and Horror. See our Themes Page for more information.
Attending Membership:
This includes entrance to the convention, including the Art Show and Dealers’ Room, all panels and readings, both physical and on-line, book launches and other activities, including the presentation of both the World Fantasy and British Fantasy Awards. The World Fantasy Convention Banquet is a separate ticketed event, which should be purchased in advance, these are available in the shop. Members receive a souvenir book, a book bag and a number of books and ebooks donated by mainstream, independent and small press publishers. You are entitled to vote in both the British and World Fantasy Awards. The price of attending membership will be increasing over time, so we recommend you book early. Child Memberships do not get voting rights. You can book your membership via the joining page.
Activities:
There will be a wide selection of panels, talks, presentations, author readings and workshops taking place over the four-day convention. The full schedule will be published on our website about a month before the event itself. The Dealers’ Room will offer new, second-hand and antiquarian books, magazines and comics, while the Art Show will have art and prints for sale as well as to view.
There will be a private bar for convention attendees, offering food and drink, as well as providing a comfortable area for meeting and socialising. There will be receptions and social events as well, including the Mass Autograph session and the Art Reception. There will be complimentary refreshments served at these events. The full programme will be available about a month before the event.
The Banquet:
The World Fantasy Awards Banquet takes place on Sunday afternoon, and will be followed by the presentation of the World Fantasy Awards. While you don’t need to attend the Banquet, for the Awards Ceremony is open to all, it is a lovely way to celebrate the end of the convention. Ticket for the Banquet are available from our shop.
Online Membership:
Online membership includes selected recorded or streamed content from the event, including talks, workshops and panels. We aim to have some online only content and a social area to allow discussions and networking. Both the British Fantasy Awards and the World Fantasy Awards will be streamed online. We will post a souvenir book out to you if you would like it or you can receive it as a pdf. You can fill out the details in the member area to take part in online panels, talks and workshops. Some of these may be recorded in advance. You will receive access to the virtual book bag of any donated ebooks. Online content will be available until the end of November 2025. You also get the ability to vote in both the British and World Fantasy Awards.
Supporting Membership:
As well as the right to vote in both the World Fantasy and British Fantasy Awards, you will receive the souvenir convention book (via post or pdf) and bag, if you would like them, and the ebooks which form part of the book bag.
Children:
Children are welcome. However, there is no child-focused content, and nor is there child-care available. Children under 16 must be accompanied and supervised by an adult member at all times, even if they are in a panel, reading or other event; those adults will be held responsible for their behaviour at the event. Our volunteers cannot look after your children for you. We offer a £50 discount for those age 16 and under (use code CHILD50). Child memberships do not include voting rights.
Please ensure your name and mobile number are on the back of your child’s badge, so if they lose you, we can help.
Day Tickets:
We don’t sell day tickets in advance of the event. The convention has a limited number of memberships available; only if there are still places available at the start of the convention will day tickets be made available. We recommend that you buy the full event membership and fully immerse yourself in the event.
Dealer’s Tables:
Please fill out the Dealers’ Form to get approval for a Dealers table as there are WFC rules about what type of trader is allowed. Booksellers, publishers, independent and small presses are very welcome. Once approved, you can purchase a dealer’s membership (one attendee and 1 table per membership, with a maximum of 2 dealer’s memberships per company/imprint) via the Joining Page. If you have more staff members, they will need regular attending memberships. There will be a waiting list for extra tables, which will be allocated as space permits. Any questions, please email dealers@WorldFantasy2025.co.uk
We invite attending authors to put one or two titles for sale on the convention table. There will be a charge for this, and commission on any sales. This is available via our shop.
Art Show:
The Art Show will be juried by the Art Show Team. To be accepted, the subject matter must be fantasy or horror and of professional standard. Both two-dimensional and three-dimensional art, fine hand-made jewellery and prints can included. Jewellery must be unique, not mass-produced, and must contain more than 50% unique material if mass-produced components are included. Digital art should be created as closely to an original as possible, such as a print-once-and-destroy-file or printed once at a high resolution at a large size for display.
Please note: AI-generated art will not be accepted and any person submitting AI-generated art will have all of their work removed from the Art Show. Attempting to deceive the team will be treated as a Code of Conduct violation. If you have used AI or similar tools in your work and you would like further clarification (e.g. you have used a ethical process or are not sure if your tools are counted as AI) please do get in touch.
To take part please fill out the Art Show form. Any questions, please email artshow@WorldFantasy2025.co.uk
Programme Participant:
If you select “participant” in the “edit profile” tab the programme questionnaire will be available for you to fill in and submit. This will allow you to let us know if you would like to be on a panel, give a talk, reading or workshop, and to suggest panel topics. Places are limited and not everyone who requests a panel or discussion will be able to be accommodated. We are particularly interested in content suggestions that fit our twin Themes.
There is no reimbursement of membership fees, even if attendees are involved in the programme.
Award Nomination:
Nominees attending the convention will need convention membership and, if you are planning to attend the Banquet, a banquet ticket. However, we will allow you to purchase day tickets for those able to come only for the day.
Award nominees will also be offered free online attendance for the appropriate Awards ceremony. This is not full membership of the convention and does not include voting rights or attendance of other panels, readings, etc.
Discounts:
There is a £10 discount on full membership for members of the British Fantasy Society. (use code BFSMEMBER10). Students (full-time) and unwaged receive a £25 discount (use code STUDENT25). Under-16s will get a £50 discount (use code CHILD50). If you are both a student and a BFS member then there is a combined £35 discount (use code STUDENT35). Children under 5 do not need a ticket to attend.
Proof may be required to demonstrate qualification for the discounts. British Fantasy Society membership will be checked. Attempting to deceive the team by entering a discount code that you are not entitled to will be treated as a Code of Conduct violation and any difference will need to be paid.
