Secret Samol

Secret Samol is an annual Friends at the Table fanworks exchange most recently hosted by dancynrew, hellavarawr, imperialhare, and oziads.Secret Samol Twitter bio: Organized by @dancynrew, @imperialhare, @oziads, and @hellavarawr! Accessed November 12, 2023. (archive link) It runs in the northern hemisphere's winter, typically through December and January, and was in its eight year in 2023.Secret Samol Carrd: Secret Samol 2023: The 8th annual Friends at the Table Holiday Art Exchange. Accessed November 12, 2023. (archive link) All types of fanworks are welcomed, including physical gifts as long as they can be presented digitally for other fans besides the recipient to view and enjoy.Secret Samol Carrd: Rules. Accessed November 12, 2023. (archive link) 
Apart from the 2018 and 2019 rounds, Secret Samol is not AO3-based: participants sign up by submitting a form created by the organizers, and the organizers handmatch participants. While some participants do continue to post the gifts they create to AO3, it is not a requirement and many participants do not do so.
The exchange's name is a play on Secret Santa with reference to the Friends at the Table character Samol.
==Rules==
The rule prohibiting discriminatory behaviour was added in 2019@secretsamol (Jan 19, 2020): We have removed a participant for discriminatory behaviour, and have updated the rules to make clear that this won’t be tolerated in the future. Additionally, participants requesting or creating discriminatory or abusive content in the exchange will also be immediately banned. (Tweet). (archive link) and the rule about character depictions and whitewashing was added in 2023.Secret Samol Tumblr post: We have added to the rules... Accessed November 12, 2023. (archive link)
== History ==
=== 2016 ===
=== 2017 ===
=== 2018 ===
The 2018 round was hosted by imperialhare, keeshkid, and elestaus, with art provided by ootron.Secret Samol Twitter bio (archived May 13, 2019): Organized by @imperialhare, @keeshkid, and @elestaus! Artwork by @ootron Signups took place through AO3, where 122 people signed up and 120 works were posted to the 2018 AO3 collection.Secret Samol 2018 AO3 collection. Accessed November 12, 2023. (archive link) 
Unlike preceding and subsequent years, only fanfic and (drawn) fanart were accepted in 2019; non-conventional fanworks were not.Secret Samol 2019 INFO: After only accepting fanfic and (drawn) fanart last year, we are experimenting with allowing non-conventional fanwork again this year (e.g. music, textile art, games). Google Doc. Accessed Nov 12, 2023. (archive link)
=== 2019 ===
Organizers for the 2019 round were imperialhare, hellavarawr, keeshkid, and sokratesnikon.@secretsamol (Nov 23, 2019): We're almost ready to send out assignments for this year's Secret Samol! Huge shoutouts to our mods for this year, @hellavarawr, @quichekid, and late arrival @sokratesnikon for all the work they did to get everyone matched up! (Tweet). (archive link) Signups took place through AO3, where 131 people signed up@secretsamol (Nov 24, 2019): Hella/Adaire/Adelaide was our most requested ship and Hella Varal the most requested character! There were 164 distinct characters requested and 90 distinct ships across 131 sign-ups! (Tweet). (archive link) and 132 works were posted to the 2019 AO3 collection.Secret Samol 2019 AO3 collection. Accessed November 12, 2023. (archive link) A Google spreadsheet was provided that tallied up the number of requests for each character and ship. Hella Varal was 2019's most-requested character and Hella/Adaire/Adelaide the year's most-requested ship.
