Past Eastercons
This list is based on the list generated by Pat McMurray for the Memory Hole Annex. The original research for this page was done by Pat and based heavily on the historical work of Rob Hansen. Additional research and updates have been offered by several people, with particular thanks to Peter Weston.
Eastercon is a fairly loose term, by which is meant the British National SF Convention. This loose terminology would imply that it cannot legitimately be held in the Channel Islands or Northern Ireland, but the politics of terminology are beyond the scope of this document. We have followed Rob Hansen's listing in general, only making changes where we have documentary proof to back them up, or the convention chair has contacted us. For example, Rob lists 1952 as Loncon, but the 1952 Programme Book makes no such reference. The 1949 Programme Book calls that convention Loncon. We've followed Rob in calling the 1953 convention Coroncon, though from the Programme Book and other documents, it appears this convention was not called that at the time. We've also added some Guests where there are supporting documents, and added all committee members, again where the documentary proof exists. The committee members are those listed in the Programme Book or similar at-con or post-con publication as being on the committee. Corrections and additions are welcome.
Guests, especially in early years, are a complicated issue. One in particular we'd like to mention. At the 1944 Eastercon, Professor A M Low was intended to be the Guest Speaker, as per the Progamme Book, but he was unable to attend due to other commitments. We feel that guests that were invited but could not attend should still be listed.
This page would not exist without Rob Hansen's assistance, and we have accepted his numbering system as it stands. We would also like to quote his introduction to his revision of the list, produced for the 1989 Eastercon, Contrivance:
"The current series of British National conventions is traditionally numbered from the 1948 Whitcon. It was, however, not until 1955 that the national con was held over Easter rather than Whitsun, and the name 'Eastercon' came to be applied to the series. The earlier 1944 convention is not considered to be an 'Eastercon' in that sense."
"Previous convention lists have not shown a national convention in 1957. Recent research has, however, revealed that one took place, which necessitates a certain amount of renumbering. Fortunately, a case can be made for not counting Festivention, in 1951, as a national convention. It was planned as an international convention, to tie in with the Festival of Britain, and was, indeed, more international than many Worldcons of the time. It had attendees from as far away as the USA, Canada and Australia, as well as several European countries. With these adjustments, the 1971 convention can still be called Eastercon 22, and Contrivance remains the 40th British National SF Convention."
Early Conventions
Name | Location | Year | Date | Guest | Committee |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Leeds | 1937 | Unknown | Unknown | ||
London | 1938 | Unknown | Unknown | ||
London | 1939 | Unknown | Unknown | ||
Midvention | 1943 | Easter | None | R R Johnson, Don Houston, Art Williams, A W Gardner, Ralph E Orme, J Michael Rosenblum, Tom Hughes, Art Busby | |
Eastercon | London | 1944 | Easter | Professor A M Low | Walter Gillings |
Eastercons
# | Name | Location | Year | Date | Guest | Committee |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Whitcon | London | 1948 | Whitsun | A Bertram Chandler | Wally Gillings, John Newman |
2 | Loncon | London | 1949 | Easter | Bill Temple | Mr Gillings and others |
