Pierre Versins
(January 12, 1923 – April 19, 2001)
Pierre Versins was the penname of Jacques Chamson a French fan, pro, collector and bibliographer who spent three decades living in Switzerland. He founded the club Futopia with his wife, Martine Thomé, and was a member of FAPA. He was a fanartist, too.
He began writing and collecting sf in the 1950s, publishing four novels. An authority on early sf, Versins is best remembered for his 1,000-page Encyclopédie de l'Utopie et de la sf ["Encyclopedia of Utopia and SF"] (1972), which was given a Special Committee Award at the 1973 Worldcon, Torcon 2.
Versins donated his collection of books, magazines and sf memorabilia to the town of Yverdon-les-bains, Switzerland, in 1975, spending five years as the curator of the local sf museum that created, La Maison d'Ailleurs, before moving back to France in 1981.
Versins was a survivor of Auschwitz.
- Entry in The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction.
- Pierre Versins: His Life, His Work documentary (French with English subtitles).
- 1973 interview (French).
Awards, Honors and GoHships:
- 1973 — Special Committee Award
- 1991 — Pilgrim Award
| Person | 1923—2001 |
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