=== 2020 ===
The 2020 round had 117 signups.@secretsamol (Nov 29, 2020): Finishing in at 117 signups! Thank you all so much for your submissions, the mods will begin matching tomorrow!! (Tweet). (archive link) Airtable lists were provided to show fans how many requests each ship and character had received for the year. Cassander Timaeus Berenice and Aria Joie were tied for the year's most popular characters,Airtable chart (archive link) and for the second year in a row, Hella/Adaire/Adelaide was the most popular ship.Airtable chart (archive link)
The organizers initially planned to run the 2020 round on AO3, as they had in 2018-2019, but in light of the 2020 OTW and AO3 racism discussion they chose to shift to a signup form hosted on Airtable with assignment handmatching so that all fans could feel comfortable participating.@secretsamol (Nov 13, 2020): Hello everyone! Apologies for the last minute announcement but with the recent discussions wrt Ao3, we have decided to push the SecSam dates back a week to see if there is a viable alternative that would allow everyone to participate comfortably. Thank you for your patience! (Tweet). (archive link)
=== 2021 ===
In 2021, 92 participants signed up.@secretsamol (Nov 28, 2021): Sign-ups closed with 92 people participating! Thank you everyone! (Tweet). (archive link) The most requested character was Pickman and the most requested ship was Balence.@secretsamol (Dec 4, 2022): Pickman and Balence hold their titles as most requested character and most requested ship two years in a row! (Tweet). (archive link)
=== 2022 ===
The 2022 round was hosted by dancynrew, imperialhare, and oziads,Secret Samol Twitter bio (archived May 7, 2023): Organized by @dancynrew, @imperialhare, and @oziads! with art provided by Finn J. Carey.Secret Samol 2022 AO3 collection: Our icon features art by @amaranthsynth. Accessed November 12, 2023. (archive link) 155 participants signed up@secretsamol (Dec 4, 2022): With 155 participants this is the biggest Secret Samol exchange ever!! (Tweet). (archive link) and the most requested characters and ships were again, respectively, Pickman and Balence.
A Pokémon-based fangame created for the round by mousewifegames as a gift for Elenor_Einhorn,@mousewifegames (Jan 29, 2023): AMERICA'S PLAYGROUND changed everything, so for #secretsamol this year I couldn't help make a whole dang video game for @Elenor_einhorn! (Tweet) (archive link) Princéton: Bluff Version,mousewifegames on itch.io: Princeton: Bluff Version Accessed November 12, 2023. (archive link) was played and streamed by three Friends at the Table cast members on the show's official Twitch channel a few days after it was posted.@friends_table (Feb 1, 2023): Tonight we're going to be streaming this #secretsamol Bluff City pokemon hack! 5:30 Eastern http://twitch.tv/FriendsattheTable Come join @atebbel @notquitereal and @KeithJCarberry on a trip back to the Kingfish Pier (Tweet). (archive link)
=== 2023 ===
The 2023 round was hosted by dancynrew, imperialhare, oziads, and hellavarawr. 170 participants signed up.@secretsamol (Nov 13, 2023): Actual final count is 170(!!!!!!!!!) (Tweet). (archive link) Kalvin Brnine was the round's most-requested character, and Balence and Brnine/Gucci tied for most-requested ship.secret-samol Tumblr post (Nov 13, 2023): Drumroll Please…..🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁 (archive link)
=== 2024 ===
In 2024, 130 participants signed up. For the second year in a row, Kalvin Brnine was the most-requested character, and the top two most-requested ships were Balence and Brnine/Gucci.secret-samol Tumblr post (Nov 22, 2024): MATCHING IN PROGRESS~~~ (archive link)
== Exchange Banners ==
File:FATTSecSam2018banner.png|Secret Samol 2018 banner by ootron
File:FATTSecSam2019banner.jpeg|Secret Samol 2019 banner by dancynrew
File:FATTSecSam2020banner.jpg|Secret Samol 2020 banner by dancynrew
File:FATTSecSam2021banner.jpg|Secret Samol 2021 banner by dancynrew
File:FATTSecSam2022banner.png|Secret Samol 2022 banner by Finn J. Carey
File:FATTSecSam2023banner.jpg|Secret Samol 2023 banner by dancynrew
File:FATTSecSam2024banner.jpg|Secret Samol 2024 banner by dancynrew
==References==
Category:Friends at the Table
Category:2016 Gift Exchanges
Category:2017 Gift Exchanges
Category:2018 Gift Exchanges
Category:2019 Gift Exchanges
Category:2020 Gift Exchanges
Category:2021 Gift Exchanges
Category:2022 Gift Exchanges
Category:2023 Gift Exchanges
Category:2024 Gift Exchanges