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| − | The Trans-Atlantic Fan Fund | + | The '''Trans-Atlantic Fan Fund''' is a [[fan fund]] that has brought fans from the [[UK]] or [[Europe]] to [[conventions]] in [[North America]] and vice versa since 1954.<ref>No fan from [[Canada]] has won TAFF, although a few have tried. As for the opposite direction, Britons were sent to one out of four [[Worldcons by Area#Canada|Canadian Worldcons]] (during TAFF’s existence, in 2009), while the 1973 and 2003 trips were eastward and 1994 held no race at all, and to the only Canadian NASFiC in 2023.</ref> |
| − | + | The first yearly [[fan fund]], TAFF followed the second successful fund to bring a [[fan]] from overseas to [[Worldcon]] (then exclusively a North American affair) – the [[WAW With the Crew in '52]] Campaign for [[Walt Willis]] to the [[Chicon II]]. That, in turn, was inspired by the [[Big Pond Fund]], which brought [[Ted Carnell]] to [[Cinvention]] in 1949. | |
| − | Once TAFF became a going concern, the other major [[fan funds]] – [[DUFF]] and [[GUFF]] – followed with similar | + | Afterwards, these examples were generalized to a permanent fund; the planning stages were briefly called ''British Fan Fund'' and later ''Two-Way Transatlantic Fan Fund'' when it became clear the directions should be alternated, but this never 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, connecting [[Australasia|Austral(as)ia]] into the triangle. However, there were several flareups of [[TAFF Wars]] when [[All Fandom was Plunged into War]], the last and most notorious in 1984–5. This led to the development of the "20 % rule" intended to ensure that no one side of the ocean should be able to force their own favo(u)rite on unwilling hosts. |
| − | + | Every other year, a [[Europe]]an fan (traditionally, but increasingly often not, from the UK) is elected to attend a [[Worldcon]] in [[North America]].<ref>[[NASFiC]] is a possibility in years when the Worldcon is held outside NA (or Europe, which takes precedence as noted below). However, this did not happen until 2023: there was no TAFF race in 1975 and all trips in 1985, 1999, 2007, 2010 and 2020 went East(er)ward.</ref> In the following year, a NA fan attends [[Eastercon]], the [[UK]] [[national convention]]. There are a few exceptions to the regular alternation: When the [[Worldcons by Area#Europe|Worldcon is held in Europe]], one the races are scheduled so the American winner goes to that Worldcon.<ref>[https://taff.org.uk/news/tafluv02.html There was a discussion in 1986] whether Eastercon might be a better Platonic expression of the [[Britfandom]] spirit, where the TAFF guest was not lost in crowds of Americans who inevitably travel to Worldcons abroad; however candidates [https://taff.org.uk/news/tafluv06.html expressed preference] for [[Conspiracy '87]] over [[BECCON '87]]. As European Worldcons became more frequent, and routes of transatlantic communication were opened by internet and low-cost flights, it has become a de facto rule to run TAFF eastward in such years.</ref> | |
| − | + | To run, fans need to get three nominators from their side of the Atlantic and two from the destination side. 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 were distributed with [[fanzines]] and handed out at conventions or [[club]]s; this has been largely replaced by the [[internet]]. | |
