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THE AUSTRALIAN SCIENCE FICTION FOUNDATION |
P.O. Box 215 Forest Hill Vic 3131.
Email address: asffsecretary@optusnet.com.au
About the Foundation
The Chandler Award
The Norma K Hemming Award
The Wright Collection
Fan Funds
Amateur SF Competition
Joining the Foundation
USEFUL LINKS
Aussiecon 4 is coming in 2010! |
The Australian Science Fiction Foundation (affectionately known as the Foundation) was formally established in 1976, partially to carry on the work of Aussiecon, the first Australian World Science Fiction Convention.
Its main purpose is to sponsor and encourage the creation and appreciation of science fiction in Australia. The Foundation does that through the sponsorship and administration of writing workshops and short story competitions, seed loans to national conventions, and the publication of its newsletter, The Instrumentality. The Foundation has, since its inception, been a resource centre for everyone involved in Science Fiction in Australia.
The Foundation was the nucleus for the successful Aussiecon II bid and its members worked, along with many others, to run the 1985 Worldcon in Melbourne. In March 1988, the Foundation became an incorporated association.
The results of the Foundation's work can be seen at many conventions, for the Foundation lends seed money to get Natcons up and running. It also provides the funds for prizes in short story competitions. Help the Foundation carry on its good work - join now.
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In 1991 the Foundation set about establishing a new award for "Outstanding Achievement in Australian Science Fiction". In recognition of the contribution that science fiction writer A. Bertram Chandler made to Australian Science Fiction, and because of his patronage of the Foundation, the new award (after gaining the approval of Bert's widow Susan) is called the Chandler. Unlike the Ditmars, this award is decided upon by a jury and, although nominally an annual award presented in conjunction with the National Science Fiction Convention, is not necessarily presented every year.
The first Chandler Award was presented in 1992 to Van Ikin at the National Science Fiction Convention - SynCon '92. Subsequent winners were Merv Binns, George Turner, Wynne Whiteford, Grant Stone, Susan Batho(Smith-Clarke), Graham Stone, John Bangsund, John Foyster, Lucy Sussex, Lee Harding, Bruce Gillespie and Rosaleen Love.
Nominations for the Chandler Award are always open. Just drop a note to the Secretary via the post box or email.
Until now there has been no specifically ‘feminist’ award for SF in Australia. Following representations by the Western Australian Science Fiction Foundation (WASFF), ASSF has decided to sponsor and administer a jury award to be known as the Norma K Hemming Award. The award will mark excellence in the exploration of themes of race, gender, class and sexuality in science fiction produced either in Australia or by Australian citizens and first published in the calendar year preceding the year in which the award is given.
Norma Kathleen Hemming (1927-1960) is an Australian fan and author whose work was informed by her experiences as one of the few women active in science fiction in her time.
More
about this award, and Norma Hemming and her life and times
How
to submit a work for the inaugural award
As a result of the generous donation Bill Wright, the Foundation has begun a memorabilia collection of fanzines, convention booklets, etc., some as early as from the 1950s. It is now housed at the Melbourne Science Fiction Club but may be accessed by fans. An audio/visual collection, such as the Anti-fan films, is also stored there. Any donations of films, photos, audio tapes are gratefully accepted.
More about the Wright Collection
The Foundation is pleased to announce that three fan funds have taken advantage of using a sub-account under the ASFF's main account to avoid the difficulties and expense of having to set up new accounts each time the administrators change. The account fees are negligible.
(General information about Fan Funds is available at: http://fanac.org/fan_funds/fan-funds.html.)
The Foundation currently supports these Fan Funds:
DUFF (Down Under Fan Fund). Full details can be found at: http://sffanz.sf.org.nz/duff/index.shtml.
FFANZ (Fan Fund for Australia and New Zealand). Information about FFANZ can be found at: http://ffanz.sf.org.nz/ .
GUFF (Get Up-and-over Fan Fund or Going Under Fan Fund - depending on which way you're going!) For more information visit: http://www.ericlindsay.com/guff/
The Foundation is currently working on guidelines to offer conventions running the Amateur SF Competition that the Foundation funds. There would only be suggestions that may assist the committee, particularly if they haven't run one before. If anyone has some ideas that would be helpful please send them to the Foundation for consideration.
