The IFA ACCOUNTS and Other Related Stuff

In 2004 with the help of Rog Peyton - a longtime acquaintance of Les Flood - as intermediary I received two envelopes of IFA material from Les, then resident in Spain. Most of the material from the first set was soon used in the original incarnation of this webpage, and then sent back to Les who died three years later. That original material presumably went to landfill along with any other Flood papers. Fortunately I had been too idle or distracted to do anything with the second package, from which I have drawn the material presented here. Obviously, and fortunately, I did not get around to sending  it back to oblivion.

The IFA Award itself, and three receipts of payment received from its maker, one A.L. TUCKER (see also in accounts and bank statements below). 'A.L.Tucker' is an unknown name in the sf community, and although the address given is that of G Ken Chapman, noted sf and fantasy bookseller and one of the IFA originators, we can only assume this was a contact address only. Perhaps he was a friend of Chapman's who was a skilled metalworker, It's unknown how skilled he may have been for no original IFA award has been seen for several decades and none may now still exist, and no other trace of Tucker has been found. On the other hand Chapman may have been a competent hobbyist operating under a pseudonym as well as bookdealer - the world may never know.

To left, a statement of the history and aims of the IFA, with notes on adjudicators for the 1955 award.

On right, some rather confused notes of donations received and expenses paid (does not cover all relevant years)

It is very likely that one reason why the IFA did not capture the enthusiasm and interest of British fandom of the early 1950s was the rather pompous and exclusive nature of the organisation. Few might have seriously argued that a panel of experts should be replaced by a popular vote (as in the later Hugo awards) but the celebrations at an invited dinner not open to general fandom - even for the actual presentation - would have turned off a lot of people - and still would today in the 21stC. A rather peculiar stance on the part of the IFA committee while at the same time canvassing for cash support from British sf fans.