Difference between revisions of "TAFF"
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
(no, 2020 change of direction wasn't for Dublin 19. BTW, wouldn't it be more practicable having direction in Year column as other FFundds have?) |
|||
| Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
| − | The '''Trans-Atlantic Fan Fund''' | + | The '''Trans-Atlantic Fan Fund''' is a [[fan fund]] that sends fans from [[North America]]<ref>I. e. US: no fan from [[Canada]] has won the TAFF, although a few tried. As for the opposite direction, Britons were sent to 2 out of 4 Canadian Worldcons (during TAFF’s existence, in 1984 and 2003), while the 1973 and 2009 trips were eastward.</ref> to the [[UK]] (occasionally [[Worldcon]]s elsewhere in [[Europe]]) and vice versa. |
| − | The first "regular" near-yearly [[fan fund]], TAFF followed the first successful fund to bring a [[fan]] from overseas to a US [[Worldcon]] – the [[WAW With the Crew in '52]] Campaign, which brought [[Walt Willis]] from [[Belfast]] | + | The first "regular" near-yearly [[fan fund]], TAFF followed the first successful fund to bring a [[fan]] from overseas to a US [[Worldcon]] – the [[WAW With the Crew in '52]] Campaign, which brought [[Walt Willis]] from [[Belfast]] to the [[Chicon II]]. Afterwards this example was generalized to a permanent fund; the planning stages was briefly called ''British Fan Fund'' and later ''Two-Way Transatlantic Fan Fund'' but this hasn’t caught on. Once TAFF became a going concern, the other major [[fan funds]] – [[DUFF]] (Transpacific, since 1972) and [[GUFF]] (trans-Indian-ocean, as it were, from 1979) – followed its example and practices with similar success. However, there were several flareups of [[TAFF Wars]] when [[All Fandom was Plunged into War]], most importantly in 1984–5. |
| − | In most alternating years – | + | In most alternating years – except when TAFF funds were low, or some other need to reschedule is perceived – a [[Europe]]an fan (usually, but increasingly often not, from the UK) is chosen to attend a convention in North America, usually the [[Worldcon]]. <ref> The [[NASFiC]] would be a hypothetical possibility in years when the Worldcon was held in the “rest of the world”, i. e. neither NA nor Europe. However, this never happened: there was no TAFF race in 1975; and in 1985, 1999, 2007, 2010 and 2020 the races were always eastward.</ref> In the following year a NA fan is chosen to attend [[Eastercon]], the UK [[national convention]]. When the Worldcon is held in Europe, in later practice one of the races is slowed down or sped up so the American winner will go to that Worldcon. (There was a discussion in 1986 whether Eastercon might be a better Platonic expression of the spirit of [[Britfandom]], where the TAFF guest was not lost in crowds of Americans who inevitably travel to Worldcons abroad;<ref> https://taff.org.uk/news/tafluv02.html</ref> however candidates soon expressed preference for [[Conspiracy '87]] over [[BECCON '87]].<ref> https://taff.org.uk/news/tafluv06.html</ref> As subsequently European Worldcons happened more frequently, even outside the UK, becoming a truly word event, and other routes of transatlantic communication were opened by internet and low-cost flights, it has become an undisputed de facto rule to run TAFF eastward in such years.) |