Bursary (Scholarship):
We also have a Bursary (Scholarship) Fund to supplement the cost of attending the World Fantasy Convention for those who would not otherwise be able to attend. There is a form to apply and we will consider applications just before each membership rate rise, so if you are not successful you can still purchase a membership at that rate. We are particularly keen to hear from people from under represented communities. The number and value of Bursary awards will depend on donations received.
Anyone, individuals and organisations, who wish to donate to the Bursary scheme, can do so via the website shop. Alternatively you can email us enquiries@WorldFantasy2025.co.uk to arrange a different payment method. All donations, however large or small are very appreciated.
The Event:
Wednesday – Online activities and some social activities.
Thursday – Registration, the Dealers’ Room and Art Show will open in the afternoon. Panels and readings will start from mid/late afternoon. There will be an opening ceremony and a social event in the evening.
Friday – Registration, the Dealers’ Room and Art Show will be open. Panels and readings will take place during the day (from 10 a.m.). The Mass Autograph session will take place in the evening.
Saturday – Registration, the Dealers’ Room and Art Show will be open. Panels and readings will take place during the day from 10 a.m. There will be an Art Reception. The British Fantasy Awards take place in the evening.
Sunday – Registration, the Dealers’ Room and Art Show will be open. Panels and Readings will take place during the morning (from 10 a.m. The Meeting of the Board of the World Fantasy Convention and the British Fantasy Society AGM will take place in the morning. The World Fantasy Banquet will take place in the early afternoon, followed by the World Fantasy Awards. The in-person event will finish by 6 p.m.
Monday – There may be online content and social activities.
A detailed programme will be released about a month before the event.
Mass Autograph Session:
Every author, editor or artist is eligible to sign at the Mass Autograph Session. Please do let us know via the members-only section of the website if you would like a seat.
Con-Suite / Hospitality
Many American conventions have a Con-suite or Hospitality Suite, where the convention team cook and serve food for convention goers. Sadly this is not the usual practice in Europe and hotels in the UK specifically ban bringing food into the event. For those staying at the hotel, breakfast is included with the convention rate. Hotels nearby also offer breakfast. We will have food available to purchase in the function room area all day.
Volunteering:
Our team of volunteers, the Redcloaks, can be identified when on duty by their red high-vis vests. You can apply to be on the team, but priority will be given to those who have volunteered for past Fantasycons or HWS events. To let us know you are interested please email enquiries@worldfantasy2025.co.uk
There will be a number of exceptionally busy periods during the event when we will need people to help out for short periods. This includes setting up the Art Show and packing book bags at, or before, the start of the event. Please do come and offer help if you are willing and available.
Please be respectful to and about our Redcloaks and HWS Volunteer crew. They have given up their time to make this an enjoyable convention. If you are rude or unpleasant to our Redcloaks and volunteer crew it will be treated as a Code of Conduct violation.
Photographs or Video:
If you wish to take a photo or video of an individual, please ask for consent before doing so. Not everyone is happy to be photographed, so not asking may be considered a breach of the Code of Conduct.
You may photograph programme items, unless otherwise stated, but must remove pictures from the internet if requested.
If you wish to photograph a child (16 and under), then consent must be granted by the parent/guardian as well as the child themself. Please do not post anything featuring children on the internet without consent from the parent/guardian. You should not post any names or contact details without written consent from a parent/guardian.
Taking photographs of general crowd scenes, panels and talks is fine, but if you post these to the internet and someone in the photo asks for it to be removed, please do so immediately.
Any official photographers at the event will be clearly identified as such. If you do not wish your photograph to be used for publicity purposes, please let us know. If you see an official photo online that you are in and do not want displayed, please contact us to get it removed.
Recordings:
We will be recording various of the events, including podcasts, panels and audio recordings, which is intended to be broadcast via the internet to convention members. It is not intended to record private conversations, but any loud comments, questions asked or noise close to microphones (which will not be hidden) may be recorded and broadcast. Please assume the content of any talk / panels / Q&As are being recorded. By taking part in these sessions or making recordable noise you are giving consent to the recording and simultaneous or subsequent broadcast.
Policies:
Code of Conduct: Can be found here. This must be followed by everyone.
Accessibility Policy: Can be found here.
Data/Privacy Policy: Can be found here.
Refund Policy:
Any cancellations/refund requests will be charged a £10 admin/booking fee. Cancellations after September 15th 2025 may not be refunded. We will not issue refunds in the week of the convention itself except in exceptional circumstance.
Any merchandise sold will be delivered at the event itself, these will not be posted to you. If we sell any clothing and the ordered size does not fit, we will exchange the item if we have the preferred size in stock. We are ordering merchandise to meet the orders to avoid waste, so it may not be possible to exchange. Please check the measurements provided to avoid this.
We do not offer refunds on Bursary donations.
Organisers & Partners
HWS:
HWS is the organiser of the event, with support from other lovely people. HWS is an organisation that specialises in running different types of hobby events for fans of fantasy, horror and science fiction. The members of HWS take no payment for their time and all events are run with the assistance of volunteers.
The Board of the World Fantasy Convention:
The Board awards the upcoming World Fantasy Conventions after presentation of bids, and offers guidance and support throughout the run-up and event. Membership of the Board is composed of permanent members, chairpersons of the upcoming, present and past two conventions, and the Administrators of the World Fantasy Awards.
The British Fantasy Society:
The BFS was formed more than fifty years ago for the promotion of excellence within the fantasy/horror genres across the UK. It also runs Fantasycon, an annual convention dedicated to fantasy and horror. Over the years, many national and international writers, artists, editors and publishers have been members and organisers of the BFS and Fantasycon.