* | Festivention | London | 1951 | Whitsun | Forrest & Wendayne Ackerman, Lyell Crane | E J Carnell, Charles Duncombe, A Vincent Clarke, Miss A Lovett, F E Arnold, James Rattigan, H Ken Bulmer, Fred Brown, Ted Tubb |
3 | London SF Con | London | 1952 | Whitsun | None | E J Carnell, C Duncombe, F Arnold, J Ratigan |
4 | Coroncon | London | 1953 | Whitsun | None | Fred Brown and others |
5 | Supermancon | Manchester | 1954 | Whitsun | John Russell Fearn | Unknown |
6 | Cytricon | Kettering | 1955 | Easter | None | Bill Panter, Danny Cowen, Joe Ayres, Al Lee, Stuart Mackenzie |
7 | Cytricon II | Kettering | 1956 | Easter | None | Vince & Joy Clark |
8 | Cytricon III | Kettering | 1957 | Easter | None | Dave Newman, Norman Shorrock |
9 | Cytricon IV | Kettering | 1958 | Easter | None | Dave Newman, Norman Shorrock |
10 | Brumcon | Birmingham | 1959 | Easter | Kenneth F Slater | Terry Jeeves, Bob Richardson, Ron Bennett, Norman Shorrock |
11 | London | London | 1960 | Easter | E J 'Ted' Carnell, Don Ford | Ella Parker, Bobbie Gray, Sandra Hall and Archie Mercer |
12 | LXIcon | Gloucester | 1961 | Easter | Kingsley Amis | Eric Jones, Keith Freeman, Tony Walsh, Bob Parkinson, Ethel Lindsay |
13 | Ronvention | Harrogate | 1962 | Easter | Tom Boardman | Ron Bennett, Phil Rogers |
14 | Bullcon | Peterborough | 1963 | Easter | Edmund Crispin | Ken Slater, Pauline Jackson, Dave Barber |
15 | Repetercon | Peterborough | 1964 | Easter | Ted Tubb | Tony Walsh, Ethel Lindsay, George Locke |
16 | Brumcon II | Birmingham | 1965 | Easter | Harry Harrison | Ken Cheslin, Roger G Peyton, Mike Higgs, Charlie Winstone |
17 | Yarcon | Yarmouth | 1966 | Easter | Ron Whiting | Dave S Barber, Ken F Slater, Steve Oakey, Phil Rogers, Archie Mercer, Beryl Mercer |
18 | Briscon | Bristol | 1967 | Easter | John Brunner | Tony and Simone Walsh, Archie and Tony Mercer, Graham Boak, Brian Hampton |
19 | Thirdmancon | Buxton | 1968 | Easter | Ken Bulmer | Harry Nadler, Bill Burns, Eric Bentcliffe, Peter Day, Brian Marshall, Charles Partington, Dave Britton, Tom Holt, Tony Edwards, Colin Britch |
20 | Galactic Fair | Oxford | 1969 | Easter | Judith Merril | E C Tubb, Kenneth Bulmer, Anne Keylock, Gerry Webb, John Brunner, Daphne Sewell, Jean Muggoch, Derek Stokes |
21 | Scicon '70 | London | 1970 | Easter | James Blish | George Hay, Derek Stokes, Bill Burns |
22 | Eastercon 22 | Worcester | 1971 | Easter | Ethel Lindsay, Anne McCaffrey | Vernon Brown, Roger Peyton, Bob Rickard, Peter Weston |
23 | Chessmancon | Chester | 1972 | Easter | Larry Niven | Tony Edwards, Harry Nadler, Bill Burns, Chuck Partington, Norman Shorrock, Dave Britton, Eddie Jones |
24 | OMPAcon | Bristol | 1973 | Easter | Samuel R Delany | Gerald Bishop, Ken Cheslin, Mike & Pat Meara, Fred Hemmings, Terry Jeeves, Brian Robinson |
25 | Tynecon | Newcastle | 1974 | Easter | Bob Shaw, Peter Weston | Ian Maule, Ian Williams, Rob Jackson, Harry Bell, Irene Bell |
26 | Seacon | Coventry | 1975 | Easter | Harry Harrison | John Brosnan, Graham Charnock, Pat Charnock, Christine Edwards, Malcolm Edwards, Robert Holdstock, Leroy Kettle, John Piggott, Peter Roberts |
27 | Mancon 5 | Manchester | 1976 | Easter | Peter Roberts, Robert Silverberg | Pete Presford, Brian Robinson, Kevin Hall, John Mottershead, Harry Nadler, Charles Partington, Anita Presford, Roy Sharpe, Paul Skelton |
28 | Eastercon '77 | Coventry | 1977 | Easter | John Bush | Pauline E Dungate, Laurence Miller, Dave Upton, Mike Brown, Rog Peyton, Marsha Jones, Greg Pickersgill, Simone Walsh, Chris Walton |
29 | Skycon | Heathrow | 1978 | Easter | Roy Kettle, Robert Sheckley | Kevin Smith, Dave Langford, Martin Hoare, Liese Hoare, Dermot Dobson, Stan Eling, Keith Oborn, Ian Maule, Eve & John Harvey |
30 | Yorcon | Leeds | 1979 | Easter | Graham & Pat Charnock, Richard Cowper | Mike Dickinson, David Pringle, Alan Dorey, Ian Williams, Carol Gregory, Kate Jeary, D West, Paul & Jan Matthews |