| − | + | To run, two or more fans on the same side of the Atlantic need to get three nominators from their side and two nominators from the other side to be listed on the TAFF ballot. They also have to post a bond saying that, barring Acts of God, they will attend the designated [[convention]] if they are elected, and provide a 100-word platform. The TAFF ballots are distributed via [[fanzines]] or over the internet, and/or used to be handed out at [[clubs]] or conventions; there is a required minimum donation to the Fund required to vote (since 2018, $4.00, £3 or €3.50); some conventions also hold benefit auctions for the Fund. | |
| − | + | Winners usually attend the [[convention]] as a [[special guest]] and spend some time before and after the con traveling to different [[fan]] centers and getting to know fans better in the host country. They are generally expected to write a [[trip report]]: it's not an iron-clad requirement; but people grumble if they don’t. It has become a tradition that the reports are delayed many years, so some fannish organisations make a substantial donation to TAFF for any report finished within 5 years. The winners spend the next two years acting as '''TAFF administrators''' on their side of the Atlantic – one for the next TAFF race for fans going to their country and one for the following race for [[fans]] going back the other way. | |
| − | + | There is an unofficial TAFF website maintained by [[Dave Langford]], reproducing ballots and [[newsletters]] and tabulating the voting results (where known) for all past TAFF races. The site also offers a number of free ebooks including fan classics, some TAFF trip reports, and ''TAFF Trip Report Anthology'' ([[Ansible Editions]], 2017) -- a compilation of trip reports that were left unfinished or were too brief for separate publication, along with sample chapters from reports still in progress. | |
| − | + | * http://taff.org.uk – website, launched 2005 with much historic material re-typed | |
| − | |||
| − | |||
| − | |||
| − | * | ||
* [[Clevention PR 4 Article on TAFF]]. | * [[Clevention PR 4 Article on TAFF]]. | ||
* {{fanzineindex |name=TAFF publications|dir=TAFF}}. | * {{fanzineindex |name=TAFF publications|dir=TAFF}}. | ||
| Line 24: | Line 20: | ||
Year || Direction and Winner || Other Candidates || Notes || Reports and candidate zines | Year || Direction and Winner || Other Candidates || Notes || Reports and candidate zines | ||
[[1952 TAFF Race|1952]] || << [[Walt Willis]] || (none) || Not an official TAFF race, since TAFF didn't exist yet. The [[WAW With the Crew in '52]] fund started it all off. || ''[[The Harp Stateside]]'' | [[1952 TAFF Race|1952]] || << [[Walt Willis]] || (none) || Not an official TAFF race, since TAFF didn't exist yet. The [[WAW With the Crew in '52]] fund started it all off. || ''[[The Harp Stateside]]'' | ||
