Jomsborg in Exile
Jómsborg in Exile is a book discussion group that has been meeting to discuss fantasy and science fiction since 1982. The group descends from Jómsborg the New, the Cambridge University fantasy society, which was founded by Nick Lowe and David Gress-Wright in January 1975. When Richard and Geraldine Pinch, two members of Jómsborg the New, moved to Oxford a few years later (about 1979 or 1980), they started an offshoot at Oxford University. This ran there for a few years, with various ex-Cambridge people attending from time to time. Following the same practice as at Cambridge, many if not all of the University meetings (known as Þíngs) were held in college student rooms.
Sadly, the incarnation as an Oxford University student society failed to thrive. In 1982 it started to meet at people’s homes elsewhere in the South-East of England. With very few exceptions, it has held a Þíng to discuss nominated works of fantasy and science fiction every month since then. By now, it has outlived its Oxbridge ancestors, and very few of its members are graduates of either Cambridge or Oxford. Retrospectively, the period as an Oxford student society has been referred to as “Jómsborg in Oxile”. This distinguishes it from the subsequent peripatetic society, “Jómsborg in Exile”.
Jómsborg in Exile Þíngs are usually on the Saturday afternoon following the second Friday of the month; usually at a member’s home; usually somewhere in the South-East; and usually involving food (“never knowingly under-catered”). The most 'thinged' author is Diana Wynne Jones, with 4 appearances. The next meeting's host sends out a missive with details of the event in a parody of the author's style.
Founder Peter Wareham is the co-ordinator and members include Bridget Wilkinson, John Bray, Marcus Rowland, Paul Dormer.
| Club | 1982— |
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