Of course the programme itself (to revert to British orthography) is still a long way from being finalised, although inevitably it will feature amongst other wonders Iain Banks, Ken Macleod, Storm Constantine, and Paul Cornell.

As of now, however, we’re delighted to announce that NewCon4 will be compèred by none other than the official Town Jester of Northampton, Kevin Burke, who did likewise to great acclaim for NewCon3, and who has entertained Richard Branson, Warwick Castle, BT, and Ironbridge Museums amongst other corporate clients. See Kevin on his site (www.kevinburke.co.uk) teaching the Countess of Wessex to perform with a diabolo. You may have a chance to lie on a bed of nails between panels. (The panels are the talking parts of our programme, we hasten to add, not adjuncts to the bed of nails.)