Tag Archives: Jim Mowatt

Hertz: Let’s Get Ready for Some Auction

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By John Hertz: The Fan Funds Auction at this year’s Worldcon, LoneStarCon 3 (28 Aug – 1 Sep, San Antonio, Texas), has been scheduled for Saturday afternoon 31 Aug. Have you anything you’d care to contribute?

If you’re attending, bring it. If you aren’t, consider sending it. A friend might bring it for you. At least one item, planned last year but only just ready, is being mailed to me so I can bring it. I’ve learned how things can be shipped to the con; call me (213) 384-6622 (land line, Pacific Daylight Time) and ask.

This traditional auction benefits our traveling-fan funds, which are maintained by various donations.

The senior fund is TAFF (Trans-Atlantic Fan Fund), sending fans in alternate directions each year between North America and the United Kingdom – Republic of Ireland – Europe since 1953. DUFF (Down Under Fan Fund) for North America – Australia & New Zealand, founded 1972, is the second side of a triangle. Third side is GUFF (between U.K. – Eire – Europe and ANZ; Going Under, or Get Up-and-over, Fan Fund, depending on the direction), founded 1978. There are sister funds, e.g. CUFF (Canadian Unity Fan Fund), FFANZ (Fan Fund of Australia & New Zealand).

The two trans-ocean funds touching the continent of LoneStarCon 3 are TAFF and DUFF. TAFF’s current NA Administrator is Jacq Monahan, visiting delegate Jim Mowatt; I’m the DUFF NA Adm’r, delegate Bill Wright. We’ll all be at the Auction. So will John Purcell who runs the Worldcon Fanzine Lounge this year. Other funds may be represented.

If your donation is labeled saying where proceeds go, they will; otherwise we’ll share them out. Consider also noting what makes your item of interest, what value it may have; we’re more diverse these days and people may not know. In the 2009 Worldcon Art Show, Jon Singer exhibited pots he’d made of clay from Neil Gaiman’s yard; everybody knows Jon Singer, but –

We’ll have to decide on the spot what order to auction things in and even whether to auction particular things at all. If your item’s not auctioned, we’ll dispose of it in our discretion unless you say otherwise (e.g. last year a rare copy of a Sam Moskowitz book didn’t arrive in time but raised money through a private donor’s putting it in a public-access university collection).

Oh, and you might want to buy things.

2013 TAFF Voting

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John Coxon released the 2013 Trans Atlantic Fan Fund voting statistics in Taffline #6 [PDF file].   

Voting

N. Am.

Europe

 

Total

Theresa Derwin

5

11

  

16

Jim Mowatt

47

44

  

91

Hold Over Funds

1

0

  

1

No Preference

8

5

  

13

Totals

61

60

 

121

Jim Mowatt won with a first-round majority. He also passed TAFF’s “20% rule” which, explains John Coxon, “meant that each candidate needed to get 10 votes in North America and 11 votes in Europe (‘no preference’ was not included when calculating these numbers).”

Coxon says 58 votes were cast in North America and 60 votes in Europe, and 3 more from the rest of the world — the latter reported in the North America column so it would not become too easy to deduce who they voted for. All voters’ names are listed in Taffline #6. Voter donations totaled $533.23 in North America and £349.68 in Europe.

Mowatt Wins TAFF

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Jim Mowatt will be the Trans-Atlantic Fan Fund delegate to LoneStarCon 3.

Here is TAFF co-administrator John Coxon’s press release —

It is the pleasure of the TAFF administrators to announce the end of voting in the westbound TAFF race for 2013. Theresa Derwin and Jim Mowatt have both been excellent candidates who have kept TAFFing through some tough patches, but unfortunately there can be only one delegate.

Jim Mowatt is the winner of this year’s Trans-Atlantic Fan Fund and will represent European fandom in a trip that takes him throughout North America. He will be appearing at LoneStarCon 3, in San Antonio, Texas, USA, amongst other fannish destinations yet to be confirmed.

The administrators would like to thank both candidates for their patience and good humour throughout the voting period. We wish Jim a fantastic trip to San Antonio and other amazing locales!

TAFF is the Trans-Atlantic Fan Fund and has been sending sf fans across the Atlantic Ocean since 1952 or 1955, depending on who you ask. The official unofficial TAFF website is at taff.org.uk and we can be found on Facebook at facebook.com/groups/TAFFnews or on Twitter as @TAFFnews.

For the full race results, keep an eye on taff.org.uk or efanzines.com for the next edition of the TAFF newsletter, which will contain information on the EightSquaredCon fan fund auction as well as the full voter breakdown for this race.

Don’t look for the voting totals in the official announcement. You won’t find them. Even though they must have been calculated to decide the winner. After weeks of reminders to VOTE FOR TAFF VOTE FOR TAFF VOTE FOR TAFF it’s a bit anticlimactic not to know how close the race was or how many fans participated.

TAFF Is On!