| − | [[1954 TAFF Race|1954]] || << [[Vince Clarke]] || [[Peter Campbell]], [[Walter Gillings]], [[Derek Pickles]], [[Mike Rosenblum]], [[Tony Thorne]], [[James White]] || | + | [[1954 TAFF Race|1954]] || << [[Vince Clarke]] || [[Peter Campbell]], [[Walter Gillings]], [[Derek Pickles]], [[Mike Rosenblum]], [[Tony Thorne]], [[James White]] || Clarke was unable to make the trip. || |
[[1955 TAFF Race|1955]] || << [[Ken Bulmer]] || [[Eric Bentcliffe]], [[Terry Jeeves]] || [[Pamela Bulmer]] accompanied him on his trip. || ''[[TAFF Tales]]'' | [[1955 TAFF Race|1955]] || << [[Ken Bulmer]] || [[Eric Bentcliffe]], [[Terry Jeeves]] || [[Pamela Bulmer]] accompanied him on his trip. || ''[[TAFF Tales]]'' | ||
| − | [[1956 TAFF Race|1956]] || >> [[Lee Hoffman]] || [[Forrest J Ackerman]], [[Gertrude M. Carr]], [[Kent Corey]], [[Dave Kyle]], [[Hal Shapiro]], [[Lou Tabakow]] || | + | [[1956 TAFF Race|1956]] || >> [[Lee Hoffman]] || [[Forrest J Ackerman]], [[Gertrude M. Carr]], [[Kent Corey]], [[Dave Kyle]], [[Hal Shapiro]], [[Lou Tabakow]] || Hoffman declined the TAFF funds, going to on her own; [[Ackerman]], the second place finisher was unable to go. || |
[[1957 TAFF Race|1957]] || >> [[Bob Madle]] || [[Forrest J Ackerman]], [[Richard Ellington]], [[Dick Eney]], [[Stuart Hoffman]], [[Ed McNulty]], [[Boyd Raeburn]], [[George N. Raybin]] || First [[TAFF Wars]]. || ''[[A Fake Fan in London]]'' | [[1957 TAFF Race|1957]] || >> [[Bob Madle]] || [[Forrest J Ackerman]], [[Richard Ellington]], [[Dick Eney]], [[Stuart Hoffman]], [[Ed McNulty]], [[Boyd Raeburn]], [[George N. Raybin]] || First [[TAFF Wars]]. || ''[[A Fake Fan in London]]'' | ||
[[1958 TAFF Race|1958]] || << [[Ron Bennett]] || [[John Berry]], [[Dave Newman]] || See [[TAFF Wars]] || ''[[Colonial Excursion]]'' | [[1958 TAFF Race|1958]] || << [[Ron Bennett]] || [[John Berry]], [[Dave Newman]] || See [[TAFF Wars]] || ''[[Colonial Excursion]]'' | ||
| Line 34: | Line 30: | ||
[[1962 TAFF Race|1962]] || << [[Ethel Lindsay]] || [[Eddie Jones]] || || ''[[The Lindsay Report]]'' | [[1962 TAFF Race|1962]] || << [[Ethel Lindsay]] || [[Eddie Jones]] || || ''[[The Lindsay Report]]'' | ||
[[1963 TAFF Race|1963]] || >> [[Wally Weber]] || [[Marion Zimmer Bradley]], [[Bruce Pelz]] || || | [[1963 TAFF Race|1963]] || >> [[Wally Weber]] || [[Marion Zimmer Bradley]], [[Bruce Pelz]] || || | ||
| − | [[1964 TAFF Race|1964]] || << [[Arthur Thomson]] || [[Phil Rogers]] || || ''[[ATom Abroad]]'' | + | [[1964 TAFF Race|1964]] || << {{nowrap| [[Arthur Thomson]] }} || [[Phil Rogers]] || || ''[[ATom Abroad]]'' (1965) |
| − | [[1965 TAFF Race|1965]] || >> [[Terry Carr]] || [[Bill Donaho]], [[Jock Root]] || || | + | [[1965 TAFF Race|1965]] || >> [[Terry Carr]] || [[Bill Donaho]], [[Jock Root]] || || "[[Beyond the Mnemonic Statute of Limitations]]" (1984) |
[[1966 TAFF Race|1966]] || << [[Thomas Schluck]] || [[Eric Jones]], [[Bo Stenfors]], [[Peter Weston]] || || | [[1966 TAFF Race|1966]] || << [[Thomas Schluck]] || [[Eric Jones]], [[Bo Stenfors]], [[Peter Weston]] || || | ||
[[1968 TAFF Race|1968]] || >> [[Steve Stiles]] || [[Ed Cox]], [[Ted Johnstone]] || || ''[[Harrison Country]]'' | [[1968 TAFF Race|1968]] || >> [[Steve Stiles]] || [[Ed Cox]], [[Ted Johnstone]] || || ''[[Harrison Country]]'' | ||