Fees:
There is a $5.00 joining fee, plus an annual membership fee of
$10.00. (For overseas members, the annual membership fee is $15, in
Australian dollars please.) Write, or email,
the secretary for a membership form, or download one!
SF Groups
Upcoming Conventions
SF Resources
AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL TERRITORY
CANBERRA SCIENCE FICTION SOCIETY meets on the 1st and 3rd Thursdays of the month. It's a relaxed social society for the discussion of SF and fantasy. Membership $24 p.a. For more info write to: CSFS, PO Box 47, Civic Square, ACT 2608, or e-mail canberrascifi@hotmail.com.
NEW SOUTH WALES
FRIENDS OF SCIENCE FICTION meet monthly at the Granville Youth & Community Centre (Sydney). Meeting from 10am-6pm. $10 members, $15 non-members.http://fsf.net.au/
NEWCASTLE SPACE FRONTIER SOCIETY (NSFS) Regular meetings and social functions. Full details available at http://www.nssa.com.au/nsfs.
SPOCKSOC: A SF group run by students at the University of NSW Kensington, Sydney. http://www.spocksoc.unsw.edu.au
STARWALKING (NSW) holds meetings
at the Lidcombe Catholic Workers Club, 24 John St, Lidcombe, opposite
Lidcombe Railway station on the third Sunday of some months. http://sydskyforce.starwalking.net/
SYDNEY FUTURIANS: Contact address: P.O. Box 152 Bexley North, NSW, 2207. Usually meet on the 3rd Friday of the month (except for December) in the foyer of UTS building, Broadway at 6.55pm.
QUEENSLAND
QUEST Queensland Star Trekkers Fan Club usually meet at the PCYC Fortitude Valley on the second Sunday of the month (though this occasionally changes) . Contact Mary Kemp either by phone: 07 3290 4243 or by e-mail: jmkemp@bigpond. net.au. The club's snail mail address is still PO BOX 2084, Brisbane, QLD. 4001. Quest's new website will be up and running in the near future.
VISIONS WRITERS GROUP offers meeting and critiquing for SF, Fantasy and Horror writers in QLD. Monthly meetings from 11am -2 pm, first Sunday of the month (except Jan and Dec) at Queensland State Library, Rm 2D, 2nd Floor. Brisbane. $10 joining fee, and $4 per meeting. There website is http://visionwriters.org. You can also join their virtual group (great for writing tips and general SF info) at http://groups.yahoo.com/ group/vision-writers.
SOUTH AUSTRALIA
OUT THERE "You find a lot of queer things in space" is a social club for gay SF fans, mostly over 30, that meets monthly in Adelaide. Phone Rod on 0402027891 for more details.
STARSHIP MAWSON is a South Australian Star Trek fan club, & chapter of Starfleet International, run by Stuart Blair. See http://www.starshipmawson.com/
QUEST Queensland Star Trekkers Fan Club usually meet at the PCYC Fortitude Valley on the second Sunday of the month (though this occasionally changes) . Contact Mary Kemp either by phone: 07 32904243 or by e-mail: jmkemp@bigpond. net.au. The club's snail mail address is still PO BOX 2084, Brisbane, QLD. 4001. Quest's new website will be up and running in the near future.
VISIONS WRITERS GROUP offers meeting and critiquing for SF, Fantasy and Horror writers in QLD Monthly meetings from 11am -2 pm, first Sunday of the month (except Jan and Dec) at Queensland State Library, Rm 2D, 2nd Floor. Brisbane. $10 joining fee, and $4 per meeting. There website is http://visionwriters.org/ You can also join their virtual group (great for writing tips and general SF info) at http://groups. yahoo.com/ group/vision- writers.
VICTORIA
AUSTREK, the Star Trek fan club in Victoria which has been going strong for more than 30 years meet on the 1st Saturday of every month from 2pm at the Northcote Town Hall, Melbourne. http://www.austrek.org/
DR WHO CLUB OF VICTORIA has been going for over 25 years. Their newsletter - Sonic Screwdriver - publishes news, reviews & gossip on Dr Who as well as publishing fanfic & pictures 6 times a year. $35 for a family membership) which gets you 7 issues of the newsletter. They meet at the Northcote Town Hall several times a year. http://www.vicnet.net.au/~dwcv/
FEDERATION SQUARE (Melbourne) SF & Fantasy genres book reading group. Free to attend, Meet on the 2nd Saturday of every month from 11.30am at Café Beer Delux in Federation Square. E-mail books@fedsquare. com.
