International Fantasy Award

The International Fantasy Award (IFA ) was a literary prize for the best science fiction or fantasy book, as well as for the best - nonfiction. First awarded in 1951 on an English science fiction convention, it was the oldest award for works of science fiction and fantasy. She was awarded for books from 1951 to 1955 and again in 1957 and for non-fiction books from 1951 to 1953.

Initiators were four known members of the Convention of 1951 ( Leslie Flood, G. Ken Chapman, Frank A. Cooper and author John Wyndham ), who belonged, led by Nova Publications, a British publisher of fantasy magazines. From them the first prize winners were selected.

In the following years, awarded an international body to which, among other things, the authors and editor Anthony Boucher, P. Schuyler Miller, Judith Merril, Groff Conklin, Basil Davenport and John Carnell included, the price. This " was intended as a recognition of originality, individual style and literary substance" ( Alpers, fox, rooster, Jeschke. Encyclopedia of Science Fiction literature München 1988).

Award winners

Book

Approved were the year before the award ceremony, first published as a book novels or anthologies of short stories by an author.

Non-fiction book

Approved were non-fiction, which represented the scientific and social progress based on the further development of known facts or accepted theories or could affect.