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The TAFF administrators have officially announced the candidates for the 2013 Trans-Atlantic Fan Fund, Theresa Derwin and Jim Mowatt. Each has sworn a mighty oath (well, confirmed a willingness) to attend LoneStarCon 3 in San Antonio if he or she wins, and posted a £15 bond.

The ballot is available here [RTF format]. Votes and donations may also be submitted via PayPal – see the ballot for details.

Voting ends Friday, April 19 at 23:59 British Summer Time aka UTC+1.

Theresa Derwin was nominated by Anders Bellis, Steve Green and John Meaney (from Europe), as well as Christopher J. Garcia and Yvonne Penney (from North America). Here is Derwin’s campaign platform, from the ballot:

Derwin: The Natural Selection. Theresa Derwin is standing for TAFF! A regular convention attendee and panel moderator/member, Theresa has been active in fandom since her teen years. She produces fanzine Andromeda’s Offspring, which promotes the genre work of female authors. She has also previously written for Critical Wave and writes book reviews on her blog www.terror-tree.co.uk whilst writing lots of fiction in a variety of anthologies and in her first book Monsters Anonymous. Theresa wants to attend LoneStarCon3 as a positive ambassador for European/British fandom and female fans and writers in particular. She brings enthusiasm, knowledge and humour to the race!

Jim Mowatt was nominated by Fran Dowd, Rob Hansen and Mark Plummer (in Europe), as well as Randy Byers and Curt Phillips (in North America). Jim’s platform reads:

Jim Mowatt came of age in the fiery fannishness of Leeds and burst upon the scene as Jim Trash at the Sou’wester Eastercon in 1994. Few noticed. He retreated into the shadows like a bewildered ninja. Since then he has made a number of friends, produced fanzines (e.g. Pips and Beam) and decided that fandom is a wonderful place to be(eblebear). He has produced a prodigious number of podcasts, and has a great face for radio. Jim followed a woman to Cambridge in 2002. She didn’t call the police so he moved in. San Antonio needs to know why.

The winner will have approximately four months to arrange his or her TAFF trip, which customarily includes meeting various groups of fans around the country in addition to attending the anchor convention. Recent visits to North America by TAFF delegates have included trips to Las Vegas, Toronto, New York City, Seattle, the Bay Area and Reno. The trip often lasts up to a month, and sometimes longer.

The Trans-Atlantic Fan Fund has been facilitating the exchange of fans between Europe and North American since the 1950s. More information about TAFF can be found at the official unofficial website: www.taff.org.uk. TAFF also has presences on LiveJournal (taffnews.livejournal.com), Facebook (facebook.com/TAFFnews) and Twitter (@TAFFnews).

Out of the Starting Blocks

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The deadline to nominate for the Trans-Atlantic Fan Fund was December 31 — the official slate of candidates and ballot ought to be along soon.

In the meantime, UK fan Jim Mowatt has pulled back the curtain on his “Jim for TAFF” campaign blog to let the world know he’s running. Jim has been one of TAFF’s leading promoters over the past few years, creating podcast interviews with the fans in the race. (Will Jim interview Jim?)

At the moment, this graphic is the centerpiece of Jim’s first post:

Know Your TAFF Candidates

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Four fans rode forth to save this year’s TAFF race: their names are Death, Destruction… Oops, sorry, wrong list! Though now that Jim Mowatt has immortalized Charnock, Coxon, Proven and Treadway in the latest issue of Pips (PDF file) no one will have an excuse for failing to remember their names as readily as that other foursome.

Jim’s interviews show how diverse this group truly is. On any subject you care to name you’ll find a candidate taking one side, and Graham Charnock taking the other. Consider several quotes which I have scientifically removed from context.

For example: Are they genuinely fond of science fiction?

John Coxon: I’m currently reading The Forever War by Joe Haldeman inspired by – a housemate recommended it to me and also the theme for the next Eastercon is military history so I’m trying to read military history in preparation for that.

Graham Charnock: At the moment, I’m reading a lot of science fiction – NOT! What I’m reading is a lovely book by Stephen Sondheim about songwriting because I also do a bit of songwriting in my own time.

How important do they think it is for TAFF delegates to make of use the internet?

John Coxon: I want to try and use social media to a higher extent than it has previously been used. I want to try and record – and I know Steve Green did a video blog. I want to try and build on that.

Jim Mowatt: I presume you’re going to do a paper TAFF report.
Graham Charnock: Yes, of course.
Jim Mowatt: Have you got a name for it yet?
Graham Charnock: Great American Novel, I think is the closest thing I’m going to call it because it will probably be that big.

And, do they play well with others?  

Liam Proven: I’m a very genial and easygoing chap and I get on with actually everybody.

Graham Charnock: I’m terribly nice and mild but I can give someone a rabid bite if necessary.

Altogether a fine piece of journalism. Thanks to Jim Mowatt for beating the drum and generating more interest in the 2011 TAFF race.

Fans have until April 26 to cast a vote – for more information see the official TAFF website.

[Via Ansible Links.]