My NAFF Journey to Swancon 40 (Natcon 54)

I was very excited to win the NAFF race this year, which allowed me to attend Natcon 54 (Swancon 40). I’d thrown my hat in the ring for the 2014 race but lost by one vote to Matt Lindus, who came over from Perth to the Melbourne Natcon at Continuum. This year it was a bigger race, with four great candidates (you can find more information here, and I was very chuffed to be declared the winner. While I had been to Swancon before, of course (I was even on the organising committee in 2011!), I hadn’t been back since we left Western Australia the following year.

Due to work and family commitments, I could only attend the convention Friday through to Sunday night, leaving Canberra very early on Good Friday to catch my first flight. While I had reading material and my own viewing on my device, I somehow got sucked into watching Orange is the New Black on my flight from Melbourne to Perth – compelling and engaging and just a bit confronting. I can see why it’s so popular!

Into the NAFF race, once more…

Even though I was beaten (by the slimmest of margins) for NAFF last year, I thought I throw my hat in the ring once again. Glutton for punishment, me! I’ll let the blurb below tell you more about it, but if you would like to help me win the race, please feel free to vote! You can download the voting form right here or to make it super easy, you can vote online here with just a few clicks and Paypal 🙂 It costs $5.00, with all vote proceeds going to the fan fund, so it’s a good cause!

NAFF 2015

Welcome to the NAFF race for 2015. The National Australian Fan Fund (NAFF) was created to assist fans to travel across Australia to attend the National Science Fiction Convention (Natcon). NAFF assists fans to travel to the Natcon and covers the costs of airfares and accommodation. The Natcon donates a convention membership. This year’s NAFF race is to the 54th Australian Natcon, Swancon 40, which will be held in Perth during Easter, 2^nd– 6^th April 2015. It is expected that the winner will produce a report of their trip, engage in fundraising to support future NAFF races, and to help administer the NAFF race for the following two years. All Australian fans are eligible to vote.

The voting process contributes to the fundraising so each vote costs $5. You are more than welcome to donate more than this amount! Votes are being collected by: Matt Lindus (WA) and the candidate(s). For more information please contact Matt at ratticus@msquared.com.au.

Voting is closed.

Voting opens Sunday 1^st March 2015 and concludes on Monday 16^th of March 2015. Your candidates for this year:

Paula McGrath

My first convention was Aussiecon3. I stage-managed the Hugos and my memorable moment was convincing Terry Pratchett to hand out awards to ‘fat Americans’ (his words). Since then I’ve helped organise Convergence2002, was on the committee of Aussiecon4, failed in a DUFF race (sympathy play), saw a Worldcon in Chicago, attended almost 10 Continuums, been on and off various committees. What I love most about fandom is the lifelong friends you make and the joy of squeeing about your favourite things and not seem weird. I’ve never been to a Swancon, so this would be a great experience.

Nominated by: Sarah Lee Parker (WA), Rose Mitchell (Vic), and Julian Warner (Vic)

Candice Schilder

I’ve been an active member of the SwanCon community for a long time, including being committee for 23 and convenor of 25. Despite having moved away from WA more than a decade ago, I have continued to make my way to SwanCon, so far without fail. I’m such a familiar face at the convention that I have stopped being surprised when people still think I live locally. I’ll bring to the con the same things I always do; a friendly smile, energy, enthusiasm and a well planned Masquerade costume.

Nominated by: Greg Tannahill (ACT), Desiree Heald (WA), and Samara Morgan (WA)

Greg Tannahill

I am an ACT-based fan, an attendee of multiple Swancons, Continuums and Confluxes, and am well-known in the related community of Australian Roleplaying Conventions. As NAFF delegate I would like to see stronger ties between Australia’s gaming and SF communities, and to cross-pollinate the lessons and experience of each community to help all fans. Both communities need new ideas and new blood, and this is a great place to start. Due to family commitments I cannot otherwise afford to be in Perth on the weekend of Swancon and the NAFF funding would make my attendance possible.

Nominated by: Stuart Barrow (ACT), Julia Burns (ACT), and April Rutkay (WA)

Tehani Wessely

I’ve been involved in the Australian speculative fiction scene since 2001, attending my first convention in 2002. I’m a book geek, a Doctor Who nerd and have volunteerism issues. I was part of the Natcon 50 organising committee, had several years of working with the Andromeda Spaceways crew, helped run the ASif! reviews website, and have judged or acted as judging co-ordinator for the Aurealis Awards since 2007. I love working on ways to improve the prominence of Australian spec fic creators, such as the Australian Spec Fic Snapshot project and by openly wearing my geek cred loud and proud!

Nominated by: Ju Landesse (Vic), Cat Sparks (NSW), and Alisa Kranostein (WA)

Swancon is over.

i helped run a convention. It was by turns fun, educational, inspirational and damn hard. It’s now over, and more of my time is again my own(ish). I still don’t think I’m fully over it though – not the event so much as the leadup and the hard work throughout the weekend! I’ve blogged a (very) little about it over at FableCroft and am rounding up a whole heap of everyone else’s Swancon posts there too, just for fun 🙂

The only thing I’d like to add is to say to  ,   and  , you rock. Robin, Stefan, Jay and everyone else who helped along the way, or during the weekend (looking at you Doug, Linda, the Turner twins and too many others to name!), we couldn’t have done it without you either! And thanks also to Ellen, Justina, Sean and Sarah, for being the nicest, bestest guests any con comm could ask for.

I don’t ever want to do it again, but I’m glad I got to be part of it.

Swancon Guest of Honour luncheon

Don’t miss out on the Guest of Honour luncheon at Swancon! Tickets must be booked by 5pm today. Details here: 
http://2011.swancon.com.au/2011/04/meet-our-guests-guest-fundraising-luncheon/

And check out the last minute update post on all the interesting bits and pieces you need to know about the weekend ahead!
http://2011.swancon.com.au/2011/04/not-long-now/ 

Swancon 2010 Photos

Helen Merrick signing my new copy of her Hugo-nominated book, The Secret Feminist Cabal!

Liz and Russell with their new books!

Satima, Carol and Helen enjoying the con 🙂