[[1969 TAFF Race|1969]] || << [[Eddie Jones]] || [[Bob Shaw]] || || | [[1969 TAFF Race|1969]] || << [[Eddie Jones]] || [[Bob Shaw]] || || | ||
| − | [[1970 TAFF Race|1970]] || >> [[Elliot Shorter]] || [[Charlie Brown]], [[Bill Rotsler]] || [[Heicon]] (the [[1970 Worldcon]]) had decided | + | [[1970 TAFF Race|1970]] || >> [[Elliot Shorter]] || [[Charlie Brown]], [[Bill Rotsler]] || [[Heicon]] (the [[1970 Worldcon]]) had decided in advance to select the TAFF winner as its [[Fan GoH]]. || |
[[1971 TAFF Race|1971]] || << [[Mario Bosnyak]] || [[Per Insulander]], [[Terry Jeeves]], [[Peter Weston]] || || | [[1971 TAFF Race|1971]] || << [[Mario Bosnyak]] || [[Per Insulander]], [[Terry Jeeves]], [[Peter Weston]] || || | ||
[[1973 TAFF Race|1973]] || >> [[Len Moffatt|Len]] & [[June Moffatt]] || [[Howard DeVore]], [[Frank Dietz|Frank]] & [[Ann Dietz]] || || ''[[The Moffatt House Abroad]]'' | [[1973 TAFF Race|1973]] || >> [[Len Moffatt|Len]] & [[June Moffatt]] || [[Howard DeVore]], [[Frank Dietz|Frank]] & [[Ann Dietz]] || || ''[[The Moffatt House Abroad]]'' | ||
[[1974 TAFF Race|1974]] || << [[Peter Weston]] || [[Peter Roberts]] || || | [[1974 TAFF Race|1974]] || << [[Peter Weston]] || [[Peter Roberts]] || || | ||
| − | [[1976 TAFF Race|1976]] || >> [[Roy Tackett]] and [[Bill Bowers]] || (none) || | + | [[1976 TAFF Race|1976]] || >> [[Roy Tackett]] and [[Bill Bowers]] || (none) || Vote tied, both declared winners. There were not funds for both to travel on a regular flight, a cheap charter was found, but this got cancelled. Bowers withdrew either as he couldn't pay up to the full fare,<ref> https://checkpoint.ansible.uk/cp066.html#04</ref> or due to personal problems<ref>As belatedly recalled in [[Tackett's Travels in Taffland]]"</ref> || "[[Tackett's Travels in Taffland]]", 1985 |
[[1977 TAFF Race|1977]] || << [[Peter Roberts]] || [[Terry Jeeves]], [[Peter Presford]] || || [[New Routes in America]] | [[1977 TAFF Race|1977]] || << [[Peter Roberts]] || [[Terry Jeeves]], [[Peter Presford]] || || [[New Routes in America]] | ||
[[1979 TAFF Race|1979]] || >> [[Terry Hughes]] || [[Fred Haskell]], [[Suzanne Tompkins]] || || | [[1979 TAFF Race|1979]] || >> [[Terry Hughes]] || [[Fred Haskell]], [[Suzanne Tompkins]] || || | ||
| − | [[1980 TAFF Race|1980]] || << [[Dave Langford]] || [[Jim Barker]] || || ''[[The Transatlantic Hearing Aid]]'' | + | [[1980 TAFF Race|1980]] || << {{nowrap| [[Dave Langford]]}} || [[Jim Barker]] || || ''[[The Transatlantic Hearing Aid]]'' (chapters '81–4, coll '85) |
[[1981 TAFF Race|1981]] || >> [[Stu Shiffman]] || [[Gary Farber]] || || | [[1981 TAFF Race|1981]] || >> [[Stu Shiffman]] || [[Gary Farber]] || || | ||
[[1982 TAFF Race|1982]] || << [[Kevin Smith]] || [[Rog Peyton]] || || | [[1982 TAFF Race|1982]] || << [[Kevin Smith]] || [[Rog Peyton]] || || | ||
| Line 57: | Line 53: | ||
[[1989 TAFF Race|1989]] || >> [[Robert Lichtman]] || [[Luke McGuff]] || || | [[1989 TAFF Race|1989]] || >> [[Robert Lichtman]] || [[Luke McGuff]] || || | ||
[[1991 TAFF Race|1991]] || << [[Pam Wells]] || [[Abigail Frost]], [[Bruno Ogrolec]] || || | [[1991 TAFF Race|1991]] || << [[Pam Wells]] || [[Abigail Frost]], [[Bruno Ogrolec]] || || | ||