| + | |||
| + | Funds are raised through a required minimum voting fee, donations, and benefit [[auction]]s or fanzine/book sales at cons and by mail. | ||
| + | |||
| + | Winners usually get convention [[memberships]] comped as [[special guest]]s and stay at fans’ homes before and after the con, traveling to different fan centers and getting to know fans better in the host country. They are 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 fan [[organisation]]s have offered a substantial donation to TAFF for any report finished within five years. | ||
| + | |||
| + | The winners spend the next two years acting as '''TAFF administrators''' on their side of the Atlantic, fundraising, publicizing the fund, overseeing the subsequent TAFF elections and helping to arrange the winners’ trips. | ||
| + | |||
| + | * [https://taff.org.uk Unofficial but comprehensive TAFF website] maintained by [[Dave Langford]] since 2005, reproducing ballots, [[newsletter]]s and voting results for past races. The site also offers free [[fannish]] ebooks, some TAFF [[trip report]]s and ''TAFF Trip Report Anthology'' ([[Ansible Editions]], 2017) – a compilation of trip reports left unfinished or too brief for separate publication, along with sample chapters from reports still in progress. | ||
| + | * [https://taff.org.uk/taffpubs.html Table of trip reports] (up to 2018, later replaced by the comprehensive detailed listing) | ||
| + | * [[Clevention PR 4 Article on TAFF]]. | ||
| + | * {{fanzineindex |name=TAFF publications|dir=TAFF}}. | ||
| + | * ''[[The Trans-Atlantic Fan Fund (Moffatt)]]'' ([[N3F]] [[Fandbook]], 1963). | ||
| + | |||
| + | See also: [[TAFF Wars]], [[Fan Funds]]. | ||
<tab head=top> | <tab head=top> | ||
| − | Year || Direction and Winner || Other Candidates || Notes || Reports and candidate zines | + | Year || Direction and Winner || Other Candidates || Notes || Reports (and candidate zines) |
| − | [[1952 TAFF | + | [[1952 TAFF Race|1952]] || << [[Walt Willis]] || none – one-purpose [[WAW With the Crew in '52]] || Not a race, and TAFF didn't exist yet, but usually included as the one that started it all || ''[[The Harp Stateside]]'' |
| − | [[1954 TAFF | + | [[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 | + | [[1955 TAFF Race|1955]] || << [[Ken Bulmer]] || [[Eric Bentcliffe]], [[Terry Jeeves]] || Ken went with [[Pamela Bulmer]] || ''[[TAFF Tales]]'' (1959–61, coll 1998) |
| − | [[1956 TAFF | + | [[1956 TAFF Race|1956]] || >> [[Lee Hoffman]] || [[Forrest J Ackerman]], [[Dave Kyle]], [[Gertrude M. Carr]], [[Kent Corey]], [[Hal Shapiro]], [[Lou Tabakow]] || Hoffman declined TAFF funds, going with [[Larry Shaw]] on their own as honeymoon; 2nd [[Ackerman]] was unable to go || |
| − | [[1957 TAFF | + | [[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]]'' (1958–60, coll 1976) |
| − | [[1958 TAFF | + | [[1958 TAFF Race|1958]] || << [[Ron Bennett]] || [[John Berry]], [[Dave Newman]] || See [[TAFF Wars]]; sailed on ''Queen Mary'' || ''[[Colonial Excursion]]'', 1961 |
| − | [[1959 TAFF | + | [[1959 TAFF Race|1959]] || >> [[Don Ford]] || [[Terry Carr]], [[Bjo Wells]] || See [[TAFF Wars]] || ''[[TAFF Baedeker]]'', 1960–1 |
