Category Archives: Fan Funds

Chicon 8 Fan Fund Activities Final Tally

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Fan Fund activities at Chicon 8 brought in a total of $4,649.64 reports Geri Sullivan, a past administrator of the Trans-Atlantic Fan Fund.

Fan funds enable a well-known fan to attend a major science fiction convention in another country or region.

The Live Auction brought in $2,160 with fans bidding on flash fiction by Michael Swanwick, dill chips from TAFF delegate Fia Karlsson, a hand-beaded/hand-knit lace shawl from Esther MacCallum-Stewart, and an original poem by Jane Yolen as well as one by Jo Walton. Also going under the hammer were Tuckerizations by Mary Robinette Kowal, Cat Valente, and Steven Barnes in collaboration with Larry Niven.

OTHER ACTIVITIES

$1,432.64 Dublin/Glasgow suite (Comic & book sales, bar tips, & Tammy’s Tastings Ukraine); with thanks to CoNZealand
$   303.00 Yard Sale
$   584.00 Silent Auction
$   170.00 Other donations ($2 given to Lynelle, DUFF 50th Party, Jeanne Mealy, Comic sales to Greg Ketter)

Geri Sullivan says: “Not only did we do remarkably well overall, 31% of the proceeds came from the utterly splendid support of the Dublin/Glasgow suite. A healthy but undetermined amount of that came from the sale of a box of Ben Yalow’s comics and copies of Mad Magazine from the 1960s-1980s while several hundred dollars clearly came from the tip jar and Tammy’s Tastings Ukraine cocktail event. Huge thanks to James Bacon for carrying on and expanding the support started at DisCon III, and to CoNZealand as well as Dublin and Glasgow. Those daily great big, gronking wads of money were amazing!”

The distributions to participating fan funds worked out to:

$1,132.66 Trans-Atlantic Fan Fund
$1,245.39 Down Under Fan Fund
$1,086.62 GUFF (Get Up-and-over Fan Fund or the Going Under Fan Fund)
$1,172.95 FFANZ (Fan Fund of Australia and New Zealand)
$12.02 PayPal Fees

Travel Back to 1957 in Hansen’s History of the First UK Worldcon

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The cover photo shows the three Hugo Awards that were presented, held by E.J. (Ted) Carnell, editor of New Worlds (best British prozine), John W. Campbell Jr, editor of Astounding (best American prozine), and John Victor Peterson representing Science-Fiction Times (best fanzine, formerly Fantasy Times).

You know that phrase “putting the world in Worldcon”? The first step toward that utopian goal was the London Worldcon of 1957. You can learn all about the con and the kerfuffles in Rob Hansen’s 1957: The First UK Worldcon, the latest addition to TAFF’s library of free downloads. 

The 65,000-word book, compiled from contemporaneous participants’ own words, is available in multiple formats at the Trans-Atlantic Fan Fund’s website, where they also hope you’ll make a little donation to the fund. Find it here.

From Rob Hansen’s Foreword

So why the 1957 Worldcon? Because it was a singularly significant and important event in the history of fandom. Not only was it the first Worldcon to be held outside North America, it was in many ways the first true world convention, pulling in as it did fans from more countries than had ever attended a single convention before. It was also the first time that UK and US fans met en masse. Yes, a handful of US and Canadian fans had been posted to the UK while serving in their armed forces during WW2, contacting local fans while over here, but these meetings had been individual and sporadic. And in terms of legacy, LONCON started the tradition of there being a British Worldcon once every calendar decade (1957, 1965, 1979, 1987, 1995, 2005, 2014, 2024). That’s three in London, three in Glasgow, and two in Brighton, with the longest gap between Worldcons being fourteen years, and the shortest being eight.

As well as firsts, the 1957 Worldcon is also notable as a last, being the final SF convention held before the start of the Space Age: Sputnik launched a few weeks afterwards.

And when it was over, as readers will learn, the outcome was less like utopia and more like fandom: some Americans stiffed the con hotel, the committee lost money, and the U.S. charter flight organizer sued his fannish creditors for defamation. I’m sorry, was this half-a-century ago or yesterday?

