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Held in Sunderland from 23rd October to 25th November 1973, this was organised by Coelfrith Arts as part of the larger 'Wearmouth 1300 Festival' commemorating the birth of the Venerable Bede in 673 AD and the founding of a monastery in Wearmouth a year later.
The festival committee consisted of George Hay, Peter Nicholls, Philip Strick, Peter Weston, and Gerald Bishop. Among the speakers were Brian Aldiss, John Brunner, James Blish, Mark Adlard and Malcolm Edwards. Gannetfandom organised a symposium of writers from the North-East. This was chaired by Rob Jackson. A related anthology was later published.
The previous month, at the start of the academic year, students David Pringle, John Harvey and Eve Simmons (later Harvey) had formed the Leeds University Union SF Society, quickly attracting twenty or so other members. An outing to the festival to meet SF authors was LUUSFS's first significant event.
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