| − | [[1992 TAFF Race|1992]] || >> [[Jeanne Bowman]] || [[Richard Brandt]] || || | + | [[1992 TAFF Race|1992]] || >> {{nowrap| [[Jeanne Bowman]] }} || [[Richard Brandt]] || || |
| − | [[1993 TAFF Race|1993]] || << [[Abigail Frost]] || [[Mike Ashley]], [[Tony Berry]], [[Ashley Watkins]] | | + | [[1993 TAFF Race|1993]] || << [[Abigail Frost]] || [[Mike Ashley]], [[Tony Berry]], [[Ashley Watkins]] || Frost's subsequent administration was fraught and resulted in the loss of much of the European funds. || |
[[1995 TAFF Race|1995]] || >> [[Dan Steffan]] || [[Samanda b Jeude]], [[Joe Wesson]] || || | [[1995 TAFF Race|1995]] || >> [[Dan Steffan]] || [[Samanda b Jeude]], [[Joe Wesson]] || || | ||
[[1996 TAFF Race|1996]] || << [[Martin Tudor]] || [[M. J. "Simo" Simpson]] || || [[Have Bag, Will Travel]] | [[1996 TAFF Race|1996]] || << [[Martin Tudor]] || [[M. J. "Simo" Simpson]] || || [[Have Bag, Will Travel]] | ||
| Line 71: | Line 67: | ||
[[2005 TAFF Race|2005]] || >> [[Suzanne Tompkins]] || [[Chaz Boston Baden]], [[Curt Phillips]] || || | [[2005 TAFF Race|2005]] || >> [[Suzanne Tompkins]] || [[Chaz Boston Baden]], [[Curt Phillips]] || || | ||
[[2006 TAFF Race|2006]] || << [[Bridget Bradshaw]] || [[Arthur Cruttenden]] || || | [[2006 TAFF Race|2006]] || << [[Bridget Bradshaw]] || [[Arthur Cruttenden]] || || | ||
| − | [[2007 TAFF Race|2007]] || >> ( | + | [[2007 TAFF Race|2007]] || >> (cancelled) || [[Chris Garcia]], [[Mary Kay Kare]] || After the [[2007 Eastercon]] was cancelled late Nov ’06, the administrators decided “the 2007 TAFF race will be postponed until 2008“ || ''[[PrintZine]]'' |
| − | [[2008 TAFF Race|2008]] || >> [[Chris Garcia]] || [[Chris Barkley]], [[Linda Deneroff]], [[Christian McGuire]] || || ''[[PrintZine]]'', ''[[Rockets Across the Waters]]'' | + | [[2008 TAFF Race|2008]] || >> [[Chris Garcia]] || [[Chris Barkley]], [[Linda Deneroff]], [[Christian McGuire]] || || ''[[PrintZine]]'' New Series, ''[[Rockets Across the Waters]]'' |
[[2009 TAFF Race|2009]] || << [[Steve Green]] || [[Tom Womack]] || || ''[[Are You Still Here?]]'' | [[2009 TAFF Race|2009]] || << [[Steve Green]] || [[Tom Womack]] || || ''[[Are You Still Here?]]'' | ||
[[2010 TAFF Race|2010]] || >> [[Brian Gray]] && [[Anne Gray |Anne K. G. Murphy]] || [[Frank Wu]] || || [[Anne and Brian Gray's TAFF Reports]] | [[2010 TAFF Race|2010]] || >> [[Brian Gray]] && [[Anne Gray |Anne K. G. Murphy]] || [[Frank Wu]] || || [[Anne and Brian Gray's TAFF Reports]] | ||
| Line 80: | Line 76: | ||
[[2014 TAFF Race|2014]] || >> [[Curt Phillips]] || [[Brad Foster|Brad]] & [[Cindy Foster]], [[Randy Smith]] || || [[TAFFtastic]] | [[2014 TAFF Race|2014]] || >> [[Curt Phillips]] || [[Brad Foster|Brad]] & [[Cindy Foster]], [[Randy Smith]] || || [[TAFFtastic]] | ||
[[2015 TAFF Race|2015]] || << [[Nina Horvath]] || [[Wolf von Witting]] || || [[TAFFWorld]] | [[2015 TAFF Race|2015]] || << [[Nina Horvath]] || [[Wolf von Witting]] || || [[TAFFWorld]] | ||
| − | [[2016 TAFF Race|2016]] || << [[Anna Raftery]] || [[Wolf von Witting]] || Alternation of direction | + | [[2016 TAFF Race|2016]] || << [[Anna Raftery]] || [[Wolf von Witting]] || Alternation of direction suspended due to Worldcons 2017 and 2019 being in Europe. || |
