Conferences/Events
The SFF has organized several conferences as well as sponsoring other events and collaborating with sister organizations. Below is a list of past and present activities.
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1975
Science fiction festival organised by Ted Polhemus at the Institute for Contemporary Arts.
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A series of lectures programmed by Peter Nicholls of the SFF and subsequently published as Science Fiction at Large (Harper & Row, 1977). Contributors included John Brunner, Edward de Bono, Philip K. Dick, Thomas M. Disch, Alan Garner, Harry Harrison, Ursula Le Guin, Robert Sheckley, John Taylor and Alvin Toffler.
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1976
Science Fiction Goes to School
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A TV documentary made for the BBC's Open Door commissioning slot, presented by Peter Nicholls, and featuring Thomas M. Disch.
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1996
Speaking Science Fiction
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Conference organised jointly by the SFF and the University of Liverpool to celebrate the re-opening of the SFF Collection. A volume of essays was published as Speaking Science Fiction: Dialogues and Interpretations, eds. Andy Sawyer and David Seed (Liverpool University Press, 2000).
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2000
The Profession of Science Fiction
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Held at Birmingham's Gas Hall, this special panel, celebrating Foundation's long-running series, was chaired by Edward James and featured Peter F. Hamilton, John Jarrold, Rog Peyton and David Pringle.
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2001
Television and the Fantastic
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Conference organised by Farah Mendlesohn and Nickianne Moody on behalf of the SFF, and held at Liverpool John Moores University.
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2001
A Celebration of British Science Fiction
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Conference organised by the SFF. A selection of essays was published in Foundation 93 (2005), edited by Andrew M. Butler, Farah Mendlesohn and Andy Sawyer; simultaneously published in the Foundation Studies series. The Guests of Honour were Brian Aldiss, Stephen Baxter, Nicola Griffith, Gwyneth Jones and Ken MacLeod.
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2002
The annual SFRA conference was co-organised by Andrew M. Butler and Farah Mendlesohn on behalf of the SFF. The three-day event was held in New Lanark, Scotland from 28-30 June. The conference programme is available here.
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2002
Children's Fantasy Fiction
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Conference held at the University of Reading and co-organised by the Association for Research in Popular Fiction and the SFF. A selection of papers was published in Foundation 88 (2003).
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2004
A Commonwealth of Science Fiction
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International conference organised by the SFF. It was held at the Foresight Centre, Liverpool from 5-8 August.
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2005
The Matter of Britain
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The SFF organised the academic track at the 63rd Worldcon. A selection of the papers can be read here.
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2011
Out of This World: Science Fiction But Not as You Know It
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British Library exhibition on science fiction guest-curated by Andy Sawyer, SFF Librarian. Read the press release here. See Mark Kermode's feature for BBC 2's Culture Show and China Mieville's tour of the exhibition for BBC News.
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2013
Swords, Sorcery, Sandals and Space: Fantastika and the Classical World
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Three-day conference held at the University of Liverpool's Foresight Centre. Organised on behalf of the SFF by Tony Keen. A selection of papers was published in Foundation 118 (2014).
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2014
Diversity in Speculative Fiction
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Academic track at Loncon3, the 72nd Worldcon (14-18 August), sponsored by the SFF. Organized by Emma England. Selections of papers were published in Foundation 121 and Foundation 122 (both 2015).
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2014
Strangers in Strange Lands
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Two-day conference on science fiction and anthropology, held at the University of Kent, and part-funded by the SFF. A conference report was published in Foundation 120 (2015) followed by a version of Gwyneth Jones's keynote, 'Aliens in the 21st Century', in Foundation 125 (2016).
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2016
Science Fiction Research Association
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The University of Liverpool and the SFF Collection played host to the annual SFRA conference. Organised by Chris Pak and Will Slocombe. A conference report was published in Foundation 124 (2016).
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2019
77th Worldcon at Dublin
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The SFF sponsored a science poster competition as part of the academic track. Organised by Shana Worthen.
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2020
Sum Tyms Bytin Sum Tyms Bit
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Online celebration of Russell Hoban's Riddley Walker, part-funded by the SFF. The sessions can be viewed here and the video contributions by, amongst others, David Mitchell and Max Porter can be viewed here. A recording of Amy Cutler's live performance is available here. Organised by Andrew M. Butler, Feral Practice, Paul March-Russell and Sonia Overall.
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2022
When It Changed: Women in SF/F since 1972
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Online conference co-organised by Kathryn Heffner and Paul March-Russell, in partnership with the University of Glasgow's Centre for Fantasy and the Fantastic and Games and Gaming Lab, to mark the publication of Joanna Russ's 'When It Changed' (1972). The programme is available here.
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2024
A Billion and Fifty Year Spree: Science Fiction and Its Histories 'after' Aldiss
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Symposium at the University of Liverpool organised by Will Slocombe in partnership with the SFF. Keynote speakers: Paul Kincaid and Lisa Yaszek. A selection of papers will be published in Foundation 149.
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