| − | [[1960 TAFF | + | [[1960 TAFF Race|1960]] || << [[Eric Bentcliffe]] || [[Mal Ashworth]], {{nowrap| [[H. P. Sanderson]] }} || || ''[[EpiTAFF]]'', 1961 |
| − | [[1961 TAFF | + | [[1961 TAFF Race|1961]] || >> [[Ron Ellik]] || [[Dick Eney]] || [[Ella Parker]] went west to [[Seacon]] through [[Parker Pond Fund]] and was mistakenly called the 1961 TAFF winner in at least one fanzine || ''[[The Squirrel's Tale]]'', 1969 |
| − | [[1962 TAFF | + | [[1962 TAFF Race|1962]] || << [[Ethel Lindsay]] || [[Eddie Jones]] || || ''[[The Lindsay Report]]'', 1963 |
| − | [[1963 TAFF | + | [[1963 TAFF Race|1963]] || >> [[Wally Weber]] || [[Marion Zimmer Bradley]], [[Bruce Pelz]] || || "Cry Abroad", ''[[Cry of the Nameless]]'' #174 June 1964 |
| − | [[ | + | [[1964 TAFF Race|1964]] || << {{nowrap| [[Arthur Thomson]] }} || [[Phil Rogers]] || || ''[[ATom Abroad]]'' (1965) |
| − | [[1965 TAFF | + | [[1965 TAFF Race|1965]] || >> [[Terry Carr]] || [[Bill Donaho]], [[Jock Root]] || || "[[Beyond the Mnemonic Statute of Limitations]]" (1984) |
| − | [[1966 TAFF | + | [[1966 TAFF Race|1966]] || << [[Thomas Schluck]] (DE) || [[Eric Jones]], [[Bo Stenfors]], [[Peter Weston]] || || none at all – apparently the first such case |
| − | + | colspan=5 | 1967 was the very first year skipped, with details largely lost in the mist of time | |
| − | [[1969 TAFF | + | [[1968 TAFF Race|1968]] || >> [[Steve Stiles]] || [[Ed Cox]], [[Ted Johnstone]] || || ''[[Harrison Country]]'' (1968–2006, coll 2007) |
| − | [[1970 TAFF | + | [[1969 TAFF Race|1969]] || << [[Eddie Jones]] || [[Bob Shaw]] || || |
| − | [[1971 TAFF | + | [[1970 TAFF Race|1970]] || >> [[Elliot Shorter]] || [[Charlie Brown]], [[Bill Rotsler]] || [[Heicon]] declared in advance to have the winner as its [[Fan GoH]] || several articles in 1970 |
| − | [[1973 TAFF | + | [[1971 TAFF Race|1971]] || << [[Mario Bosnyak]] (DE) || [[Per Insulander]], [[Terry Jeeves]], [[Peter Weston]] || Note [[TAFF Wars]] again. || |
| − | [[1974 TAFF | + | [[1973 TAFF Race|1973]] || >> [[Len Moffatt|Len]] & [[June Moffatt]] || [[Howard DeVore]], {{nowrap| [[Frank Dietz|Frank]] & [[Ann Dietz]] }} || || ''[[The Moffatt House Abroad]]'', 1974 |
| − | [[ | + | [[1974 TAFF Race|1974]] || << [[Peter Weston]] || [[Peter Roberts]] || || ''"Weston Discovers America"'', chapter in ''[[With Stars in My Eyes]]'' (2004) |
| − | [[1977 TAFF | + | colspan=5 | 1975 skipped, possibly in relation to the [[Aussiecon]] |
| − | [[1979 TAFF | + | [[1976 TAFF Race|1976]] || >> [[Roy Tackett]] tie w. [[Bill Bowers]] || (vote tied, both candidates declared winners) || Funds not enough for 2 regular tickets, a cheap charter was found but got cancelled. Bowers withdrew, either as [https://checkpoint.ansible.uk/cp066.html#04 he couldn't pay the full fare] or had personal problems. || "[[Tackett's Travels in Taffland]]", 1985 |
| − | [[1980 TAFF | + | [[1977 TAFF Race|1977]] || << [[Peter Roberts]] || [[Terry Jeeves]], {{nowrap| [[Peter Presford]] }} || || ''[[New Routes in America]]'' |
| − | [[1981 TAFF | + | [[1979 TAFF Race|1979]] || >> [[Terry Hughes]] || [[Fred Haskell]], {{nowrap| [[Suzanne Tompkins]] }} || || |
| − | [[1982 TAFF | + | [[1980 TAFF Race|1980]] || << {{nowrap| [[Dave Langford]]}} || [[Jim Barker]] || || ''[[The Transatlantic Hearing Aid]]'' chapters '81–4, coll '85 |