31 | Albacon | Glasgow | 1980 | Easter | Jim Barker, Colin Kapp | Bob Shaw, Gerry Gillin, Hal Rollason, The Cat, Neil Craig, Mike Molloy, Dave Ellis, Jimmy Robertson, John Dean, Martin Hoare, John Mooney |
32 | Yorcon II | Leeds | 1981 | Easter | Tom Disch, Dave Langford, Ian Watson | David Pringle, Graham James, Alan Dorey, Simon Ounsley, Kate Jeary, John Colick |
33 | Channelcon | Brighton | 1982 | Easter | Angela Carter, John Sladek | Chris Atkinson, Jim Barker, Pat Charnock, Eve Harvey, Coral Jackson, Rob Jackson, Paul Kincaid, Janice Maule |
34 | Albacon II | Glasgow | 1983 | Easter | Marion Zimmer Bradley, Avedon Carol, James White | John Allardice, Henry Balen, Jim Barker, Iain Dickson, Dave Ellis, Martin Hoare, Bob Jewett, Chris O'Kane, Doug McCallum, Mick Molloy, Frances Jane Nelson, Joan Paterson, Bruce Saville, Ian Sorensen |
35 | Seacon '84 | Brighton | 1984 | Easter | Pierre Barbet, Waldemar Kumming, Josef Nesvadba, Christopher Priest, Roger Zelazny | Arnold Akien, John & Marjorie Brunner, Chris Donaldson, Alan Dorey, Rochelle Dorey, John Fairey, Colin Fine, Ye Gerbish, Martin Hoares, Chris Hughes, Jan Huxley, Pauline Morgan, Paul Oldroyd |
36 | Yorcon III | Leeds | 1985 | Easter | Greg Benford, Linda Pickersgill | Paul Annis, Jim Darroch, Alan Dorey, Rochelle Dorey, Christine Donaldson, Alan Ferguson, Mike Ford, Graham James, Kate Jeary, Paul Oldroyd, Simon Ounsley, Anne Page, Simon Polley, Jimmy Robertson, Sue Simpson, Linda Strickler James |
37 | Albacon III | Glasgow | 1986 | Easter | Joe Haldeman, John Jarold, Clive Barker, Pete Lyon | Jim Campbell, Madeleine Campbell, Joyce Craig, Neil Craig, Oscar Dalgleish, Vince Docherty, Cuddles, Iain Dickson, Dave Ellis, Kevin Henwood, Bob Jewett, Duncan Lunan, Bruce McDonald, Mark Meenan, Mike Molloy, Chris O'Kane, Ian Sorensen |
38 | BECCON '87 | Birmingham | 1987 | Easter | Chris Atkinson, Keith Roberts, Jane Gaskell | Brian Ameringen, Simon Beresford, KIM Campbell, Jonathon Cowie, 1/2r Cruttenden, Richard Edwards, Tim Illingworth, Caroline Mullan, Bernard Peek, Roger Perkins, John Stewart, Pete Tyers, Kathy Westhead, Mike Westhead |
39 | Follycon | Liverpool | 1988 | Easter | Gordon Dickson, Gwyneth Jones, Greg Pickersgill, Len Wein | Michael Abbott, Daivd Brown, Pat Brown, Colin Fine, Steve Linton, Karen Naylor, Gytha North, Joan Paterson, Richard Rampant, Alison Scott, Mike Scott, Tibs |
40 | Contrivance | Jersey | 1989 | Easter | Avedon Carol, Rob Hansen, M John Harrison, Don Lawrence, Anne McCaffrey | Gwen Funnell, Peter Wareham, Roger Perkins, Steve Bull, Tim Illingworth, Rob Meade, Christina Lake, Steve Davies, Paul Dormer, Chris Cooper, Martin Hoare |
41 | Eastcon | Liverpool | 1990 | Easter | Iain Banks, Anne Page, SMS, (Nigel Kneale withdrew before the convention) | Lisanne Norman, Martin Easterbrook, James Steel, Chris O'Shea II, Stuart Andrews, Helen McCarthy, Ken Slater, KIM Campbell, Hugh Mascetti. Special Committee Assistant: Jonathan Cowie |
42 | Speculation | Glasgow | 1991 | Easter | Rob Holdstock | John Fairey, KIM Campbell, Paul Oldroyd, Mark Meenan, Ian Sorensen |
43 | Illumination | Blackpool | 1992 | Easter | Geoff Ryman, Paul McAuley, Pam Wells | Amanda Baker, John Bray, Dave Clements, Dave Cooper, Alice Lawson, Steve Lawson, Anne Page, Rhodri James |
44 | Helicon | Jersey | 1993 | Easter | John Brunner, George R R Martin, Karel Thole, Larry van der Putte | Tim Illingworth, Steve Davies, Rob Meades, Mike Westhead, Eddie Cochrane, Chris Cooper, Martin Easterbrook, Martin Hoare, John Richards, Kathy Westhead, Mark Young |
45 | Sou'Wester | Liverpool | 1994 | Easter | Diane Duane, Neil Gaiman, Barbara Hambly, Peter Morwood, Thog the Mighty | Marcus Streets, Rhodri James, Ben Brown, Chris Bell, Gary Stratmann, Sue Edwards, David V Barrett |
