Going Under Fan Fand: Europe to Australia and New Zealand

[Juliette Woods]

The Going Under Fan Fund takes a European fan to Australia and New Zealand (and vice versa). We are seeking nominations for European fans who wish to travel to the 2007 Australian natcon, Convergence 2. The fund will also support other Australian fannish travel, barring force majeure.

Nominations are needed ASAP. To nominate, arrange to send a bond of GBP10 or EUR15 together with the names of three nominators in Europe and two nominators in Australasia to the administrators, Pat McMurray in the UK or Damien Warman and Juliette Woods in Australia. Please convey your intent to be nominated as soon as possible, but no later than February 9, 2007.

Pat McMurray: pcmcmurray at yahoo dot co dot uk or 9 Corcorans Brentwood Essex CM15 9NR.

Juliette Woods and Damien Warman: juliette dot woods at pobox dot com, 173 Portrush Road, Maylands SA 5069, Australia.

Convergence 2, the 46th Australian National Science Fiction Convention, will be held from June 8 to June 11, 2007 in Melbourne.

Conspiracy 2, the 28th National Science Fiction Convention of New Zealand, will be held the weekend before, from June 1 to June 4, 2007.

Voting deadlines will be announced when a complete ballot is available. In the absence of at least two different real persons being nominated for the fund, the race will be held over until 2008.

If you have any queries or would like more information or assistance with nominating, being nominated, or would like to donate to the fund, please do not hesitate to contact the administrators.

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In 2005, Damien and I travelled as GUFF delegates to Stockholm and Uppsala, meeting many fine fans. We would be delighted if a Swedish fan were nominated for the 2007 trip to Australia and New Zealand.

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Our thanks to jophan for setting up this forum.

[jophan]

This would be seriously cool. However, personally, I would have to be prepared to make the trip by myself, as Linnéa wouldn't be able to make it. And I'm very, very reluctant to do that. And to enter the race, one must of course commit to making the trip, should one win. Sigh.

No-one else around here who's thinking of entering the race?

[åka]

I'm thinking, thinking... But I cannot really be away from the kid for two weeks. Or can I? I'm not sure I want to. I agree that it would be a really cool thing. Good fanzine material too...

[jophan]

I'm thinking, thinking... But I cannot really be away from the kid for two weeks. Or can I? I'm not sure I want to. I agree that it would be a really cool thing. Good fanzine material too...

It's even a bit worse, I think. Correct me if I'm wrong, but GUFF/TAFF/DUFF delegates normally spend some time in the host country travelling around meeting fans, so I should say three weeks is a better estimate.

[Sheriffen]

I'm thinking, thinking... But I cannot really be away from the kid for two weeks. Or can I? I'm not sure I want to. I agree that it would be a really cool thing. Good fanzine material too...

It's even a bit worse, I think. Correct me if I'm wrong, but GUFF/TAFF/DUFF delegates normally spend some time in the host country travelling around meeting fans, so I should say three weeks is a better estimate.

If I were to choose a delegate to represent Swedish fandom, I'd choose Ylva Spångberg. Not only would she be brilliant, she also happens not to take either spouse or kid into consideration. She is completely ruthless in both respects. So come on, Ylva. Go for it.

Drive a hard,
The Sheriff

[jophan]

Well, no disagreement from me. However, when the idea was floated yesterday, she said she wouldn't be able to manage to take three weeks off from work. Perhaps we can persuade her? But we only have two days in which to do it!

[Sheriffen]

Well, no disagreement from me. However, when the idea was floated yesterday, she said she wouldn't be able to manage to take three weeks off from work. Perhaps we can persuade her? But we only have two days in which to do it!

Ylva! Come now! You know as well as I do that in our profession it is perfectly feasible to work like hell, day in and day out, for weeks before and after trips to Australia. And on top of that, who ever heard of a translator not seeing his or her deadline rapidly disappearing in the rear-view mirror?!

This is Australia we're talking about, and not only would you be a perfect delegate - you don't even have to pay for your trip! They do that, you know.

Ergo: you don't need the money you were gonna' be paid to translate that lousy book!

Drive a hard,
The Sheriff

[Sten]

Of course you can do it, Ylva!

Don't worry, we can help you translate your books while you're gone. If all of sverifandom take turns, we probably only need to translate half a page each or so. At most. No problem at all. I mean, how difficult could it be?

Also, consider the advantage of going to Australia. Lots of strange people will give you large amounts of beer. You will do strange things which seem like a good idea at the time. A couple of weeks later, you will remember this, get struck by acute embarrassment, and fervently wish that you were on the other side of the world.

And then, suddenly, you are.

[DamienW]

I would suggest that three weeks is a good length of time, four ideal, but if pressed one could manage a reasonable glimpse in ten days, meeting many people, by travelling to New Zealand for a convention, then to the coast of Australia, say to Sydney and Canberra for a couple of days each, and then to Melbourne to end at the Australian National Convention. If time permits, travelling to Perth would then cover the last major concentration of fans in Australia. (We love Adelaide, but realistically you'd only come here for a peaceful time if you are not in a hurry...)
The absolute minimum would be to travel to the Australian convention with Perth on the way in or out, say via South Africa. Four days, but never time to worry about jetlag :-) (I don't recommend this option, but it's possible.)

[Ylva]

I would suggest that three weeks is a good length of time, four ideal, but if pressed one could manage a reasonable glimpse in ten days, meeting many people, by travelling to New Zealand for a convention, then to the coast of Australia, say to Sydney and Canberra for a couple of days each, and then to Melbourne to end at the Australian National Convention.

Sorry, folks. I'm very flattered by the opinion I'd be a brilliant candidate and I'd absolutely love to do it, but it's not a deadline for one book in June, but two. If only these cons had taken place two weeks later... Alas. No, I'm sorry, but i have to pass up on this one.

Ylva

[Juliette Woods]

This is to remind those who have not yet voted that the deadline for GUFF votes is midnight (GMT+1) on Monday, 16 April 2007 (9:30 am Tuesday here in Adelaide).

The candidates for the Europe-to-Australasia race are: Johan Anglemark, Anna Davour, Steve Davies, and Ang Rosin. The winning fan will attend Convergence 2 in Melbourne.

Details are here.
A fanzine about the candidates is here (pdf).

Pay by PayPal or, if you can get a paper copy to the administrators in time, you can download a pdf of the ballot here.

Voting is open to anyone who was active in fandom prior to June 2004, and who contributes at least GBP5 or AUD10 (or the equivalent in other currencies) to the fund. If you think your name may not be known to the administrators, please include with your vote the name and address of an active fan (not a fan group, a candidate or one of their nominators) to whom you are known and who is known to (one of) the administrators.