| − | [[1983 TAFF | + | [[1981 TAFF Race|1981]] || >> [[Stu Shiffman]] || [[Gary Farber]] || || |
| − | [[1984 TAFF | + | [[1982 TAFF Race|1982]] || << [[Kevin Smith]] || [[Rog Peyton]] || || [http://kevjsmith.co.uk/taff-trip/ ''Nothing'', 2022 online] / [https://taff.org.uk/ebooks.php?x=Nothing PoD paperback] |
| − | [[1985 TAFF | + | [[1983 TAFF Race|1983]] || >> [[Avedon Carol]] || [[Grant Canfield]], [[Larry Carmody]], [[Taral Wayne]] (CA) || || |
| − | [[1986 TAFF | + | [[1984 TAFF Race|1984]] || << [[Rob Hansen]] || [[D. West]] || New [[TAFF Wars]] started || ''[[On the TAFF Trail]]'' (1984–91, coll 1994) |
| − | [[1987 TAFF | + | [[1985 TAFF Race|1985]] || >> [[Patrick Nielsen Hayden|Patrick]] & [[Teresa Nielsen Hayden]] || [[Rich Coad]], {{nowrap| [[Martha Beck]] (write-in)}} || Peak [[TAFF Wars]] || three chapters 1985–7 |
| − | [[1988 TAFF | + | [[1986 TAFF Race|1986]] || << [[Greg Pickersgill]] || [[Judith Hanna]], {{nowrap| [[Simon Ounsley]] }} || || planned only as a few third-party reports |
| − | [[1989 TAFF | + | [[1987 TAFF Race|1987]] || >> [[Jeanne Gomoll]] || [[Bill Bowers]], [[Brian Earl Brown]], [[Mike Glicksohn]] (CA), [[Robert Lichtman]] || || ''[[TAFForensic Report]]'' |
| − | [[ | + | [[1988 TAFF Race|1988]] || << [[Lilian Edwards]] & [[Christina Lake]] || [[Martin Tudor]], {{nowrap| [[Dave Wood]] }} || || |
| − | [[1992 TAFF | + | [[1989 TAFF Race|1989]] || >> [[Robert Lichtman]] || [[Luke McGuff]] || || |
| − | [[1993 TAFF | + | colspan=5 | 1990 skipped, possibly as [[ConFiction]] in [[Netherlands]] would disrupt the alternations |
| − | [[ | + | [[1991 TAFF Race|1991]] || << [[Pam Wells]] || [[Abigail Frost]], {{nowrap| [[Bruno Ogorelec]] (HR)<ref>Often mis-spelled "Ogorolec".</ref> }} || || chapters 1991–7 |
| − | [[1996 TAFF | + | [[1992 TAFF Race|1992]] || >> [[Jeanne Bowman]] || [[Richard Brandt]] || || |
| − | [[1998 TAFF | + | [[1993 TAFF Race|1993]] || << [[Abigail Frost]] || [[Michael Ashley (Leeds)]], [[Tony Berry]], [[Ashley Watkins]] || Frost's subsequent administration was fraught and resulted in the loss of much of the European funds || fragments esp. in ''[[Ansible]]'' |
| − | [[1998 TAFF | + | colspan=5 | 1994 likely skipped/postponed due to the [[1995 Worldcon]] in UK? see the [https://taff.org.uk/news/taferend.html spring 1993 "Tafferendum"], although it does not mention this option explicitly |
| − | [[ | + | [[1995 TAFF Race|1995]] || >> [[Dan Steffan]] || [[Samanda b Jeude]], {{nowrap| [[Joe Wesson]] }} || || |
| − | [[2000 TAFF | + | [[1996 TAFF Race|1996]] || << [[Martin Tudor]] || [[M. J. "Simo" Simpson]] || || ''[[Have Bag, Will Travel]]'' |
| − | [[2001 TAFF | + | colspan=5 | 1997 [https://taff.org.uk/news/taff_nl2.html eastward race was announced in Nov '96] with a deadly deadline of one month, but apparently soon quietly postponed by a year |
| − | [[2002 TAFF | + | [[1998 TAFF Race|1998]] || >> [[Ulrika O'Brien]] || [[Victor Gonzalez]], [[Vicki Rosenzweig]], {{nowrap| [[Thomas D. Sadler]] }} || || Chapters have appeared 2000-2017; still in progress |
| − | [[2003 TAFF | + | [[1998 TAFF Race|1998]] || << [[Maureen Kincaid Speller]] || [[Chris Bell]], {{nowrap| [[Bridget Hardcastle]] }} || 2nd 1998 race, held as a "catch up" for the missed 1997 || ''[[Snufkin Goes West]]'' |
