From: "Ahrvid Engholm" Subject: SFJ 196 To: , "Skriva" , "SAFA-listan" Date: Thu, 12 Jul 2001 05:37:56 +0200 Resent-From: sverifandom@lysator.liu.se (Nu har jagh varit uppe hela natten, så jag struntar i om formateringen blir knäpp. Här är i alla fall SFJ 196 - korspostas till Sverifandom, SKRIVA och Safa. Det är inget normalt nummer, utan på engelska, som jag tänkte dela ut på Finncon (om jag kan tigga till mig kopiering där), litet som reklam för svensk fandom. Förutom Tove Jansson är det gamla nyheter, och jag har förstås hoppat över mycket. För att stressade conbesökare skall vilja läsa har jag satsat på häpnadsväckande stora 8 punkters (!) utskrift. Så det blir inte så späckat. Det är möjligt att jag i morgon hinner läsa igenom en gång till, hitta alla Stora Fel och göra en ny utskrift. Men håll till godo så länge. --AE) science fiction journalen # 196 Ed Ahrvid Engholm, Renstiernas Gata 29, S-116 31 Stockholm, Sweden; ahrvid@spray.se; +46 (0)8-641 34 05; (Swe) 0709-299 536. Voluntary contribs to Swedish Postal Giro 436 32 00-9. SFJ is usually in Swedish; this special English Finncon issue has a news summary of the last year. *tove jansson dead* The author of the world-famous Moomin tales, Tove Jansson, died June 27th. She was 86 years old. Her work is translated into 33 languages, and the Moomin stories (started in 1945) has been transformed to TV series, comic books, etc. Apart from the eleven Moomin books (which she illustrated herself) she has also written a dozen novels and short story collections for a more adult audience - though adults can also enjoy the Moomin tales! Tove Jansson belonged to Finland's Swedish speaking minority and wrote in Swedish. However, her work crossed all borders and she'll be missed by her millions of readers. *fantastika 2001* The Cultural House in Stockholm is probably Sweden's most cultural spot. It's a huge all-activity house with libraries, exhibition halls, theatres, etc. And June 15-17 the national Swecon, named Fantastika 2001, was organized on this site for the first time ever. The organizers were the sf and fantasy clubs in Stockholm, but I'd also like to point to the work and support by the boss of the Cultural House comics library, Kristiina Kolehmainen, without whom the convention wouldn't have been possible. The number of attendees were just under 300, including a number let in for free towards the end, to see the Sunday fancy-dress parade. Ca 30 of these were foreigners (Britain providing the largest foreign group, and Finland the second largest), from about nine countries, or ten with Sweden. It was nice to meet Aivars Leipa and Imants Belogrivs of Latvia, who plan a convention (Latcon III, also a Baltcon) in Riga september 2002. Guests of Honour were Robin Hobb, who has Swedish roots but visted our country for the first time, Robert Rankin, author and an entertaining guy who was very appreciated, local fantasy author Karolina Bjallerstedt Mickos, Pierre Christin, famous for the French comic books about Valerian and Laureline, and Ben Roimola, Fan-GoH and one of Finland's leading fans. The committee was chaired by Carolina Gomez-Lagerlof who afterwards said she had "never worked this much for any other convention". Many other fine contributions by co-workers should also be noted, including a beautiful program book edited by Karl-Johan Noren. And it was certainly worthwhile! The con had very adequate and nice halls, with a bar right in the middle. Including the video program (one day run by a local trekker group, another day by a local B5 group) there were up to five program lines. Despite several articles in the papers and a spot in the national TV4, Fantastika was unfortunately somewhat overshadowed by the EU summit taking place in Gothenburg the same weekend. It must be stressed it wasn't Swedish sf fans rioting in the streets; we were all quietly enjoying our con. Noted from the program. The play "Mantor", by Karolina Bjallerstedt Mickos. International fandom panel, with presentation of acitvities in many countries. Panels on writing, religion in the future, intelligent houses, electronic fandom, films, bad books, etc. Fancy dresses (warmed up by a performance by the new Swedish singer Niva), about 30 contestants in half a dozen groups. Book auction. Lars-Olov Strandberg's traditional slide show. Several program items on Tolkien and fantasy. A filksinging session. A special fan program, Saturday evening. All GoHs were interviewed and some read from their works. A substantial part of the program (perhaps 50 percent) was in English. The Alvar award was presented during the banquet, to Anna Akesson. This is the leading sf activity award, voted upon by the fans. (Nominated were also Wolf von Witting and Rickard Berghorn.) Anna is the new bright star of Swedish fandom and will in late September chair Akrostikon in Gothenburg. The short story competion, co-organized with the writing group SKRIVA, reached a record 58 entries (first prize to Peter Fisk). Next year's Swecon site was decided during a special session, and winner was Confuse 02 (in Linkoping, ca 200 km south of Stockholm, in June). Fantastika was rounded off Sunday evening. The con took over the local pub Tre Backar, where 50-60 of the last survivors until late in the night enjoyed the last breaths of a very successful convention. (Pics and reports on:http://fantastika.dynarc.se/rapporter.html .) *sf-bokhandeln opens in gothenburg* SF-Bokhandeln (The SF Bookstore) started in