Richard Sparks, whose 'Schoolmaster' sketch was Rowan Atkinson's big break, will be at the World Fantasy Convention in Brighton between Thursday, October 30 and Sunday, November 2. The sketch, written by Mr Sparks in 1978, was Atkinson's big break, and was voted number one in a list of his best work by The Guardian. Recalling the moment, Mr Sparks said: "I wrote it one morning with a hangover in 1978. At the end of October, Mr Sparks' second fantasy novel New Rock New Rules will be launched at the convention. His debut novel in the New Rock series, published in 2023, was highly praised and featured by the Sunday Express, Times Radio, GB News, BBC Radio London and the Daily Star.