BSFA (1951)

(You probably mean the later, better-known and still extant BSFA but in case not...)

This British Science Fiction Association was a club that may have existed briefly in the UK in the early 1950s. It is unconnected to the better-known British Science Fiction Association that was created in 1958 and continues to this day. The extent to which this BSFA meaningfully existed at all is unclear.

It first came to the attention of wider fandom through a letter in the magazine Picture Post signed by its assistant secretary. Vin¢ Clarke wrote to the magazine, asking to be put in touch with its author. He received a reply from Mr Peermunde but on writing further was told that the assistant secretary had resigned and correspondence had been passed to the chairman, L. W. Nowlan. Later advertisements for the group appeared in Authentic Science Fiction #19 (December 1951) and Imagination.

Other fans including Eric Bentcliffe and Matt Elder attempted to contact Nowlan without success. However a new fan who had also seen the Picture Post letter, John Gutteridge, did receive a reply. He was told that 'the Association had been formed five years earlier as a form of correspondence club and had 130 members in the UK and a further 57 in the United States'. Gutteridge was sent a membership card listing him as member 254 with an invitation to join for 3/6 (three shillings and six pence) which he did. He also received two leaflets giving the secretary as A. J. Savage, of Camberwell, London. However he never heard from them again.

Ken Slater also contacted Nowlan and received a reply, saying that the Association had been 'well represented, esoterically, by our Secretary and Librarian' at Festivention and expressing dismissive views of other clubs 'tied-up with publishing bodies [that] are just "speakers" of various companies.' This letter put BSFA membership at 92 in the UK and 22 in the US, much lower than the number given to Gutteridge.

After this brief flurry of activity this BSFA was never heard of again.

Rob Hansen theorises:

It seems hardly credible that such a large international organisation could have existed for so long unnoticed by the rest of fandom, and it’s almost certain that in actuality it never existed as much more than a grand delusion in the minds of Nowlan, Peermunde, and possibly a handful of others.

____

---

Club

1951—1952

This is a club page. Please extend it by adding information about when and where the club met, when and by whom it was founded, how long it was active, notable accomplishments, well-known members, clubzines, any conventions it ran, external links to the club's website, other club pages, etc. When there's a floreat (Fl.), this indicates the time or times for which we have found evidence that the club existed. This is probably not going to represent the club's full lifetime, so please update it if you can!