Science Fiction Foundation
We are a registered charity - No. 1041052.
SFF/BSFA AGM - 26 June 2021
This year's AGM will take place online on Saturday, 26 June. As per usual, we are hosting the day with the British Science Fiction Association, and it will take the form of a mini-convention. Our Guest of Honour will be John Clute and there will also be a special panel celebrating 50 years of the SFF. The links to register and attend will be emailed to SFF and BSFA members. Further details can be found at the ConSpire website: https://www.conspiresf.com/
Published 8 June 2021
PETER NICHOLLS ESSAY PRIZE 2022
We are pleased to announce our next essay-writing competition. The award is open to all post-graduate research students and to all early career researchers (up to five years after the completion of your PhD) who have yet to find a full-time or tenured position. The prize is guaranteed publication in Foundation (summer 2022).
To be considered for the competition, please submit a 6000-word article on any topic, period, theme, author, film or other media within the field of science fiction and its academic study. The work should be original and not previously published. All submitted articles should comply with the style guide. Only one article per contributor is allowed to be submitted.
The deadline for submission is Friday, 3rd December 2021. All competition entries, with a short (50 word) biography, should be sent to the journal editor at The entries will be judged by the editorial team and the winner will be announced in the spring 2022 issue of Foundation.
Published 15 March 2021
ABHISHEK LAKKAD WINS 2021 PETER NICHOLLS PRIZE
We are delighted to announce that Abhishek Lakkad has won this year's Peter Nicholls Essay Prize for his article on cyberpunk, posthumanism and Bollywood cinema. Abhishek's article will appear as part of our 'Decolonising SF' issue in the summer (no. 139).
Published 10 January 2021
SFF PATRON BECOMES SFWA GRAND MASTER
Many congratulations to SFF patron, Nalo Hopkinson, who has become the 37th Damon Knight Grand Master. For more details, please read Andrew Liptak's report.
Published 2 December 2020
SUPPORT SFF VIA AMAZON SMILE
If you shop with Amazon, you can now make a donation to the SFF with each purchase at no cost to yourself. Check out Amazon Smile here.
Published 5 November 2020
REGISTER NOW FOR RIDDLEY40
You can now register for our free, online event to mark the 40th anniversary of Russell Hoban's Riddley Walker. The event takes place on 24 October, 11 am to 5 pm UK time. Guests include SFF patron Neil Gaiman. Please register here.
Published 10 October 2020
SFF IN THE NEWS
Foundation editor Paul March-Russell was recently in conversation with Gabrielle Malcolm at the Bradford on Avon Fiesta. Paul discussed the relevance of science fiction to contemporary society and culture, and illustrated the discussion with three books: Isaac Asimov's The Caves of Steel, Arkady and Boris Strugatskys' Roadside Picnic and Octavia Butler's Parable of the Sower. You can watch the conversation here. SFF trustee John Clute will be discussing the work of Brian Aldiss at the Liverpool Literary Festival online on 10th October, while our Education Officer, Dave Clements, was recently interviewed about life on Venus.
Published 22 September 2020
40 YEARS OF RIDDLEY WALKER
Foundation editor, Paul March-Russell, is collaborating with Andrew M. Butler, Fiona Macdonald and Sonia Overall to present a 40th anniversary celebration of Russell Hoban's novel, Riddley Walker. The events, which will consist of talks, discussions, films and poetry, will be broadcast online on 24th October via the website. Full details here.
Published 7 August 2020
FOUNDATION ESSAY WINS SFRA AWARD
We send congratulations to Susan Ang, whose article on 'Triangulating the Dyad: Seen (Orciny) Unseen' (published in Foundation 132), has won this year's SFRA Award for Innovative Research. The judges' commendation and Susan's acceptance can be found here. For the full list of winners, go to the SFRA website.
Published 8 July 2020
FOUNDATION EDITOR LAUNCHES NEW SCIENCE FICTION IMPRINT
Paul March-Russell and Una McCormack have launched a science fiction imprint, Gold SF, devoted to new feminist writing, to be published by Goldsmiths Press. The call for submissions is below:
Gold SF - Call for Submissions
Goldsmith’s Press is seeking to establish a dedicated imprint to publish feminist science fiction. We believe that sf and speculative fictions offer a mode of critical and utopian thinking ideally placed to address contemporary issues. We are therefore looking to commission novella and novel length work which answers to the times, dealing with subjects such as:
· Anti-rationalism and the rise of the alt-right
· The climate crisis and feminism in the Age of the Anthropocene
· Global movements of populations and refugees
· New visions of race, class, and queerness
· Expanding frontiers in gender and sexuality
· Decoloniality and indigenous knowledge traditions
· Pathways to resistance and rebellion
We are particularly keen to hear from new voices not traditionally represented by science fiction, literary fiction, and liberal feminism.
Enquiries to: Susan Kelly –
Editorial board: Anne Charnock, Elizabeth English, Joan Haran, Maureen Kincaid Speller, Una McCormack, Paul March-Russell, Robin Reid, Aishwarya Subramanian and Sheree Renee Thomas
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Published 17 April 2020