Debbie’s Filk FAQ

(Thanks to Lissa and Phil Allcock for the following info!)

The concept of UK filk awards dates back to the second UK filkcon, Con2bile, in 1990 where the committee for that Con decided some awards might be a fun thing to try. [Read more →]

From the OVFF Pegasus Awards page: “The Pegasus Awards were founded to recognize and honor excellence in filking. These awards are given annually at the Ohio Valley Filk Fest (or OVFF). Anyone with an interest in filk can nominate songs or individuals for the awards, and anyone can vote. You do not need to be a member of the convention to be involved in the nomination and voting process.” [Read more →]

While the Pegasus Awards focuses on performance and songwriting, the Filk Hall Of Fame awards tends to focus on people whose contribution is more behind the scenes. You can see a list of past inductees and their citations here. [Read more →]

Should you wait for a convention to ask you to do a concert? What’s the proper etiquette for asking? In general, concom-types seem to be open to filkers asking for concerts as long as you do so well in advance, politely, and without special demands. DON’T take it personally if you’re turned down. And above all, do remember that filking isn’t about concerts. [Read more →]

Informal term for “Big Name Filker”. Usually refers to someone who is well-known in the filk community but like the term “filk”, the exact definition varies depending on the person you ask.

Comments? Suggestions? Please post below.

Respondents unanimously agreed that spoken word pieces are fine in an open filk circle. From Phil Parker: “With regard to spoken word pieces, I have never seen a spoken word piece that was well written, well chosen for the moment, and well recited or told fail to get a good reaction from a filk circle.” [Read more →]

Grizelda has a new CD to sell, a compilation of filk songs she’s written over the years. She’s pretty darned proud of it. Gomer already has several commercial CDs for sale, and is new to the filk community. Both Grizelda and Gomer are wondering how they should or shouldn’t be marketing their products. [Read more →]

Question: “I’ve heard so many great things about Filkcontinental. How does one get to be invited as a Guest?” I asked concom member Katy Dröege-Macdonald, and this was her reply about how they choose their guests: [Read more →]

The UK filk conventions are organised differently with a different concom and different hotel every year. This makes for a wider range of people being involved in the organisation of events than in other countries where they tend to stick to a single venue and an only slightly changing concom [Read more →]

This week’s poll: Where can I find more information about the British filk community and conventions?

Filk.co.uk, which is run by Rafe Culpin, is an excellent resource for information on filk in the UK, with links to the WiGGLe list, upcoming events, related links, news, history and other information. [Read more →]