| − | [[ | + | [[1999 TAFF Race|1999]] || >> [[Velma "Vjay" Bowen]] || [[Sarah Prince]] || || |
| − | [[2005 TAFF | + | [[2000 TAFF Race|2000]] || << [[Sue Mason]] || [[Tommy Ferguson]], {{nowrap| [[Tobes Valois]] }} || || ''[[Into The Wide Purple Yonder]]'' |
| − | + | [[2001 TAFF Race|2001]] || >> [[Victor Gonzalez]] || [[Tom Springer]] || || | |
| − | [[2007 TAFF | + | [[2002 TAFF Race|2002]] || << [[Tobes Valois]] || [[Chris O'Shea]] || || ''[[Tobes Taff Ting]]'' |
| − | [[2008 TAFF | + | [[2003 TAFF Race|2003]] || >> [[Randy Byers]] || [[Colin Hinz]] (CA), [[Mike Lowrey]], [[Curt Phillips]] || || ''[[The King of TAFFland's Bent Sprog]]''; chapters in ''[[Chunga]]''; unfinished before Randy's 2017 death |
| − | [[2009 TAFF | + | [[2004 TAFF Race|2004]] || << [[James Bacon]] || [[Anders Holmström]] (SE) || || ''[[WorldconNomicon]]'' |
| − | [[2010 TAFF | + | [[2005 TAFF Race|2005]] || >> [[Suzanne Tompkins]] || [[Chaz Boston Baden]], {{nowrap| [[Curt Phillips]] }} || || ''Jerry's Suzle's 2005 TAFF Trip Report – Travels in the United Kingdom in 2005'' (2009) |
| − | [[2011 TAFF | + | [[2006 TAFF Race|2006]] || << [[Bridget Bradshaw]] || [[Arthur Cruttenden]] || || |
| − | [[2012 TAFF | + | [[2007 TAFF Race|2007]] || >> (cancelled) || [[Chris Garcia]], {{nowrap| [[Mary Kay Kare]] }}|| announced Jun ’06, voting from 6 Oct, [[2007 Eastercon]] cancelled 31 Oct, on 6 Nov admins decided “2007 TAFF race will be postponed until 2008“ || ''[[PrintZine]]'' |
| − | [[2013 TAFF | + | [[2008 TAFF Race|2008]] || >> [[Chris Garcia]] || [[Chris Barkley]], [[Linda Deneroff]], {{nowrap| [[Christian McGuire]] }} || || ''[[Rockets Across the Waters]]'' (April 2008!) <br> (''[[PrintZine]]'' New Series) |
| − | [[2014 TAFF | + | [[2009 TAFF Race|2009]] || << [[Steve Green]] || [[Tom Womack]] || || ''[[Are You Still Here?]]'' |
| − | [[2015 TAFF | + | [[2010 TAFF Race|2010]] || >> [[Brian Gray]] & [[Anne Gray |Anne K. G. Murphy]] || [[Frank Wu]] || || [[Anne and Brian Gray's TAFF Reports]] |
| − | [[2016 TAFF | + | [[2011 TAFF Race|2011]] || << [[John Coxon]] || [[Graham Charnock]], [[Liam Proven]], [[Paul Treadaway]] || || ''[[Best. Trip. Ever.]]'' (chapters 2011; 2020) |
| − | [[2017 TAFF | + | [[2012 TAFF Race|2012]] || >> [[Jacqueline Monahan]] || [[Kim G. Kofmel]], {{nowrap| [[Warren Buff]] }} || || ''[[Same Planet, Different World]]'' |
| − | [[2018 TAFF | + | [[2013 TAFF Race|2013]] || << [[Jim Mowatt]] || [[Theresa Derwin]] || || ''[[Wherever I Lay My Hat!]]'' (bids: ''[[Theresa for TAFF Newsletter]]'', ''[[Tiny TAFFzine]]'') |
| − | [[2019 TAFF | + | [[2014 TAFF Race|2014]] || >> [[Curt Phillips]] || [[Brad Foster|Brad]] & [[Cindy Foster]], [[Randy Smith]] || || [[TAFFtastic]] |
| + | [[2015 TAFF Race|2015]] || << [[Nina Horvath]] || [[Wolf von Witting]] || || [[TAFFWorld]] | ||
| + | [[2016 TAFF Race|2016]] || << [[Anna Raftery]] || [[Wolf von Witting]] || Alternation of direction suspended due to 2017 and 2019 Worldcons in Europe || ''[[Cuttlefish and Cake]]'' (Oct 2021)<ref>[https://procrastinations.co.uk/asp-products/cuttlefish-and-cake/ PDF/MP3 download] for £5 going to TAFF.</ref> | ||
| + | [[2017 TAFF Race|2017]] || >> [[John Purcell]] || [[Sarah Gulde]], {{nowrap| [[Alissa McKersie]] }} || || in progress, chapters 2017–8 | ||