Finish of Lowrey’s TAFF Trip Stalled by Positive Covid Test

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Trans-Atlantic Fan Fund delegate Michael J. “Orange Mike” Lowrey reported today, “I have tested positive for COVID-19. The UK advises that I self-isolate for five days, at which point I should not be contagious; which means a single room somewhere, not the hostel I’m in now.”

“One of the Danes with whom I met on the 24th has tested positive; I may have gotten it from him,” says Lowrey, who visited Swedish fans in Uppsala and Malmö last week after attending Eastercon. “I do not feel ill. I’m hoarse, but I’ve credited that to talking to people almost non-stop for four weeks.”

He had recently returned to the UK before wrapping up his trip. TAFF administrator Johan Anglemark confirmed the fund will underwrite the costs of a hotel room etc. while Orange Mike is stranded by Covid protocols.

Read TAFFish 2 and See Trans-Atlantic Fan Fund Voting Details

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Trans-Atlantic Fan Fund Administrators Johan Anglemark and Geri Sullivan have released TAFFish 2 (click to download). It contains:

  • The vote tally breakout leading to Fia Karlsson’s TAFF win;
  • The voter list;
  • Related chatter about the race and thanks from Fia; 
  • A mini photo update from Orange Mike Lowrey partway through his long-delayed TAFF trip;
  • Announcement of 4 Richard Bergeron silkscreen artist proofs donated by P&TNH that will be auctioned for TAFF over the coming year (!)
  • Thanks to specific conventions, organizations, and fans for a wide variety of support through the last two pandemic-plagued years.

Here are the voting statistics from the latest race that picked Fia Karlsson as TAFF delegate to Chicon 8.

Fia Karlsson Wins 2022 TAFF Race

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By Geri Sullivan and Johan Anglemark: What an exciting TAFF race! We’re pleased to announce Fia Karlsson as the winner. TAFF will bring her to Chicon 8, the 80th Worldcon at the beginning of September. Fia will serve as the TAFF Delegate at Chicon and wherever else her travels take her as she journeys from Sweden to visit fans in North America.

The intial count shows there were 237 valid votes cast, more than in any TAFF race since 2006, and during a global pandemic at that. By standing for TAFF, Fia Karlsson, Anders Holmström, Mikolaj Kowalewski, and Julie Faith McMurray helped spread the word about the Trans-Atlantic Fan Fund and inspired fans to participate by voting for them. Voters sent a total of £735.47, €605.82, and $947.73 in voting fee donations along with their ballots! 

TAFF Administrators Johan Anglemark (EU) and Geri Sullivan (NA) congratulate Fia and thank all of the candidates for making it such a lively, high-participation race. We also thank Dave Langford for a multitude of services supporting TAFF, especially the online voting platform on his unofficial TAFF website, and Claire Brialey, who ran the TAFF operations at Eastercon. Kudos and appreciation to those who nominated such a fine slate of candidates and to everyone who voted, donated time and money to TAFF, shared our announcements, and cheered the candidates on.

The exact numbers in this announcement are preliminary, but the result was clear and is final. We will publish the usual voting details and the list of voters shortly. 

[Editor’s note: File 770’s WordPress does not support a special character in Kowalewski’s first name, so a Latin “L” has been substituted.]

TAFF 2022 Race Begins 12/15

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Beginning December 15, you can help decide which European fan is going to attend the 2022 Worldcon in Chicago as the Trans-Atlantic Fan Fund delegate.

The candidates are: Anders Holmström (Sweden), Fia Karlsson (Sweden), Miko?aj Kowalewski (Poland), and Julie Faith McMurray (UK).

Each has been nominated by five other fans to travel to Chicon 8, the 80th World Science Fiction Convention, being held next year in Chicago from September 1-5. Then the winner will assume their duties as the next European administrator of TAFF.

