TAFF Talk 7

yet another official Transatlantic Fan Fund bulletin from the European Administrator: Dave Langford, 22 Northumberland Avenue, Reading, Berks, RG2 7PW, UK. The North American administrator is still Stu Shiffman, 19 Broadway Terrace (1D), New York, NY 10040, USA. This bulletin is being distributed with Ansible 17 and at Yorcon II, the 32nd British Eastercon, at which Stu Shiffman (on his TAFF trip) will manifest himself before the unbelieving eyes of British fandom. Please do come to the book and fanzine auctions if you read this at Yorcon: lots of lots (sorry) have been kindly donated and are being sold in aid of TAFF and its UK-->Oz counterpart GUFF. Cartoon: Grant Canfield.

The Next TAFF Race

It's now time to open TAFF nominations -- this time for the 1982 race which will culminate in the transfer (as if by magic) of some lucky Eurofan to the USA to attend Chicon IV, the 40th World SF Convention, to be held in Chicago from 2-6 September 1982. The fan who eventually makes the trip will have been voted the privilege by his or her fellow-fans here and in America: for the benefit of prospective 1982 candidates (and to save me having to write any more letters explaining all this again), I'm listing below what's required to get onto the TAFF ballot.

Basically, of course, you need great fame, power, personal charm and charisma, a sense of oneness with fandom across the water, and other godlike qualities. That's your problem. What you formally need: --

(a) two North American and three European nominators. All a nominator need do, besides having been active in fandom for a couple of years, is provide a bit of paper saying "I nominate xxxxxx for TAFF", which should then be forwarded to the relevant Administrator (me). Whether the nominators persuade the prospective candidate to stand, or whether the candidate persuades fans to nominate him/her, is up to the people concerned. Nominations should be signed, please!

(b) a 'posting of bond', vaguely like an election deposit and intended to confirm your Interest and Faith in TAFF. In short: you donate £5 to TAFF (unless you can persuade your friendly nominators to pay this vast sum for you).

(c) a 'platform' of up to 100 words, for reproduction on the TAFF ballot form. The choice of words is up to you, or whoever writes them for you: traditionally it's a recital of your many virtues and achievements which make you worthy of TAFF.

(d) various solemn promises. The most important is the promise to travel if elected to Chicon IV (unless prevented by act of god or gods); there are also vast moral obligations to administrate the fund for the next two TAFF races, running auctions, wheedling donations from fans, inventing weird fundraising notions of your own, counting ballots and sending transatlantic telegrams to determine the next American and the next European delegate (which latter person will at last relieve you of your' duties). The intermittent tradition of writing a detailed trip report (for sale in aid of TAFF) is one possibility: other and loss prosy fans have raised money through their talents as ace auctioneers, artists or even editors.

Each TAFF candidate should rush these things to me before the end of June. (Not to Stu: he'll be doing this part of the work for the next TAFF race.) I'll be available at the Brum Group's partycon on 27 June to collect last-minute stuff, and will be preparing the TAFF voting forms as soon as possible after the deadline, for massive distribution through Ansible, the ever-kindly BSFA and (I hope) the next Eastercon mailing. Voting will continue until Easter next year, giving time for much thrilling TAFF campaigning. Oh yes... one little fund-raising notion of my own: I'd be grateful if each candidate could supply, preferably by the same deadline, a black-and-white line drawing design for a 'campaign badge' saying 'XXXXXX For TAFF' (or whatever slogan you choose to adopt). Designs should fit comfortably onto a standard 2 1/8" diameter badge, and may be by yourself or by a tame artist. In due course I'll have the designs made up into dozens of badges for purchase (I hope) by the supporters of each candidate. Meanwhile, there are a few other things I'd like you to buy: --

'FRIEND OF TAFF' badges in black and yellow: professionally made-up metal badges from the worst badgemakers in the world (Better Badges, Portobello Road -- avoid them), 2 1/8" diameter, not much of a bargain at 50p...

TAFF-DDU alias Twll-Ddu 17, famous poll-topping fanzine from Jim Barker and me: 50p at Hazel's bookstall until the end of Yorcon, whereupon it rises to £1 post free (sorry, stocks are running low). Some other back numbers of TV also available at £1 each (stocks very low); the latest, TD19, is only 50p post free since stocks are not in the least low. Hugely famous Hugo-nominated fanzine from hugely infamous me; possibly overpriced, but they were going too fast at only 50p.

War In 2080 corrections sheet -- if you've been lumbered with the hardback of my not at all famous book, a mere 20p post free will save you buying the paperback (Sphere, 23 April) to find what the changes were. Tasteful 4pp booklet, ie. one sheet folded to fit neatly inside, hardback... Signed if you like.

Dekalb Flying Sweetcorn Stickers: still huge piles left of this weird item from possibly weird US fan Marie Bartlett. Six of these strange winged fertility symbols (1 ¾" long) on each sheet. Roars of laughter! Breaks the ice at parties! 25p a sheet, post free.

Drilkjis 5 from Kevin Smith and myself: serious but not too serious magazine about SF, with major pieces from Chris Priest, Peter Nicholls and Joseph Nicholas, plus Ian Watson, Pamela Bulmer, Peter Weston and me debating characterization in sf, and Kevin stomping a certain unfortunate US author, and book reviews, and letters, and gosh, this is so good I'm going to buy one myself. 50p post free. Not too many copies available...

Ansible: the British newsletter of sf and fandom which everyone says is essential reading (and hardly anyone actually reads). Back numbers available are numbers 1, 4, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 and 16. 10p each while stocks last, plus 10p towards postage for any size of order (unless you order something above as well, in which case postage is waived). Complete with all the original flyers, staples, misprints and other points of great bibliophilic value!

...Yorcon is nearly on me. Must rush. Thanks in advance to donors and thing-buyers at the convention, and to Yorcon II and Albacon themselves in the hope that when the profits and losses are sorted out, a little something may trickle in the direction of TAFF. (Thankee, guvnor.) Almost forgot: all proceeds from the above to TAFF.