Ella Parker
Ella Parker (1916-1993) was a fanzine editor from the UK.
Her introduction to fanzines came when, after writing to Archie Mercer, she went one night in the Spring of 1958 to The Globe, a popular hang out for SF fans, to seek out fandom. There she met Ken and Pamela Bulmer and Ron Buckmaster, and others, who quickly supplied her with zines.
A year later, in 1959, Ella Parker began publishing her award winning fanzine Orion, after the previous editor, Paul Enever, handed over the reins to her. In 1960, it won the Skyrack Readers Fan Poll for Best British Fan Publication of the year. In 1961 it placed second, beaten by Parker's most recent publication, The ATom Anthology.
After the 29th issue was released, Parker ceased publication of Orion in 1962. The same year she again won the Skyrack Readers Fan Poll, this time for Fan Personality of the Year, and her report on her trip to the U.S.A., Parker's Peregrinations, was voted one of the Top Ten British Fan Publications of the year. Also in 1962, and took over editorship of Vector for one issue. In 1963 and 1964, she released the title Compact for the Offtrails Magazine Publishers Association.
In 1960, Parker began hosting an open house Friday night get together at her flat, nicknamed "The Penitentiary" in West Kilburn, London, for British Science Fiction Association members, until late 1964. She also edited the BSFA Newsletter during this time.
