Francezka

Francezka was a pseudonymous columnist for Femizine. The author was likely London fan Helen Winick.

She first appeared in #3/4 where an editorial introduction says, ‘We know nothing about the next item other than that it was posted in London.’ The column continued through to #8. In #10 (September 1958), editor Ethel Lindsay wrote, ‘ “Francezka” was the most brilliant writer that the old Fez produced. She always sparked off lively comment in the letter column too. She is a fascinating conversationalist too, she has such a wide range of interests. She has had little contact with fandom for the last year now and her writing has dropped to an occasional letter to me which shows she still has the power to stimulate’.

There was some speculation that the author behind the pseudonym was London fan Helen Winick. Reviewing Aporrheta #2 in Femizine #10, Joy Clarke wondered whether its Penelope Fandergaste column was ‘Helen Winnick [sic] back in her old role of incognita’. In a letter in Aporrheta #11 (May 1959) Dorothy Rattigan asserts that Fandergaste is Winick, but editor Sandy Sanderson denies this and says ‘Of course I “discovered” Helen in the first instance, as Franceska [sic] in Femizine’.