Difference between revisions of "Festivention"

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# [[K. Johnstone]]<ref>There is clearly a middle initial on the signature; it's less clear what it is.</ref>
 
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Writing in ''[[Fantasy Times]]'' #128  (April 2, 1951), [[Forrest J Ackerman]], already arrived in [[London]] in advance of the convention, said that 'Amongst notables attending will be [[S. Fowler Wright]]'. However, Wright's name isn't mentioned in any of the convention reports as it surely would have been had he been present. Ackerman also says 'The [[New Zealand]] fan is already in London' but there are no mentions of a New Zealand fan in any convention reports.
 
Writing in ''[[Fantasy Times]]'' #128  (April 2, 1951), [[Forrest J Ackerman]], already arrived in [[London]] in advance of the convention, said that 'Amongst notables attending will be [[S. Fowler Wright]]'. However, Wright's name isn't mentioned in any of the convention reports as it surely would have been had he been present. Ackerman also says 'The [[New Zealand]] fan is already in London' but there are no mentions of a New Zealand fan in any convention reports.
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=='''[[Conreport]] by [[Ted Carnell]]'''==
 
=='''[[Conreport]] by [[Ted Carnell]]'''==

Revision as of 04:12, 20 September 2024

From left, Mike Tealby, Derek Pickles, Fred Robinson, Walter Willis, Bob Foster, Vincent Clarke and Ken Bulmer at the International Science Fantasy Con, 1951.

Eastercon 2.5, known as Festivention or Festival Convention and the International Science Fantasy Convention, was held in London over Whitsun, May 10–14, 1951, at the White Horse and Royal Hotel in London, though the formal programme was Saturday and Sunday only. The GoHs were Forrest J Ackerman, Wendayne Ackerman, and Lyell Crane. L. Sprague de Camp had been due to attend as a guest but had to send regrets in February due to 'family affairs'[1].The committee were E. J. Carnell, Charles Duncombe, A. Vincent Clarke, Audrey Lovett, F. E. Arnold, Jim Ratigan, Ken Bulmer, Fred Brown, and Ted Tubb. Between 200 and 300 fans attended. Memberships were 2/6 (two shillings and six pence) to join the convention society and tickets were 7/6 for each day and included a buffet.

Festivention was intended as an international convention and also called the European International Convention. Some referred to it as the EUCON[2]. It was held at the normal time for Eastercon in place of it and no Eastercon was officially held that year. It was however included on the canonical list of Eastercons produced for Eastercon 22 in 1971 and only promoted out of the list in 1989 following the discovery of Cytricon III, if nothing else to spare the numerical embarrassment of having Eastercon 22 be the 23rd Eastercon.

The name was a tie-in to the Festival of Britain that year. While it clearly wasn't a Worldcon, it was more international than Worldcons to date and contemporary fanwriters did occasionally use the term, for instance Walt Willis in Quandry 8 ('If you are in London for the festival (and the World Science Fiction Convention, May 10th to 13th, 1951)...'), 9 ('Ackerman reported to be coming to the World Convention in London in May...') and 10 ('Further articles in the series "The Other SF" in this column will be delayed until after the World Convention in London in May...').

Attendees[edit]

There is no published membership list and estimates of numbers vary: 'over 120' in Science Fantasy News #8; '150' in Fantasy Times #130; and 'between 200 and 300' according to Ted Carnell in Bloomington News Letter #21.

The following are people named in one of the convention reports, who appear in photos, and/or whose names appear on an extensively signed copy of the programme book.

Named marked * are family members of attendees who it is thought were not fans per se.

NOTE: this is an ongoing update. Unlinked names are being checked to see if they are already here under variants

  1. Ben Abas
  2. Barbara Abas
  3. Forry Ackerman
  4. Wendayne Ackerman
  5. Bruce Angrave
  6. Frank Arnold
  7. P. A. Astley
  8. B. A. Baker
  9. Eric Bentcliffe
  10. Sid Birchby
  11. John Birchby
  12. Leonard Borston
  13. Syd Bounds
  14. Fred Brown
  15. Daphne Buckmaster
  16. Ron Buckmaster
  17. Ken Bulmer
  18. Jim Burch
  19. Bert Campbell
  20. Mrs Campbell *
  21. Paul Capon
  22. Ted Carnell
  23. M. Chambaz
  24. Mdm. Chambaz *
  25. Ken Chapman
  26. Joan Chapman *
  27. George Charters
  28. Vin¢ Clarke
  29. Arthur C. Clarke
  30. Dave Cohen
  31. Robert Conquest
  32. Mrs Conquest *
  33. Michael Corper
  34. Lyell Crane
  35. John Keir Cross
  36. C. D'Alessio
  37. Rick Dalton
  38. Mimi Dalton *
  39. Ron Deacon
  40. Philip Duerr
  41. Charles Duncombe
  42. Fred Fairless
  43. Frank Fears
  44. Bob Foster
  45. J. Fowler
  46. Les Flood
  47. Georges Gallet
  48. Kerry Gaulder
  49. W. Arthur Gibson
  50. Walter Gillings
  51. David Griffiths
  52. John Beynon Harris
  53. Mr Hill[3]
  54. George Hay
  55. Phil Hetherington
  56. Arthur F. Hillman
  57. Alan Hunter
  58. Joyce Hunter *
  59. Lee Jacobs
  60. Bill Jesson
  61. Leslie J. Johnson
  62. K. Johnstone[4]
  63. Ralph A. Keyes
  64. John Kippax
  65. Max Leviten
  66. Audrey Lovett
  67. Prof. A. M. Low
  68. Colling Leybourn
  69. Douglas W. F. Mayer
  70. Frank Milnes
  71. Lew Mordecai
  72. Dan Morgan
  73. Joni Murray[5]
  74. Sigvard Östlund
  75. Mrs Ostlund *
  76. Terry Overton
  77. Mary Patchett
  78. Peter Phillips
  79. Derek Pickles
  80. Mavis Pickles
  81. Owen Plumridge
  82. Ken Paynter
  83. Jim Ratigan
  84. Peter J. Ridley
  85. Fred Robinson
  86. J. Michael Rosenblum
  87. Alan Shalders
  88. C. Sharpe
  89. D. Sharpe
  90. Bob Shaw
  91. Walter Shaw
  92. Mike Tealby
  93. Bill Temple
  94. Tony Thorne
  95. Ted Tubb
  96. Norman Wansborough
  97. Norman Weedall
  98. A. Wenham
  99. R. V. Weston
  100. P. A. Weston
  101. James White
  102. A. E. "Taffy" Williams
  103. Walt Willis
  104. Madeleine Willis
  105. Mike Wilson
  106. Sam Youd