| + | [[2018 TAFF Race|2018]] || << [[Johan Anglemark]] (SE) || [[Fia Karlsson]] (SE), {{nowrap| [[Helena McCallum]] }}|| || {{link | website=https://taff2018.com | text=Trip blog}} | ||
| + | [[2019 TAFF Race|2019]] || >> [[Geri Sullivan]] || [[Teresa Cochran]], [[Sarah Gulde]], [[Mike Lowrey]] || || | ||
| + | [[2020 TAFF Race|2020]] || >> [[Mike Lowrey]] || [[Ann Totusek]], on “Send Mike!” platform || alternation suspended in Sep ’19: “Looking at 5 future Worldcons and … bids … makes the most sense … as many as possible of the following TAFF races will go to a Worldcon.” Due to [[Covid]] and cancellation of Eastercon(s) trip delayed to April ’22 || "A Visible Fan Abroad: A TAFF Journal of the Plague Years. Chapter the First: The Trip That Never Was" in ''[[Beam]]'' 17, Oct '22 | ||
| + | [[2021 TAFF Race|2021]] || colspan=4 | Skipped / postponed by a year in October 2020 because of [[Covid-19]] | ||
| + | [[2022 TAFF Race|2022]] || << [[Fia Karlsson]] (SE) || [[Anders Holmström]] (SE), {{nowrap| [[Mikołaj Kowalewski]] (PL), }} [[Julie Faith McMurray]] || || | ||
| + | [[2023 TAFF Race|2023]] || << [[Sandra Bond]] || [[Mikołaj Kowalewski]] || first trip to the [[NASFiC]], [[Pemmi-con]] in Canada || ''[[Her Beautiful Mistake]]'', in progress: ''[[Idea]]'' 13, ''[[Octothorpe]]'' 80 | ||
| + | [[2024 TAFF Race|2024]] || >> [[Sarah Gulde]] || [[Vanessa Applegate]] || | ||
</tab> | </tab> | ||
{{fancy2|text= | {{fancy2|text= | ||
| − | 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 | + | 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 [[CFG|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 [[Walt Willis|Willis]], [[Vin¢ Clarke]], [[Ken Slater|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 | + | 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 Bulmer|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 ( | + | So far it's sent over [[Ken Bulmer|Ken]] (and [[Pam Bulmer|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 [[TAFF Wars|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 [[feud|argument]], since they had previously used their discretion to reject the sort of questionable votes against which protest was made. |
| − | + | }} | |
| − | + | {{Fancy2S|text= | |
| − | Concerning the [[Ashfield]] fund: in 1953 [[Don Ford]] had a raffle going to raise money for | + | Concerning the [[Norm Ashfield|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 [[Walt Willis|Willis]] and [[Ted Carnell|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 | + | {{fanfund | start=1952 | end=}} |
| − | |||
[[Category:fancy2]] | [[Category:fancy2]] | ||
| − | |||
[[Category:initialism]] | [[Category:initialism]] | ||
| + | [[Category:US]] | ||
| + | [[Category:Canada]] | ||
| + | [[Category:UK]] | ||
| + | [[Category:Ireland]] | ||
| + | [[Category:Europe]] | ||
Latest revision as of 14:02, 1 October 2024
The Trans-Atlantic Fan Fund is a fan fund that has brought fans from the UK or Europe to conventions in North America and vice versa since 1954.[1]
The first yearly fan fund, TAFF followed the second successful fund to bring a fan from overseas to Worldcon (then exclusively a North American affair) – the WAW With the Crew in '52 Campaign for Walt Willis to the Chicon II. That, in turn, was inspired by the Big Pond Fund, which brought Ted Carnell to Cinvention in 1949.
