Embassy Con

Embassy Con was the informal retrospective name given to a seminar and exhibition of American sf on January 26–27, 1973 at the American Embassy, Grosvenor Square, London. It has the unusual distinction of being a convention held in both London, UK and – because the Embassy is technically American territory – the United States.

The event was first reported in Checkpoint 29 (January 13, 1973). A full report under the title "First Embassy Con?" appeared in 31 (February 10, 1973). Malcolm Edwards said that the programme was organised Philip Strick and included Kingsley Amis, Robert Conquest, James Blish, Brian Aldiss, Peter Weston and Richard Roud (of the Guardian newspaper and NY Film Festival). Samuel Delany was spotted in the audience and conscripted onto a panel.

Fred Hemmings reported, "The 26/27th January saw a new event in the annals of British (?) fandom when the American Embassy, through its Student Information Office, held what was advertised as a seminar & exhibition and turned out to be a Con – if a very mini one." Lisa Conesa was one of the fan attendees and Checkpoint editor Peter Roberts conceded, "Now if I'd thought it would've been a minicon... ah well, so it goes."

The Guardian reportedly gave the event some considerable coverage.

• Transcript of "First Embassy Con?" in Checkpoint 31 at checkpoint.ansible.uk

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Convention
	1973

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