Additional known attendees include Ben Abas's brother (name unknown) and somebody whose name appears to be Daphne Mac-something. There are a number of other names that appear on a signed copy of the programme that can't be identified, including that of a Mystery American. One signature is followed by the letters 'USA'. It does not appear to be that of either of the Ackermans or of Lee Jacobs but it's unclear who it is. No other Americans are mentioned in convention reports.

Writing in Fantasy Times #128 (April 2, 1951), Forrest J Ackerman, already arrived in London in advance of the convention, said that 'Amongst notables attending will be S. Fowler Wright'. However, Wright's name isn't mentioned in any of the convention reports as it surely would have been had he been present. Ackerman also says 'The New Zealand fan is already in London' but there are no mentions of a New Zealand fan in any convention reports.

Conreport by Ted Carnell[edit]

in Bloomington News Letter (July 1951, which see for photos and International Fantasy Award details): 

London, England: Over May 11th to the 14th, between 200 and 300 professional and amateur enthusiasts of science-fiction, rep­resenting eight countries, met in the ballroom of the Royal Hotel (London), to celebrate the first International Science-Fiction Convention ever held. Highlight of this largest - ever British gathering was a surprise award promulgated by the London Circle for the best fiction book and best technical book of 1950. The panel of critics chose George R. Stewart's EARTH ABIDES (Random House) for fiction, and Willy Ley & Chesley Bonestell's CONQUEST OF SPACE (Viking Press) for the technical award. Forrest Ackerman accepted the two awards on behalf of his countrymen.

The awards, conceived only two weeks prior to the convention, went on the drawing board immediately and a twelve-inch spaceship taken from the Bonestell design on the February 1951 GALAXY cover has been approved; It will be mounted on an oak base complete with ornate lighter. Actual awards will be fashioned of heavy chrome for the fiction class, and bronze for the technical. Owing to the shortage of time, exact replicas were used in place of the models — not expected to be ready for some weeks. It is intended that these awards will be made annually, and planned to embrace other fields of science-fiction, including the films. A special Fantasy Fund Award has been opened whereby any­ one may donate. At present, the Award Fund Committee are using the Nova Publications address. 

The Sunday afternoon (13th) session included a three-hour coverage of the S-F fields by all overseas guests; Crane, Canada; Ackerman and Jacobs, the States; Gallet, France; Abas, Holland; Ostlund, Sweden; Willis, Ireland; Paynter, Australia; and Arnold for Britain. (Cpl. Jacobs flew in from his station in Versailles, France.) In addition, Frank Arnold reported on the Italian and Russian fields, while Wendayne Ackerman spoke on the German. A proposal was made by Lyell Crane to set up an International S-F movement outside the United States and the United Kingdom.

The convention followed similar lines to American affairs in that two auctions proved it a moneymaker. There were debates and discussions by prominent professionals, and Milton Rothman's two soap-operas "Life Can be Horrible" and "Who Goes Where?" were re-scripted for British consumption with outstanding success. These and other major items were wire-recorded. Wendayne Acker­man gave an outline of dianetics to a packed hall.

Film shows each evening included Doyle's feature, "The Lost World", Tucker's cutting-room floor epic, "Monsters of the Moon", three short films brought over by Ackerman, and a technicolor rocket film supplied by Arthur C. Clarke. Science-fiction "art" vied with Victorian paintings adorning the walls.

____

  1. ↑ Fantasy Times #124 (February 1951).
  2. ↑ e.g. Operation Fantast #2 (May 1950), The Committeeman #6 (April 1951).
  3. ↑ Reports identify a speaker with an Australian accent referred to only as 'Mr Mill'. Chris Nelson believes this was J. M. Walsh.
  4. ↑ There is clearly a middle initial on the signature; it's less clear what it is.
  5. ↑ Referred to only as 'Mrs Murray' in a contemporary report.
Convention
1951
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