MELBOURNE SCIENCE FICTION CLUB, Meet most Friday nights at 74
Melville Road, West Brunswick 3055. Membership to the MSFC is $30 single, or
$40 family/household or overseas, and $20 for interstate per annum.
http://www.vicnet.net.au/~msfc/
*SFFiG* SCIENCE FICTION & FANTASY in GEELONG http://au.groups. yahoo.com/ group/SFFiG/ Irregular meets announced via email. Discussions, trivia & games, news and more!
SPACED OUT: a science fiction club for gays, lesbians and associated
communities meets in Melbourne. $5 joining fee, then $20 annual membership. ($15
concession.) to Spaced Out Inc. PO Box 363, Preston, Vic. 3072. Non-profit
SF club offering monthly meetings, "Diverse Universe" newsletter
and "Solar
Spectrum" annual anthology.
http://www.spacedoutinc.org/
WESTERN AUSTRALIA
The DR WHO CLUB OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA meet on the first Saturday of each month 12.30-5pm at The Collins St Centre, Cnr Shaftesbury Ave and Collins St, South Perth. Club stalls, info, afternoon tea and entertainment. See <www.comedydownunder.com/westlodge/> or phone Aaron on (08) 0400 1957.
JAFWA is Perth's largest and oldest anime group. They offer screenings in the Jones lecture theatre, Curtin University from 5pm on any Saturday that isn't the first Saturday of the month. http://jafwa. asn.au/
CONTINUUM 6: Future Tense 26-28 February 2010. GoHs Mark Pesce. Kim Westwood. Attending membership $180 ($130 concession) current until 19th February. See http://www.continuum.org.au/.
STARGATE 2010: 6 March, Sir John Clancy Auditorium, UNSW Campus, Kensington, Sydney, 7 March Melbourne (venue tba) GoHs: Richard Dean Anderson, David Nyki, Connor Trinnear, Dan Shea, Christopher Judge, Ben Browder, David Blue, and (Sydney only) Gigi Edgely. See http://www.thehubproductions.com/events/stargate-2010 for more information.
ANIMANIA FESTIVAL DATES 2010: 20 March - Sydney - Australian Technology Park (ATP), 10 April - Melbourne - Rydges Melbourne, 1 May - Brisbane - Mercure Brisbane, 11-12 September - Sydney - Australian Technology Park (ATP), 2 October - Adelaide - Adelaide Festival Centre (AFC), 30 October - Brisbane - Mercure Brisbane. See http://www.animania.net.au/2009/news/animania-festival-2010.
TRIOCON, a one day convention bringing together Dr Who, Star Trek and Horror fans, Sat 20th March, 9am – 6pm State Library of Victoria, Village Roadshow Theatre, Entrance 3, Latrobe St. GoH's Paul McGann -The 8th Doctor, Dominic Keating & Malcolm Reed from Star Trek: Enterprise, Kane Hodder - Jason from Friday the 13th Parts 7-10. Discounts available for fan club members. Upgrade and have lunch with the guests at the con. See http://www.firstcontactconventions.com.au/Triocon%20Melbourne.htmfor all the details
ARMAGEDDON celebrity collectible fair: SYDNEY: 21 March 2010, Sydney Town Hall, 10am - 5pm. GoH's: Paul McGann, Kane Hodder, Dominic Keating. See http://www.armageddonexpo.com/au/. Also Melbourne October 16/16 Venue TBA.
WORLD HORROR CONVENTION 25-28th March, 2010 at the Royal Albion Hotel Brighton, England. This is the first time this con has been held outside America. LES EDWARDS (aka Edward Miller) and DAVE CARSON are Artist GoHs. Membership: Attending 75 pounds sterling, until Jan 31. (Tickets selling fast. "At the door" and day memberships may not be available.) See http://www.whc2010.org/
SWANCON 2010: CONTAGION, The 35th Annual Western Australian Speculative Fiction Convention, 1-5 April 2010, Venue: TBA GoHs: Scott Sigler, Ian Irvine Attending: $160 until 28 Mar 2010. (cheques can be made out to Swancon 2010 and sent to GPO Box G429 Perth WA 6948) Contact: Linda Deegan, secretary-2010@swancon.comWebsite: http://2010.swancon.com.au/
ODYSSEY 2010 UK national convention, traditional UK Eastercon and ESFS Euroconference (ESFS being the European SF Society). 2-5th April, 2010, Radison Edwardian Hotel, Heathrow, London, UK. GoH's Alastair Reynolds, Iain M. Banks, Liz Williams, Mike Carey & artist Carlos Ezquerra. Five program streams, Dealers hall, art exhibition, fan rooms and 3 bars. See http://www.odyssey2010.org/ for more details.
