Belief

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It’s one of the few topics that can polarise a population: do you proselytise, or do you run from any hint of religious discussion? But belief is not just about which sky captain you think is better than others; it’s about the reasons we do what we do, why we blindly follow others—and why we don’t follow at all. What can belief make us humans do?

Join us at Writing the Occult where we venture into forbidden territory. Yes, we’re going to talk about beliefs. What’s it like to live in a cult? Why do people get swept away by charismatic leaders? Where do conspiracy theories come from? And what makes humans believe in the first place? Let’s ask if the truth really is out there.

Speakers and full schedule to come.

• Still to come ⬇️

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Your peripheral vision is always filled with something you’re not quite sure you really saw. The human that stands where an animal was a second ago. The creature that’s really far too hairy to be human but looks like it should be. The stuff of legends and nightmares. These are the creatures that walk, fly, crawl, and appear among us. But what are they really?
Join us at Writing the Occult in November where we’ll peer into the murky world of creatures and cryptids. We’re not just seeking Bigfoot or Nessie or Mothman here; we’re searching the back countries for those undiscovered entities that might just be real. Plus, we’ll look at the creatures of folklore and mythology that have cast a spell over us all—what could be the next hot new take on the werewolf, the shapeshifter, the troll, the centaur… Let’s discover what’s really out there.

Speakers and full schedule to come.

Writing the Occult is a boutique series of events brought to you by the Society of Ink Slingers, in partnership with Alex Davis Events. Our approach is to bring together the fiction world with folklore and academia to bring a well-rounded view to a specific area of interest to both speculative fiction writers and those with a hankering for the esoteric.
Follow @societyofinkslingers on Instagram for announcements.

© Society of Ink Slingers, 2024. All rights reserved.

• Previously, on Writing the Occult...

Writing the Occult: Relics
10 May 2025
Featuring: Cat Irving, John J Johnston, Ally Wilkes, Rebecca Stone Gordon, Steve Toase, John Buglass, and Jon Dear.

Writing the Occult: The Uncanny
18 January 2025
Featuring: Dr Elizabeth Dearnley, Zebib K. Abraham, E. Saxey, Dr Vicky Brewster, Dr Steph Lay, and Chris Hawton

Writing the Occult: Hauntology
30 November 2024
Featuring: Evelyn Hollow, Professor Robert Edgar, Adam S. Leslie, Dr Icy Sedgwick, Lindz McLeod, TC Parker, Mina Ikemoto Ghosh, and Robert P. Ottone.

Writing the Occult: Connection to Land
15 June 2024
Featuring: Ally Wilkes, Eve Smith, Caroline Wise, Dr Kevan Manwaring, Tiffany Morris, Xan van Rooyen, Akintoba Kalejaye, Penny Billington, Kerry Hadley-Price, Lindz McLeod, Shona Kinsella, Renan Bernardo, Paul Hardisty, Lisa Brideau, and Lindsey Trout Hughes

Writing the Occult: The Fae
6 April 2024
Featuring: Dr Elizabeth Dearnley, Gabriela Houston, Mark Norman, Morgan Daimler, Villimey Mist, Yvette Tan, Somto Ihezue, Avra Margariti, Yve Chairez, Khaya Maseko, Tanya Akrofi, Chinelo Onwualu, Komal Salman, and Xueting C. Ni

Writing the Occult: Ritual
27 January 2024
Featuring: Tracy Fahey, Dr Adam Scovell, Lee Murray, Eden Royce, Dr Helen Frisby, LMK Sheppard, Robert P. Ottone, Stephanie Ellis, Kev Harrison, Lindsey Trout Hughes

Writing the Occult: Vampires
28 October 2023
Featuring: Jewelle Gomez, Deborah Hyde, Dr Sam George, Scott J Moses, Beverley Lee, Nicole Eigener, Katalina Watt, Dawn Kurtagich, A.W. Earl, Erica Robert Pallo, A.R. James, Rebecca Wojturska

Writing the Occult: Witches
12 August 2023
Featuring: Alice Tarbuck, Claire Askew, Stacey Thomas, Chelsey Pippin Mizzi, Tiffani Angus, and Lauren McMenemy