Alvar Appeltofft
(1941 -- 1976)
Alvar Appeltofft was a Swedish fan, known for his almost unbelievable energy – correspondents have born witness to often receiving two or more letters daily from Appeltofft, usually running to several pages and very often suggesting new fan projects of staggering magnitude (one was to print a recruitment brochure about science fiction and fandom, and arrange for it to be handed out to all school pupils in the country). Appeltofft became active in fandom at 14, in 1955, taking over a very small fanzine named Komet from another fan and publishing five hefty issues in short order. He formed and chaired a small club, Polaris, in his home town Halmstad; wrote the fan news column in the prozine Häpna!, published a single issue of an English-language fanzine called Star Dust, contributed and wrote letters of comment to all other existing Swedish fanzines, and in late 1958 became chairman of the fledgling national club SF Union Skandinavien, editing and publishing 8 issues of its fanzine Union SF in late 1958 and 1959. In 1959 he also arranged Sweden's fourth sf convention, the very small Halmcon, in his home town Halmstad.
Not surprisingly, this activity had a detrimental effect on Appeltofft's studies and grades, and his parents forbade him any further fan activity and deprived him of most of his collection (which he seemingly had bought in his father's name, letting him foot the bills). This led to a severe breakdown, and Appeltofft was for several years kept confined in a mental institution in Lund. When finally released in the late 1960s, he was given a state pension and began attending meetings of the LF3 sf club in Lund, but was beset by paranoid fantasies and armed himself against what he believed were aliens out to get him. He committed suicide at the age of 35.
His parents, grieving their only child, donated means to set up the The Alvar Appeltofft Memorial Foundation, which runs the Alvar Appeltofft Memorial Award in his memory, contributes economically to Swedish fandom, and funds fannish projects.
- Komet, issues 3 – 7, 1956-1958
- Star Dust, 1 issue, 1958
- Union SF, issues 9–16, 1958–1959
| Person | ????—1976 |
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