TransAtlantic Fan Fund
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The Trans-Atlantic Fan Fund, also known as TAFF, was created in 1953 for the purpose of providing funds to bring well-known and popular members of science fiction fandom familiar to fans on both sides of the ocean, across the Atlantic. Its roots lie in the successful effort to bring Walt Willis to the 1952 World Science Fiction Convention in Chicago. Since that time TAFF has regularly brought North American fans to European conventions and European fans to North American conventions. TAFF is funded through the support of fandom. Candidates are voted on by interested fans all over the world, and each vote is accompanied by a donation of not less than $3 or £2. These donations, and the continued generosity of fandom, are what make TAFF possible.
Each candidate posts a bond, promising to travel (if elected) to a major convention on the other side of the Atlantic; and has provided signed nominations and a platform. Winning TAFF candidates are expected to write a trip report, which customarily takes the form of a fanzine or a series of fanzine articles.
Voting is by secret ballot, using instant-runoff voting; and is open to anyone who has been active in fandom for the prior year or more and who contributes to the Fund. Ballots are signed, to prevent ballot-box stuffing and to enable the election administrators to identify each voter as a known member of fandom.
[edit] List of TAFF winners
Past TAFF winners by year. Westbound races are marked << and eastbound >>.
- 1952 << Walt Willis
- 1954 << Vin¢ Clarke
- 1955 << Ken Bulmer
- 1956 >> Lee Hoffman
- 1957 >> Robert A. Madle
- 1958 << Ron Bennett
- 1959 >> Don Ford
- 1960 << Eric Bentcliffe
- 1961 >> Ron Ellik
- 1962 << Ethel Lindsay
- 1963 >> Wally Weber
- 1964 << Arthur Thomson ("Atom")
- 1965 >> Terry Carr
- 1966 << Thomas Schlück
- 1968 >> Steve Stiles
- 1969 << Eddie Jones
- 1970 >> Elliot K. Shorter
- 1971 << Mario Bosnyak
- 1973 >> Len Moffatt & June Moffatt
- 1974 << Peter Weston
- 1976 >> Bill Bowers (editor) & Roy Tackett (tie)
- 1977 << Peter Roberts (editor)
- 1979 >> Terry Hughes
- 1980 << Dave Langford
- 1981 >> Stu Shiffman
- 1982 << Kevin Smith
- 1983 >> Avedon Carol
- 1984 << Rob Hansen
- 1985 >> Patrick Nielsen Hayden & Teresa Nielsen Hayden
- 1986 << Greg Pickersgill
- 1987 >> Jeanne Gomoll
- 1988 << Lilian Edwards & Christina Lake
- 1989 >> Robert Lichtman
- 1991 << Pam Wells
- 1992 >> Jeanne Bowman
- 1993 << Abigail Frost
- 1995 >> Dan Steffan
- 1996 << Martin Tudor
- 1998 >> Ulrika O'Brien
- 1998 << Maureen Kincaid Speller
- 1999 >> Velma J. Bowen ("Vijay")
- 2000 << Sue Mason
- 2001 >> Victor M. Gonzalez
- 2002 << Tobes Valois
- 2003 >> Randy Byers
- 2004 << James Bacon
- 2005 >> Suzanne Tompkins ("Suzle")
- 2006 << Bridget Bradshaw ("Bug)
There were no TAFF races in 1953, 1967, 1972, 1975, 1978, 1990, 1994, and 1997. The second 1998 race was announced to "catch up" after the lack of a 1997 race. The 2007 race between Chris Garcia and Mary Kay Kare was cancelled due to the cancellation of the 2007 Eastercon.
