SFF in Conversation is a new monthly feature on The Book Smugglers in which we invite guests to talk about a variety of topics important to speculative fiction fans, authors, and readers. Our vision is to create a safe (moderated) space for thoughtful conversation about the genre, with a special focus on inclusivity and diversity in SFF. Anyone can participate and we are welcoming emailed topic submissions from authors, bloggers, readers, and fans of all categories, age ranges, and subgenres beneath the speculative fiction umbrella. Today, we have the pleasure and the honour to host a round table with a group of fantasy novelists who all have novels recently published or out this month. Five incredible novelists, one awesome roundtable. Prepare to be amazed. Q: How is your novel informed by culture and/or history? Kate Elliott: All my novels are informed by culture and history, starting with my own personal cultural background and the culture and history of the places I grew up and have lived in. Everything I write is grown in that earth, as it were. It builds on the experiences and assumptions that are part of my psyche. Whatever I write has to pass through my mind […]