Voting commences December 15, 2021 and closes April 18, 2022. These dates coincide with DisCon III in Washington DC and Reclamation (Eastercon) in London, respectively. When the race opens you will be able to read their platforms on David Langford’s TAFF site. This is also the place to go to learn more about TAFF, to read the rules for voting, to make the necessary monetary donation needed for voting, and to cast your vote.

For more information, contact Johan Anglemark, European Administrator ([email protected]) or Geri Sullivan, North American Administrator ([email protected]).

TAFF Taking Nominations for 2022 Race

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The 2022 Trans-Atlantic Fan Fund race is now officially open for nominations.

After two consecutive eastbound races, it is time for a westbound race. Johan Anglemark, European TAFF Administrator, and Geri Sullivan, North American TAFF Administrator, say ”These are still uncertain times, but we think it is realistic to proceed with the race. It seems unlikely that the pandemic will make a TAFF trip impossible in 2022.”

Therefore, European fans who want to stand for TAFF for an East to West (Europe to North America) race should round up their nominators and contact one of the administrators by December 10.

Voting to elect the TAFF delegate will commence December 15 and close April 18, 2022. The winning delegate will attend Chicon 8, The 80th World Science Fiction Convention, in Chicago, Illinois, (chicon.org) from September 1 to September 5, 2022 and take over as TAFF’s next European administrator upon returning home.

This year candidates will need three European fans and two North American fans known to the Administrators to nominate them: these people must contact the current Administrators by December 10, 2021, informing them of whom they are nominating. Potential delegates will also need to send an official statement to the administrators that they are standing for TAFF (contact information provided below) listing their nominators, plus a 101-word platform statement, and a £10/€12 bond fee sent via PayPal to [email protected].

Note: When counting the votes, if there are more than three candidates, we will not apply the “20% rule” until the candidates with the fewest votes have been eliminated and there are just three candidates left.

More details about TAFF can be found at David Langford’s excellent website, taff.org.uk. If you are interested in standing for the 2022 TAFF Race or would like to nominate some deserving fan, please contact Johan Anglemark, the European Administrator ([email protected]), or the North American Administrator, Geri Sullivan ([email protected]).

[Based on a press release.]

Learn About SAFF, the Space Agency Fan Fund

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Astronaut Jeanette Epps (seated) and unidentified fan flashing the “Live long and prosper” handsign.

By Patty Wells: While searching out some photo permissions from a group of Thermians (long story, but know that Thermians are very helpful), Mike saw info about the Space Agency Fan Fund (SAFF) fly by on FB and asked about this non-profit. Since we are always happy to have a chance to reach out to a wider audience, let us tell you more!

The mission of SAFF is to keep the factual progress of space exploration out there for our community and to help individual Worldcons and other conventions in dealing with the arrangements and funding of space experts as special guests. For more specific information you can contact us via the website: The Space Agency Fan Fund – Bringing astronauts to WorldCons since 2015.

Multiple Worldcons have arranged for astronauts to appear as special guests with notable success. However, as much as fans and pros enjoyed and learned from space professionals, it depended on the relationships and initiative of individual conventions.  Sadly this did not happen every year.  Some con runners saw a need and focus on creating a new fan fund for promoting space-related guests.

Sasquan, the 73rd Worldcon in Spokane, WA, had Kjell Lindgren appear online from space, which was wildly popular. After Sasquan, convention organizers had the vision that funding a fan organization to facilitate astronaut and other space agency personal appearances at future conventions (including Worldcons) was a great idea. The Space Agency Fan Fund was born out of this and was incorporated as a non-profit 501(c)(3) corporation. Space enthusiasts and those with NASA contacts were sought out to act as a board of directors for this fledgling fund. 

Since Sasquan in 2015, we have reached out to large conventions such as Worldcons and made the arrangements for and funded several astronaut appearances. For MidAmeriCon II, the 74th Worldcon, in 2016 NASA astronauts Jeanette Epps and Stan Love appeared. Both were SAFF funded, both participated in the Hugo ceremony, with Stan accepting the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer on behalf of Andy Weir. Jeanette accepted on behalf of The Martian for Best Dramatic Presentation, an outstanding mix of real and fictional space travel, and gave a great speech about how the film did a such a good job of portraying the teamwork between astronauts in the “field” and mission control solving problems. It is also worth noting that Jeanette carries her own sonic screwdriver (should it be needed) and delighted the children with it during one of her program items.

