2017 GUFF Voting Begins

The Get Up-and-over Fan Fund ballot for the 2017 race is now available on the OzFanFunds website.

Voters will choose an Australasian delegate to Worldcon 75 in Helsinki. The candidates are Donna Maree Hanson, Sam Hawke, Belle McQuattie, and the tandem of Alexandra Pierce and Alisa Krasnostein.

Ballots will be accepted until April 1, 2017. The candidates’ platforms and general information about voting is here. The online ballot is here. A PDF version for printing is here.

Here are the candidates’ platforms

  • Donna Maree Hanson

My first SF con was Convergence in Melbourne, 2002. Over excited by my dip into fandom, I chaired Conflux, the 43rd Natcon, Conflux 2 and later co-chaired, Conflux 9, the 52nd Natcon. I’m inspired by GUFF delegate Jukka Halme to get over to Helsinki and also my love of the UK to visit fans there. Fandom changed my life! It has people who like SF, books and authors. I was weaned on Lost in Space, Dr Who, Star Trek, Thunderbirds, UFO and Blake 7. As the GUFF delegate, I want to hang out with European and British fen and experience their fandom.

Nominators: Australasia – Julian Warner, Dave Cake, Rose Mitchell Europe – Patrick McMurray, Ben Roimola

  • Sam Hawke

I’m a fantasy writer (my first book comes out through Tor in 2018) and like many SFF fans, I tend toward shyness. But once comfortable I’m like one of those annoying tins with the sprung streamers you had as a kid: there’s no putting me back in. 2 ciders/1 Discworld argument in and I’ll be challenging you to a ‘recite the entire Princess Bride from memory’ contest or arguing my choice of Doctor (10, obviously). Send me to Helsinki so I can connect in person with fans from around the world, and uphold Australia’s honour in the 3-timtams-in-a-minute contest!

Nominators: Australasia – Rob Porteous, Tim Napper, Leife Shallcross Europe – Natasja Frederiksen, Sini Neuvonen

  • Belle McQuattie

I am a reader, reviewer, Aurealis Awards judge and Continuum 13 committee member. I have a particular passion for Australian fantasy and would love to share it with new friends at WorldCon. I would also like to meet fans at Nine Worlds and in Croatia before/after WorldCon, and experience the unique flavours each of the three regions brings to fandom. Reconnecting with the wider fandom is the best decision I’ve made this year and I’m very much looking forward to all the new experiences waiting for me. I can be found @theresaninkspot

Nominators: Australasia – Tole Canal, Tehani Croft, Katharine Stubbs Europe – James Shields, Vanja Kranjcevic

  • Alisa Krasnostein and Alexandra Pierce (shared)

Alisa and Alex are two thirds of the Hugo-winning Galactic Suburbia podcast, and co-editors of the award-winning Letters to Tiptree. Alisa is the publisher at Twelfth Planet Press, and has won awards for her anthologies and other publications. Alex writes the regular column “Aurora Australis” for Tor.com, and has won awards for her reviews and criticism (www.randomalex.net). Alisa and Alex share a passion for science fiction and fandom. All of their projects are undertaken for the love of science fiction. They look forward to being excellent ambassadors of Australian fans, and connecting with fans from around the world.

Nominators: Australasia – PRK, Gene Melzack, and Damien Warman and Juliette Woods Europe – Cheryl Morgan and Irma Hirsjärvi

[Thanks to JJ for the story.]