Adrienne Losin
| Fan | |
|---|---|
| Name: | Adrienne Losin |
| Alias(es): | |
| Type: | SF fan, club and event organizer |
| Fandoms: | Doctor Who, Star Trek TOS, wider science fiction. |
| Communities: | Austrek, Doctor Who Club of Victoria |
| Other: | Australian |
| URL: | |
| Click here for related articles on Fanlore. | |
Adrienne Losin (???? - 9 October 2019) was a long-time fan within the Australian science fiction community, becoming involved in many groups and conventions.
A high school teacher, she joined what became the Doctor Who Club of Victoria after some others created the group; Adrienne stepped in to become the club's media spokesperson, newsletter editor and interim President. Her public identification and active involvement within the club in its early days has led to her common (but inaccurate) attribution as being the club founder, although there is no doubt that she laid some groundwork for the club.
She was also an early participant in Austrek, helping to organise its first Trekcon and other events.
In both clubs, her aversion to committee politics led to her largely (but not completely) stepping away after being invited to formalise her involvement.
Over subsequent years, she was a participant in a wide and diverse variety of groups and conventions, in both Australia and overseas.
Adrienne passed away in 2019.
Geoff Allshorn wrote an obituary for Adrienne that was published in SF Commentary #101 in February 2020:
"Two of my earliest memories of Adrienne Losin testify as to her unique nature. In 1977, she was part of a group that went to see a science fiction film that formed part of a double feature. The first film was a short documentary about microscopic life. As the narrator informed us that a cellular life form ‘multiplies by dividing’, Adrienne burst into laughter. This introduced me to her subtle but quirky sense of humour. A year later, when an upcoming episode of The Paul Hogan Show featured a short sketch called Star Trot (a send-up of Star Trek), Adrienne arranged for a group of fans to visit the Channel 9 studios and have a tour of the set. This demonstrated her ability to organise fan events, often at short notice."I first met her over forty years ago, through the Star Trek club. In those days, Austrek was a fledgling group run largely by school students. Using her background experience as a school teacher, Adrienne helped us to organise our first convention and she arranged venues for a couple of our early club functions. I understand that she played a similar role in assisting others to launch the local Doctor Who club. For me, Adrienne was full of explosive enthusiasm and vigour, nobility and eloquence. Across many SF clubs and social network forums, people have their own anecdotes regarding Adrienne.
"I last spoke with her at a convention in Melbourne, when she informed me that she was moving to Queensland in order to be closer to family. I am glad that she got to spend time with them, although she continued to come to Melbourne on special occasions. She leaves behind a rich tapestry of SF memories. To paraphrase Douglas Adams: so long, Adrienne, and thanks for all the fandom."