Pierre Versins
(January 12, 1923 – April 19, 2001)
Pierre Versins was the penname of Jacques Chamson, a French fan, pro, collector and bibliographer who spent three decades living in Switzerland. He founded the club Futopia with his wife, Martine Thomé, and was a member of FAPA. He was a fanartist, too.
He began writing and collecting sf in the 1950s, publishing four novels. An authority on early sf, Versins is best remembered for his 1,000-page Encyclopédie de l'Utopie et de la sf ["Encyclopedia of Utopia and SF"] (1972), which was given a Special Committee Award at the 1973 Worldcon, Torcon 2. The Pierre Versins Award is given in his honor.
Versins donated his collection of books, magazines and sf memorabilia to the town of Yverdon-les-bains, Switzerland, in 1975, spending five years as the curator of the local sf museum it became, La Maison d'Ailleurs, before moving back to France in 1981.
Versins was a survivor of Auschwitz.
- Entry in The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction.
- Pierre Versins: His Life, His Work documentary (French with English subtitles).
- 1973 interview (French).
Awards, Honors and GoHships:
- 1973 — Torcon 2 Special Committee Award
- 1991 — Pilgrim Award
| Person | 1923—2001 |
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