IF LONDON HAD LOST ITS WORLDCON BID

CONVENTION FOR CONVENTION'S SAKE!

The 1956 Kettering Convention will soon be upon us. All enthusiasm here in London is, however, indirect. The main concern of fandom here in Britain is for the 1957 International Convention which will be held from the 19th to 21st April inclusive. As I write negotiations are in hand for the booking of a suitable hotel. Very nearly the entire programme of the 1956 Con is being devoted to planning for the 1957 Convention - surely the most original programme yet!

The first Science Fiction Convention was held in Leeds in 1937 and it is only fitting that 20 years later Great Britain should be the venue for the 15th World Science Fiction Convention. Five years ago, in London, the First International Science Fiction Convention, the Festival Convention, was held and was an undisputed success. A large number of attendees at that convention came from Europe and since then interest in science fiction and fandom on the Continent has been greatly stimulated. Even for the 1956 convention - which has *not* been publicised - enthusiasts are coming from America and the Continent. British fandom will be extremely disappointed should the World Convention remain in the United States for yet another year. I hear that Los Angeles is intending to put on a bid for the '57 Convention at the '56 New York Con. Doubtless there will be a great deal of support from west coast fans and obviously British fandom cannot come over personally to New York - much as would like to - to record their votes, so we will just have to keep our fingers crossed.

THE OLD COUNTRY IN 57.

What caught my eye of course was "the 1957 International Convention which will be held from the 19th to 21st April inclusive", those being the dates for Easter that year. In our timeline that was the weekend when CYTRICON III took place, so what was all this about an international convention? Also, it was held at the same venue as in the previous two years, the George Hotel in Kettering. The assertion that "negotiations are in hand for the booking of a suitable hotel" tell us this alternate con would have been held somewhere else. What *was* going on? All was revealed at the bottom of page 16:

So it appears that had they not secured the 1957 Worldcon, British fans were planning on staging the Second International Convention, the first having been 1951's FESTIVENTION which was in all but name the first Eurocon (and they got close, see link below).

I'm amazed I've never heard of this before, but it conjures up an interesting alternate timeline. With its second iteration the International Convention would have then been an established thing and possibly become a continuing series, maybe even obviating the need for Eurocon!

- Rob Hansen, 2016

• FESTIVENTION
• Bid and pre-convention material