Stockholm in 1977. Since ten years it has a new, big store in the Old Town, and has developed into one of the biggest genre bookstores in Europe. And now it also opens a store in Gothenburg, Sweden's second city on the west coast. The new store opened July 10th on Vallgatan 23. Home page is http://www.sfbok.se/ *con notes* Göstacon, October 13-15 2000, was a regional con in Uppsala, 80 km north of Stockholm, where ca 60 people enjoyed a relaxed atmosphere (except when the fire alarm started!). Brita Planck won the Uppsala fandom so called Gösta Award. She is also involved in the small, but perhaps growing B5 fandom (she translates B5 for Swedish cable channels), which its first Stockholm event, Babcon, May 26th. 16 people gathered in a small cinema for a day of B5 episodes. The annual Stockholm Fantasy Festival is scheduled for the last week in August. Debates and workshops in the SF Bookstore weekdays and on Saturday fancy dresses and other activities on the Old Town Big Square. A foreign fantasy author is invited (last year it was Philip Pullman). With a new SF Bookstore, no wonder that Gothenburg hosts Akrostikon, September 28-30th, the first con here for a number of years. GoHs are Swedish writers Lars Jakobsson, Pål Eggert and Fan-GoH Ylva Spångberg. Site Studenternas Hus, fee 150 SEK (Sw Postal Giro 113 84 98-9, it will be more expensive at the door), info http://www.jonasweb. nu/akrostikon .There's still some talk about a small relax/filkcon in Stockholm, late autum, called Saltsjöcon. Ask wolf@sigmatc.a.se (if there's no con, Wolf instead plans a big birthday party for everyone in fandom who turns 42, as he does in the autumn). Of course, there's next Swecon, Confuse 02, to be held in Ryds Herrgård, Linköping (ca 200 km south of Stockholm), July 14-16th. This will be a smaller Swecon (the site takes a max of 120), but there will be a foreign author as GoH (TBA). Info http://www.lysator.liu.se/confuse/ or confuse@lysator.liu.se. Fantastika is thinking of a bid for the Swecon 2003. Let's not forget our Norwegian neighbors who now in August, 2-5, has Intercon 2001 in Oslo. GoHs are the Norwegian author Tor Åge Bringsvaerd and Vernor Vinge, US Hugo winner etc. Fee 300 NOK. This con is co-organized with the media con Shadowcon 6, which should mean a heck of a lot of people turning up. (And you can go to both cons for the prize of one - "Twice as good!" the Norwegians say). Info http://www.shadowproject.org or aniara@fandom.no. *sverifandom began in 1949* A new document, an article by Dénis Lindbohm in the magazine Året Runt, No 24, 1951, reveals that Swedish fandom started a year earlier than previously assumed. Dénis refers to a "rocket club" which has been active since 1949. SFJ contacted Dénis, who confirms that the club Strate- Organisation was also generally into science fiction. They had half a dozen members and monthly meetings. In 1952 the club was transformed into club Meteor. (See illustration.) *bits and pieces* Sam J Lundwall turned 60 in February. Congrats! The daily DN had a rare interview with Sam J March 5th * The Cultural House had Fanzine Heaven, a small press festival March 15-17th. Some sf faneds were present among the 300 attendees. * The Father of Pippi Longstocking existed! New research shows a Swedish sailor washed ashore on a South Pacific island in the 1920 was the inspiration for Astrid Lindgren. A film about "Pippi's Father" is now planned, directed by Colin Nutley. * Rickard Berghorn has started a new small press publishing house, called Aleph. It does selected genre books and the magazine Minotauren. * The Stockholm Book Festival, April 26-29th, was a failure. Only 5000 people turned up. The competition with the established Gothenburg Book- and Library Fair (in September) was to difficult and next year's festival is cancelled. * John- Henri Holmberg turned up twice in April and May, in TV:s literary program Röda Rummet. The first program was all about science fiction, and the second about Stephen King (which JHH thinks is the best thing since sliced bread). * Next Baltfund will send someone to Confuse 02. (Send all your money to Ahrvid. Pronto!) * Don't forget the Nordic Fan Fund. Next travel plans yet unknown, but ask eg ben.roimola@sci.fi. * A nice horror zine is King Aftonlampan, c/o Jan Reimer, Nordmannav 30, S-224 75 Lund (a newish just out!). * Sweden's second daily, Expressen, spent its entire main editorial column July 11th talking about sf and fantasy (liking sf for its inventiveness, disliking fantasy for longing for older times). Headline "The future is out". * It was almost a rock concert riot outside the SF Bookstore Sept 14th, when Terry Pratchett and Niel Gaiman signed books and then spoke. Hundreds turned up, lines went half around the block! * Stockholm Trekkers and West Coast Trekkers seems to have settled their pseudo- feud, when the latter started a Stockholm division (because the chairman moved there). This division, which had a one day festival last autumn, is now gone. * The Alvar Appeltofft Memorial Foundation has moved to a new site, Tallkrogen, in southern Stockholm.. * StF meets third Tuesdays on Loch Ness and First Thursdays on Tre Backar (also the Horror Academy, First Wednesdays). U-sala fans meet on Williams First Tuesdays. * Midgårds Fylking in Uppsala celebrated its 21st anniversary with a big, several days long party last weekend in June. /Sista notisen fick inte plats i utskriften. Gör jag ny utskrift kanske den kan klämmas in./