The current TAFF (TransAtlantic Fan Fund) race is now going on. It will send a North American fan to Odyssey, the 2010 Eastercon. The candidates are the team of Brian Gray & Anne KG Murphy, and the solo entrant of Frank Wu (the ballot is on this page).
In addition to being a candidate, Wu is also spearheading some fundraising for TAFF. To wit, he has announced seven “eBay Tuckerization auctions (in which you get to bid on the naming rights of a minor character in a novel or story by a famous author!). The auctions are for Tuckerizations by: Cory Doctorow, Charlie Stross, Nalo Hopkinson, David Brin, Elizabeth Bear, Julie Czerneda, and Mary Robinette Kowal.” All the auctions close just after 9PM PST on 7 December 2009. At press time, high bids range from $54 to $227.
Wu also mentions auctions for first editions of Geroge Orwell’s 1984 (currently at $255) and John Hersey’s Hiroshima (currently at $50), both ending about the same time.
Related articles previously published on SFScope:
TAFF 2010 nominations now open (9 September 2009)
Thanks for the shout-out, Ian! I should note, though, that Anne/Brian and I have been really working together on fundraising. She ran an auction at Windycon, and I ran one at Philcon. She collected most of the pledges from writers to do Tuckerizations; I got the two book donations. Very balanced!