TWILIGHT event. 24 April, Sir John Clancy Auditorium, UNSW Campus, Kensington (Sydney). 25 April, Melbourne (venue tba) 9am-6pm. GoH Gil Birmingham Ashley Greene, Daniel Cudmore, and others tba. Day ticket: $95. For further details see http://www.thehubproductions.com/Twilight/
MANIFEST 2010 (Melbourne ANIME Festival): 20-22 August 2010. Melbourne Showgrounds. (For more details see http://www.manifest.org.au/site/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=4&Itemid=40.)
AU CONTRAIRE, NZ Natcon, Fri 27-Sun 29th August, 2010 (the week before Aussiecon 4 for those northern hemisphere fans looking to extend their antipodean SF experience) Quality Hotel, Wellington. Full attending membership currently NZ $60. Day & supporting memberships also available. See http://aucontraire.org.nz/ for full details. Snail mail address is PO Box 10104, Wellington NZ.
AUSSIECON 4 (2-6 September, 2010) - Postal address Australia in 2010, GPO Box 1212 Melbourne, Australia. 3001. US AGENT: Mark Linneman, PO Box 221878, Sacramento, CA 95822 USA, UK Agents Eve & John Harvey, European Agent: Vince Docherty. http://aussiecon4.org.au/
DUDCON, the 49th Australian National SF Convention (Natcon) that will be held in conjunction with Aussiecon 4, 3-5th September, 2010, and will be responsible for the serious natcon stuff of running the Ditmars and holding the business meeting for the natcon Fan Guest of Honour: Jacob Blake. Other GoH's to be announced. Various memberships on offer starting with Cheapskate member for $10, Generous member $20, Friend of the Ditmars m/ship $30, Protector of Kittens m/ship $40, All around good bloke/blokess m/ship $50, and Absolute Fucking Legend m/ship $100. Contact details, Paul Ewins, email paulewins@optusnet.com.au, or PO Box 1126, North Melbourne. VIC 3132.
WORLD FANTASY CONVENTION 2010 will be held October 28-31 at the Hyatt Regency Hotel, Columbus, Ohio (USA) Attending membership US $125. Snail mail WFC 2010, 3824 Patricia Dr, Upper Arlington, OH 43220, USA. Or see http://www.contextsf.org/WFC for more details.
SFContario, Toronto, Canada. November 19-21, 2010. Ramada Plaza Hotel in Toronto. GoHs: Michael Swanwick, Hugo- and Nebula-award winning author of Bones of the Earth, Patrick and Teresa Nielsen Hayden, Tor Books editors, Geri Sullivan & Karen Linsley. Attending membership CAN$45. See http://sfcontario.ca/
RENOVATION is the Worldcon in Reno, Nevada, USA August 17-21, 2011. GoH's: Tim Powers, Ellen Asher, fantasy artist Boris Vallejo/ Venue: Reno-Sparks Conventioin Centre & The Atlantis Hotel main venues. See http://renovationsf.org/ for more details. Australian Agent: Jean Weber.
THE AUSTRALIAN SCIENCE FICTION BULLSHEET - All the news of what's happening in SF in Australia and around the world. http://bullsheet.sf.org.au/
METEOR INCORPORATED is an Australian organisation seeking to securely preserve Australia's great SF and Fantasy collections of books, magazines and other memorabilia when the current owners can no longer maintain their collection. Meteor Inc was formed in 2007 as a not-for-profit incorporated organisation to raise funds to set up a permanent science fiction institution and research collection in Australia. The repository will be based on donations of the great SF and fantasy collections of Australia. Meteor Inc plans to buy premises and set up a fully functioning library and research facility. http://www.meteor.org.au/
Last Update: 28 January 2010.