Asylum Seekers

A year ago, when I discovered Mars on the Rise was going to be published, I started making plans for places I wanted to go and visit. One of them is the world famous Asylum. Held over a weekend in September (at an old asylum, which is where the event takes its name from), it welcomes Steampunks from across the world to take part in a series of events ranging from concerts, fashion shows, wacky races and, of course, wacky races. For one weekend, the historic city of Lincoln feels like a film set as people, dressed from head to foot in some of the wildest Steampunk outfits you'll ever see, wander the streets, take up residence in hotels and sit in cafes. It's not unusual to be stopped and asked what's going on. And, a lot of the people who wonder if they've stepped into an alternative reality, go on to some of the events.

I was lucky enough to get a trade table and it was an amazing experience! While the room was hot and stuffy (was most certainly not corset weather!), it was counteracted by the amount of people who stopped and chatted, picked up postcards or brought the book. People asked about the rainbow flag on the stall and one person was over the moon to find out that someone wrote LGBT Steampunk (that made my day!). One thing you'll see is people pulling together. I met many people who helped make my weekend go a lot smoother. And, in the spirit of the event, I helped others. It's about being splendid, treating each other right and passing on the love and happiness. The Asylum wouldn't happen without the dedication of the volunteers, staff and organisers. It's an amazing event and 2013 is already eagerly anticipated!

If you want to find out more about the Asylum, and see some of the wonderful photos, please go to: Welcome to the Asylum

** If you're visiting this blog thanks to the Asylum, feel free to leave a comment or your Facebook link. Feel free to link us in to your photos and experiences. You don't have to log in or sign up; the blog accepts anonymous comments. Thank you for making the Asylum an amazing event! **