[[2017 TAFF Race|2017]] || >> [[John Purcell]] || [[Sarah Gulde]], [[Alissa McKersie]] || || | [[2017 TAFF Race|2017]] || >> [[John Purcell]] || [[Sarah Gulde]], [[Alissa McKersie]] || || | ||
[[2018 TAFF Race|2018]] || << [[Johan Anglemark]] || [[Fia Karlsson]], [[Helena McCallum]] || || {{link | website=https://taff2018.com | text=Trip blog}} | [[2018 TAFF Race|2018]] || << [[Johan Anglemark]] || [[Fia Karlsson]], [[Helena McCallum]] || || {{link | website=https://taff2018.com | text=Trip blog}} | ||
[[2019 TAFF Race|2019]] || >> [[Geri Sullivan]] || [[Teresa Cochran]], [[Sarah Gulde]], [[Michael Lowrey]] || || | [[2019 TAFF Race|2019]] || >> [[Geri Sullivan]] || [[Teresa Cochran]], [[Sarah Gulde]], [[Michael Lowrey]] || || | ||
| − | [[2020 TAFF Race|2020]] || >> [[Mike Lowrey]] || [[Ann Totusek]] || alternation of direction suspended | + | [[2020 TAFF Race|2020]] || >> [[Mike Lowrey]] || [[Ann Totusek]], on “Send Mike!” platform || alternation of direction suspended in Sep ’19 as “Looking at five future Worldcons and … bids … makes the most sense … that as many as possible of the following TAFF races will go to a Worldcon.” Due to [[Covid-19]], causing a. o. cancellation of Eastercon, trip delayed to April 2022 || |
| − | [[2021 TAFF Race|2021]] || | + | [[2021 TAFF Race|2021]] || colspan=4 | Cancelled in October 2020 because of [[Covid-19]] |
| − | [[2022 TAFF Race|2022]] || << [[Fia Karlsson]] || [[Anders Holmström]], [[Mikołaj Kowalewski]], [[Julie Faith McMurray]] || || | + | [[2022 TAFF Race|2022]] || << [[Fia Karlsson]] || [[Anders Holmström]], [[Mikołaj Kowalewski]], [[Julie Faith McMurray]] || || |
</tab> | </tab> | ||
| Line 99: | Line 95: | ||
Concerning the [[Ashfield]] fund: in 1953 [[Don Ford]] had a raffle going to raise money for Ashfield's trip to [[Philcon II]]. Since it was under way, he didn't want to call it off. [[Bea Mahaffey]] took raffle tickets to [[Willis]] and [[Carnell]], when she went to the [[Coroncon]] in '53; these sold tickets, making it an international affair. Ford then offered the dough to anybody else coming over from England who might be suggested. TAFF was the answer. The raffle (for some covers donated by [[Carnell]] and Mahaffey was conducted at the Philcon II; Ford forgets who the winners were. | Concerning the [[Ashfield]] fund: in 1953 [[Don Ford]] had a raffle going to raise money for Ashfield's trip to [[Philcon II]]. Since it was under way, he didn't want to call it off. [[Bea Mahaffey]] took raffle tickets to [[Willis]] and [[Carnell]], when she went to the [[Coroncon]] in '53; these sold tickets, making it an international affair. Ford then offered the dough to anybody else coming over from England who might be suggested. TAFF was the answer. The raffle (for some covers donated by [[Carnell]] and Mahaffey was conducted at the Philcon II; Ford forgets who the winners were. | ||
}} | }} | ||
| + | <references /> | ||
{{fanfund | start=1952 | end=}} | {{fanfund | start=1952 | end=}} | ||
Revision as of 05:30, 24 April 2022
The Trans-Atlantic Fan Fund is a fan fund that sends fans from North America[1] to the UK (occasionally Worldcons elsewhere in Europe) and vice versa.