 In 2017, SAFF funded  Kjell Lindgren to appear in person at Worldcon 75 in Helsinki, Finland and also for Worldcon 76 in San Jose, CA. 

Jeanette Epps appeared again in Dublin, Ireland, at Worldcon 77. Then, of course, the world became very different, very suddenly. However, an astronaut appearance is in the works for DC in 2021, and the first steps have been taken to discuss an SAFF funded appearance for 2022. At each Worldcon, there will be a chance to take advantage of SAFF support in providing NASA astronauts and others as guests and participants.

Start 2021 Right with Two Free Books from TAFF

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Atom Abroad by Arthur Thomson and The Harpy Stateside by Ella Parker and others are available today in multiple formats at the Trans-Atlantic Fan Fund’s website, where they hope you’ll make a little donation to the fund if you please.

Atom Abroad by Arthur “Atom” Thomson

The popular fanzine illustrator Atom’s lively report of his 1964 trip to the USA and Pacificon II – that year’s Worldcon, held in Oakland, California – was published in 1968… Our hero’s adventures include crossing the USA in a noisily dysfunctional car that eventually burst into flames, driving on the wrong side of Route 66, and being robbed of all his cash in a California motel – all paling into insignificance beside the terrors of the Sam Moskowitz Speech From Hell.

Cover art and selected interior illustrations by Atom himself, plus photos from the Vince Clarke collection. 35,000 words.

The Harpy Stateside by Ella Parker and others

Ella Parker was a prominent, London-based British fan of the 1950s and 1960s who published the highly regarded fanzine Orion and made a long fannish tour of the USA and Canada in 1961. Mundane circumstances prevented the completion of her intended trip report, partly published as Parker‘s Peregrinations with the subtitle (nodding to Walt Willis) The Harpy Stateside.

Rob Hansen has expanded this account with writing by many other fannish hands, tracking Ella’s triumphal progress through North America as she visited various fan centres, stayed with fannish notables and attended two major conventions. 42,000 words, with cover artwork and interiors by Atom (Arthur Thomson).

Making books is better than what many idle hands are up to these days. Let David Langford start your New Year off right with his fannish additions to TAFF’s library of free downloads.

No TAFF Race For 2021

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Trans-Atlantic Fan Fund administrators Johan Anglemark, Geri Sullivan and Mike Lowrey say “After much thought and consideration, [we] have come to the conclusion that we need to postpone the 2021 TAFF race due to the coronavirus pandemic.”

The TAFF race for 2021 was intended to go East to West, from Europe to DisCon III. They will now wait until 2022, and instead have a race from Europe to Chicon 8, the 80th Worldcon.

The administrators explained the reasoning behind the delay:

The general expectation of expert epidemiologists is that the pandemic will continue to rage well into 2021. For example, the British government has announced that they expect severe restrictions, including the bans on public events, to be in place for another half year. We think that DisCon III likely will be one of the first large conventions after the pandemic has been successfully beaten back or we have learnt how to live with it. Our concern is with having a TAFF race in the midst of the pandemic, without any physical conventions to attend. It would be much more difficult to enthuse people and get them to vote and to donate.

Postponing the race reduces the uncertainty for the eventual westbound TAFF delegate, and it greatly increases the probability that Michael Lowrey — this year’s TAFF winner — will get to take his postponed trip first.

“We don’t want to increase the inventory of TAFF delegates waiting to travel,” say the administrators. “And it’s not just TAFF and Mike Lowrey. Fandom has two more fan fund delegates waiting to take their trips: Alison Scott (GUFF) and Erin Underwood (DUFF). We think there will be a lot more excitement for another race once we start having in-person conventions again.”

[Based on a press release.]