The LSFRC (London Science Fiction Research Community) is recruiting new directors for its 2021-2022 cycle, with a view to starting in early June. Directors are expected to join the team for a minimum of one year, and are more than welcome to stay on for longer.  

We are especially keen to have enthusiasts, practitioners or researchers who are either informally interested in or formally working with the themes of our year’s programme on SF & Extraction (more here). We are open to hearing from people working across the spectrum of science and speculative fiction, from those who use SF as a visionary tool for grassroots activism; artists, creators and gamers who explore SF in multimedia, to those engaged with more traditional literary scholarship. For any new directors who may be PhD researchers, we hold a preference for those in years 1 and 2, as we are mindful of the commitments during the final year.

We are a non-hierarchical organisation, meaning that labour is shared equitably. We are flexible and can accommodate both structured and less structured approaches to work depending on your needs and time boundaries. We strive to maintain a caring community, and no one is encumbered with more tasks than they can manage. The LSFRC directorate is a supportive team which operates through consensus and mutual respect, and we look forward to recruiting new directors who share this ethos. In our ongoing attempts to grow and improve, we are always open to fresh ideas and new inputs. The LSFRC directorate actively supports and seeks to foreground queer, decolonial, anti-racist, crip and trans inclusive values and issues through our work as an organisation.

Please note that we are a non-profit organisation run by passionate SF fans, so this is an unpaid role (LSFRC directors do not draw a salary). You will of course not be expected to put any of your own funds into the organisation. We understand that voluntary labour is not accessible to all, especially for those who are un/underemployed people, disabled, needing childcare, etc. Therefore, we will seek to ensure as much support as possible, in terms of delegating labour conscientiously, and, when possible, materially such as by means of an internal co-directors solidarity fund.

Directors are expected to maintain regular email correspondence and attend video meetings (approximately once every 4-6 weeks, although it can vary depending on the density of upcoming activities). We may return to in-person meetings once this becomes safe and feasible.

Other directorial duties include:

• Helping to shape the theme and programming for 2021-2022. For its current cycle the LSFRC is focusing on the theme of SF & Extraction, see here for more details.
• Attending our monthly reading group and other events – such as work in progress events, guest talks and lectures, etc. (approximately 2-4 a year).
• Helping with conference organising and running (held online annually around September). This includes taking some shifts over the course of the 2-3 day conference
• Helping to run the LSFRC email account and website.
• Helping to run LSFRC’s social media presence (optional, and there is no requirement for you to use social media).
• Helping to select and develop a theme for 2022-2023.
• Depending on your skills and interests, other potential duties can include: 
  • helping to run LSFRC’s finances and writing funding applications, especially if affiliated with an institution or university
  • writing short blog posts 
  • collaborating with external organisations and growing our international network
  • helping with technical work, such as hosting our video meetings for the reading group,
  • streaming events and conference
  • co-curating programmes (art/guest talks/games) for day events related to our annual theme

Literacy in English is essential. UK-based (particularly within travel distance of London) is preferable but not essential. You do not need to be a student or academic to apply. 

If interested, please email us (lsfrcmail@gmail.com) with a short, informal summary of who you are, the nature of your relationship with SF and why you are interested in joining the team. Please let us know of any access requirements you need to join us as a director and do not hesitate to contact us with any questions. 

The deadline for registering your interest is 20th May.

Please spread the word!