46 | Confabulation | London | 1995 | Easter | Lois McMaster Bujold, Roger Robinson, Bob Shaw | Alison Scott, Mike Scott, Sue Mason, Giulia de Cesare, Steve Davies |
47 | Evolution | Heathrow | 1996 | Easter | Jack Cohen, Colin Greenland, Paul Kincaid, Maureen Kincaid Speller, Bryan Talbot, Vernor Vinge | Bridget Hardcastle, Pat McMurray, Mark Charsley, Mary Branscombe, Simon Bisson, Mike Westhead, Tim Illingworth |
48 | Intervention | Liverpool | 1997 | Easter | Brian Aldiss, Jon Bing, Octavia Butler, Dave Langford | John Bark, Janet Barron, Keith Coslett, Andy Croft, Steve Green, Geoff Hill, Heidi Lyshol, Pat McMurray, Val Phillips, Phil Plumbly, John Richards, Anne-Marie Wright, Pete Wright, |
49 | Intuition | Manchester | 1998 | Easter | Ian McDonald, Martin Tudor, Connie Willis | Fran Dowd, Maureen Kincaid Speller, David Cooper, Steve Lawson, Kathy Taylor, Amanda Baker, Clair Brialey, Alice Lawson, Fiona Anderson |
50 | ReConvene | Liverpool | 1999 | Easter | Peter S Beagle, John Clute, Jeff Noon, Tom Holt, Ron Tiner, Thog the Mighty | Steve Davies, Gary Stratmann, Paul Dormer, Tom Abba, Sue Edwards, Gwen Funnell, Peter Wareham, Mychelle Lovelace, Chris Bell, Roger Burton West |
51 | 2Kon | Glasgow | 2000 | Easter | Guy Gavriel Kay, Katherine Kurtz, Deborah Turner-Harris, Dr John Salthouse, Bob Harris | Andrew Adams, Cuddles, KIM Campbell, Nik Whitehead, Mad Elf, Sparks, Pat McMurray |
52 | Paragon | Hinckley | 2001 | Easter | Claire Brialey, Mark Plummer, Mike Scott Rohan, Steven Baxter, Lisanne Norman | Alice & Steve Lawson, John Dowd, Rhodri James, Nick Mills, David Cooper, Nigel & Sabine Furlong |
53 | Helicon 2 | Jersey | 2002 | Easter | Brian Stableford, Harry Turtledove, Peter Weston | Martin Hoare, Pat McMurray, Steve Davies, Giulia de Cesare, Tim Illingworth, Marcia Kelly Illingworth, Tony Hammond, Kim Whysall, Larry van der Putte, Chris Cooper, Tobes, John Richards |
54 | Seacon03 | Hinckley | 2003 | Easter | Chris Baker (Fangorn), Christopher Evans (author), Mary Gentle | Paul Oldroyd, Chris Donaldson, Noel Collyer, Julian Headlong, Yvonne Rowse, Tony Berry, Eve Harvey, John Harvey, Margaret Austin |
55 | Concourse | Blackpool | 2004 | Easter | Mitchell Burnside Clapp, Danny Flynn, Sue Mason, Christopher Priest, Philip Pullman | Chris O'Shea, Marcus Streets, Jonathan Jones |
56 | Paragon 2 | Hinckley | 2005 | Easter | John Harvey, Eve Harvey, Ken MacLeod, Robert Rankin, Ben Jeapes, Richard Morgan | Fran Dowd, James Bacon, Julia Daly, John Dowd, Nigel Furlong, Sabine Furlong, Alice Lawson, Steve Lawson, and John Richards |
57 | Concussion | Glasgow | 2006 | Easter | M. John Harrison, Brian Froud, Elizabeth Hand, Justina Robson, Ian Sorensen | Farah Mendlesohn, Simon Bradshaw, Bridget Bradshaw, Noel Collyer, Cheryl Morgan, Iain Emsley, Judi Hodgkin, Jamie Scott, Andrew J. Wilson |
58 | Contemplation | Chester | 2007 | Easter | No guests | Chris O'Shea, Fran Dowd, Hayley Marsden, Harry Payne, John Dowd (list incomplete) |
59 | Orbital 2008 | Heathrow, London | 2008 | Easter | Neil Gaiman, Tanith Lee, China Miéville, Charles Stross, Rog Peyton | Judith Proctor, Mark Young, Eddie Cochrane, Chris O'Shea, Vince Docherty, Fiona Scarlett, John Wilson, Steve Rogerson |
60 | LX | Bradford | 2009 | Easter | Jon Courtenay Grimwood, Dirk Maggs, Tim Powers, David Lloyd, Mary and Bill Burns | James Bacon, Peter Harrow, John Dowd, Alice Lawson, Steve Lawson, John Richards, Hayley Marsden |
61 | Odyssey 2010 | Heathrow, London | 2010 | Easter | Alastair Reynolds, Liz Williams, Mike Carey, Fran & John Dowd | Rita Medany, Fiona Scarlett, Judith Proctor |
Note: in 2006 Convoy was chosen to be the 2007 Eastercon, but a combination of factors, primarily a very low membership takeup meant they had to fold at the end of October 2006. Contemplation was formed at Novacon 2006.