Afterwards, these examples were generalized to a permanent fund; the planning stages were briefly called British Fan Fund and later Two-Way Transatlantic Fan Fund when it became clear the directions should be alternated, but this never 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, connecting Austral(as)ia into the triangle. However, there were several flareups of TAFF Wars when All Fandom was Plunged into War, the last and most notorious in 1984–5. This led to the development of the "20 % rule" intended to ensure that no one side of the ocean should be able to force their own favo(u)rite on unwilling hosts.
Every other year, a European fan (traditionally, but increasingly often not, from the UK) is elected to attend a Worldcon in North America.[2] In the following year, a NA fan attends Eastercon, the UK national convention. There are a few exceptions to the regular alternation: When the Worldcon is held in Europe, one the races are scheduled so the American winner goes to that Worldcon.[3]
To run, fans need to get three nominators from their side of the Atlantic and two from the destination side. 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 were distributed with fanzines and handed out at conventions or clubs; this has been largely replaced by the internet.
Funds are raised through a required minimum voting fee, donations, and benefit auctions or fanzine/book sales at cons and by mail.
Winners usually get convention memberships comped as special guests and stay at fans’ homes before and after the con, traveling to different fan centers and getting to know fans better in the host country. They are 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 fan organisations have offered a substantial donation to TAFF for any report finished within five years.
The winners spend the next two years acting as TAFF administrators on their side of the Atlantic, fundraising, publicizing the fund, overseeing the subsequent TAFF elections and helping to arrange the winners’ trips.
- Unofficial but comprehensive TAFF website maintained by Dave Langford since 2005, reproducing ballots, newsletters and voting results for past races. The site also offers free fannish ebooks, some TAFF trip reports and TAFF Trip Report Anthology (Ansible Editions, 2017) – a compilation of trip reports left unfinished or too brief for separate publication, along with sample chapters from reports still in progress.
- Table of trip reports (up to 2018, later replaced by the comprehensive detailed listing)
- Clevention PR 4 Article on TAFF.
- TAFF publications online at fanac.org.
- The Trans-Atlantic Fan Fund (N3F Fandbook, 1963).
See also: TAFF Wars, Fan Funds.
- ↑ No fan from Canada has won TAFF, although a few have tried. As for the opposite direction, Britons were sent to one out of four Canadian Worldcons (during TAFF’s existence, in 2009), while the 1973 and 2003 trips were eastward and 1994 held no race at all, and to the only Canadian NASFiC in 2023.
- ↑ NASFiC is a possibility in years when the Worldcon is held outside NA (or Europe, which takes precedence as noted below). However, this did not happen until 2023: there was no TAFF race in 1975 and all trips in 1985, 1999, 2007, 2010 and 2020 went East(er)ward.
- ↑ There was a discussion in 1986 whether Eastercon might be a better Platonic expression of the Britfandom spirit, where the TAFF guest was not lost in crowds of Americans who inevitably travel to Worldcons abroad; however candidates expressed preference for Conspiracy '87 over BECCON '87. As European Worldcons became more frequent, and routes of transatlantic communication were opened by internet and low-cost flights, it has become a de facto rule to run TAFF eastward in such years.
- ↑ Often mis-spelled "Ogorolec".
- ↑ PDF/MP3 download for £5 going to TAFF.
| 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. |