The first "regular" near-yearly fan fund, TAFF followed the first successful fund to bring a fan from overseas to a US Worldcon – the WAW With the Crew in '52 Campaign, which brought Walt Willis from Belfast to the Chicon II. Afterwards this example was generalized to a permanent fund; the planning stages was briefly called British Fan Fund and later Two-Way Transatlantic Fan Fund but this hasn’t caught on. Once TAFF became a going concern, the other major fan funds – DUFF (Transpacific, since 1972) and GUFF (trans-Indian-ocean, as it were, from 1979) – followed its example and practices with similar success. However, there were several flareups of TAFF Wars when All Fandom was Plunged into War, most importantly in 1984–5.
In most alternating years – except when TAFF funds were low, or some other need to reschedule is perceived – a European fan (usually, but increasingly often not, from the UK) is chosen to attend a convention in North America, usually the Worldcon. [2] In the following year a NA fan is chosen to attend Eastercon, the UK national convention. When the Worldcon is held in Europe, in later practice one of the races is slowed down or sped up so the American winner will go to that Worldcon. (There was a discussion in 1986 whether Eastercon might be a better Platonic expression of the spirit of Britfandom, where the TAFF guest was not lost in crowds of Americans who inevitably travel to Worldcons abroad;[3] however candidates soon expressed preference for Conspiracy '87 over BECCON '87.[4] As subsequently European Worldcons happened more frequently, even outside the UK, becoming a truly word event, and other routes of transatlantic communication were opened by internet and low-cost flights, it has become an undisputed de facto rule to run TAFF eastward in such years.)
To run, two or more fans on the same side of the Atlantic need to get three nominators from their side and two nominators from the other side to be listed on the TAFF ballot. They also have to post a bond saying that, barring Acts of God, they will attend the designated convention if they are elected, and provide a 100-word platform. The TAFF ballots are distributed via fanzines or over the internet, and/or used to be handed out at clubs or conventions; there is a required minimum donation to the Fund required to vote (since 2018, $4.00, £3 or €3.50); some conventions also hold benefit auctions for the Fund.
Winners usually attend the convention as a special guest and spend some time before and after the con traveling to different fan centers and getting to know fans better in the host country. They are generally expected to write a trip report: it's not an iron-clad requirement; but people grumble if they don’t. It has become a tradition that the reports are delayed many years, so some fannish organisations make a substantial donation to TAFF for any report finished within 5 years. The winners spend the next two years acting as TAFF administrators on their side of the Atlantic – one for the next TAFF race for fans going to their country and one for the following race for fans going back the other way.
There is an unofficial TAFF website maintained by Dave Langford, reproducing ballots and newsletters and tabulating the voting results (where known) for all past TAFF races. The site also offers a number of free ebooks including fan classics, some TAFF trip reports, and TAFF Trip Report Anthology (Ansible Editions, 2017) -- a compilation of trip reports that were left unfinished or were too brief for separate publication, along with sample chapters from reports still in progress.
- http://taff.org.uk – website, launched 2005 with much historic material re-typed
- Clevention PR 4 Article on TAFF.
- TAFF publications online at fanac.org.
See also TAFF Wars, Fan Funds.
- ↑ I. e. US: no fan from Canada has won the TAFF, although a few tried. As for the opposite direction, Britons were sent to 2 out of 4 Canadian Worldcons (during TAFF’s existence, in 1984 and 2003), while the 1973 and 2009 trips were eastward.
- ↑ The NASFiC would be a hypothetical possibility in years when the Worldcon was held in the “rest of the world”, i. e. neither NA nor Europe. However, this never happened: there was no TAFF race in 1975; and in 1985, 1999, 2007, 2010 and 2020 the races were always eastward.
- ↑ https://taff.org.uk/news/tafluv02.html
- ↑ https://taff.org.uk/news/tafluv06.html
- ↑ https://checkpoint.ansible.uk/cp066.html#04
- ↑ As belatedly recalled in Tackett's Travels in Taffland"
| From Fancyclopedia 2, ca. 1959 |
| The Trans-Atlantic Fan Fund, a fund intended to take Britons to American Worldcons and, alternate years, vice versa. It all began with Shelby Vick's WAW With the Crew in '52 campaign, which undertook to bring Walt Willis over to America, to the ChiCon II, that year. (There had been a predecessor in the Big Pond Fund drives sparkplugged by Ackerman.) Early in 1953 Don Ford and the Cinci Fantasy Group started a fund to bring Anglofan Norm Ashfield to the Philcon II but he was unable to come and Don offered the funds to anyone else Anglofandom should select. At the 1953 Loncon at the Bonnington the idea of a continuing TAFF was brainstormed by Willis, Vin¢ Clarke, Slater, Chuch Harris, Terry Jeeves, Eric Bentcliffe, Norm Shorrock and John Brunner, after long hours of discussion and smokefilled-room sessions.
The original idea was that nominees should be "someone fairly well-known to both British and American fandom" and that voters "should have been active in fandom to the extent of having subscribed to or contributed to at least one fanzine or joined a fan club or organization". Don Ford on this side and Walt Willis on that side acted as administrators -- exchange difficulties making it necessary to have operators on each side of the ocean. Afterward, it was understood that the most recent winners from each side would operate the fund. So far it's sent over Ken (and Pam Bulmer, Bob Madle, and Ron Bennett. (Vin¢ Clarke and Lee Hoffman won the egoboo of election but didn't make the trip as TAFFen.) In 1957 circumstances of the election kicked up a flap about definition of a fan which sundered the movement considerably; Madle, the winner that year, had earlier decreased fanac to write for the [ptui!] proz, and a number of people never heard of in fandom before seemed to have voted, despite the requirement noted above. Madle also got some undeserved blame for the antics of another candidate who toured the country offering to pay the token contribution (50, or 2/6) for anybody who'd vote for him. Objection to such things, with advice to tighten up the rules, was entered by Chuch Harris and others, but actual rules adopted later (by Madle and Bennett, in September 1958) had the effect of doing away with the voter-requirements and even, by omission, the candidacy requirements. The administrators, however, apparently meant this as a move to quell the argument, since they had previously used their discretion to reject the sort of questionable votes against which protest was made. |
| From Fancyclopedia 2 Supplement, ca. 1960 |
| Concerning the Ashfield fund: in 1953 Don Ford had a raffle going to raise money for Ashfield's trip to Philcon II. Since it was under way, he didn't want to call it off. Bea Mahaffey took raffle tickets to Willis and Carnell, when she went to the Coroncon in '53; these sold tickets, making it an international affair. Ford then offered the dough to anybody else coming over from England who might be suggested. TAFF was the answer. The raffle (for some covers donated by Carnell and Mahaffey was conducted at the Philcon II; Ford forgets who the winners were. |
| Fanfund | 1952— |
| This is a fan fund page. Please extend it by adding information about when and by whom it was created, who it benefited, why it was created, its result, its impact on fandom, and by adding links. |
