What is it?
GUFF was created in 1979. Known as the Get Up-and-over Fan Fund or the Going Under Fan Fund, depending on which direction its running, GUFF exists to provide funds to enable well- known fans from Europe and Oceania (Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Melanesia, Micronesia and Polynesia) to visit each other's national (or other) conventions and get to know each other's fandoms better. GUFF, like other fan funds, exists solely through the support of fandom. The candidates for each trip are voted on by interested fans, and each vote is accompanied by a monetary donation. These votes, and the continuing generosity of fandom through auctions and other donations, are what make GUFF possible.
Who may vote?
Voting in the race to send a European fan to Swancon 50, the Australian National Convention, 29 May – 1 June 2026, is open to anyone who was active in fandom prior to January 2025, and who contributes at least GBP6, EUR7, AUD10, NZD10, or the equivalent in other currencies to the fund. Larger contributions are encouraged and will be gratefully accepted. Only one vote per person is allowed. You must sign or otherwise verify your ballot, but your vote will not be made public.
Voting Details
GUFF uses a preferential ballot system, which guarantees automatic runoffs until a majority is obtained. You rank the candidates in order of your preference. If the leading first-place candidate does not have a majority of votes after the first round of counting, the first-place votes for the lowest-placed candidate are discarded, and the second-place votes on those ballots are counted as first-place votes for the candidates concerned. This process is repeated until one candidate has a majority of all the votes cast. Votes for candidates below first place are therefore important, but you may not rank any candidate in more than one position on your ballot.
Hold Over Funds: This choice, like 'No award' in award balloting, gives you the chance to vote for no GUFF trip in 2026 if for any reason none of the candidates appeal. Hold over funds may be voted for in any position on the ballot.
No Preference: This choice is for voters who do not wish the GUFF trip to be held over, but who either cannot or prefer not to decide between the candidates. It can be voted for in any position on the ballot but cannot be eliminated, so any specific preferences ranked below it would never be counted.
Write-in: No write-ins will be accepted. A write-in on a paper ballot will be treated as an invalid first vote with consequential preferential votes allocated according to that process. A write-in ballot with no consequential preferences will be treated as a donation to GUFF.
Donations
GUFF gratefully accepts your freely given money and material for auction. If you're not eligible to vote, or for some reason you don't wish to vote, why not donate anyway? All funds will be used to pay for current and future GUFF trips.
Candidates
Each candidate has posted a bond of UKP £20 and promises if elected that, barring force majeure, they will travel to attend Swancon 50 in Perth, Western Australia, 29 May – 1 June 2026. dates have also provided nominations from European and Australasian fans and a short platform, which is displayed below.
How to cast your vote
Please read the whole ballot before voting.You can vote at https://bit.ly/guff_2026_vote or by completing and sending this ballot form to an administrator (Alison Scott, guffeurope@gmail.com or Kat Clay, katclay@gmail.com – postal addresses on request), or at an SF convention where someone is collecting ballots.
Votes are not valid unless accompanied by a contribution of at least GBP6, EUR7, AUD10, NZD10, or an equivalent amount in other currencies. Please pay by Paypal to Alison at guffeurope@gmail.com (in pound sterling euro, AUD or NZD please). Choose 'friends and family' or add 10% to cover Paypal fees. If this doesn't work for you, message Alison or Kat for bank account details.
Voting will close on 12 March 2026 at 23:59 GMT/UTC (00:59 CET, 07:59 13 March 2026 AWST, 10:59 13 March 2026 AEST).
Candidates
Farah Mendlesohn
I ran my first event on Babylon 5 in 1997. I volunteered at and chaired Eastercons, and worked at different levels in Worldcons; chaired the SFF, the IAFA (USA), and was editor for the UK academic journal Foundation. I'm Treasurer of the BSFA. Last year I started a local convention in Perth (Scotland). I'm on the Montreal exhibits team, and the Brisbane bid team. I've wanted to go to Swancon for years.
I would love the chance to meet the Brisbane team in person. I live in Perth, Scotland, and am amused by the locational correspondence.
Nominators: Johan Anglemark, Sandra Bond, Mike Scott (Europe), Murray MacLachlan, Cat Sparks (Australia)
Misha Sumra
I'm Misha Sumra, I've been formally fan-active for almost 20 years (First Con, Discworld 2006; First ConComm, Sectus 2007; Got married, Redemption 2011), but have been Fannish since before I could spell the word. I recently had to dial back commitments for parenting reasons; now I'm looking to "redebut".
My intent as GUFF candidate is simple: Meet as many fellow-fans as possible (at Swancon and elsewhere in Aus/NZ), and foster community links via the time-honoured traditions of Volunteering and Chatting In The Pub/Con Bar/Room Party. In an increasingly fragmented world, shared Fannish interests can bring us together.
Nominators: David Carlisle (DC), Kylie Ding, Chris O'Shea (Europe), Kin-Ming Looi, Lisa Smith (New Zealand)
Voting
Your name*:
Address:
Country*:
Email*:
*required
Please indicate your voting preference below.** Use only the numbers 1 to 4 (1= first choice); do not repeat any numbers. You do not need to number every choice.
Farah Mendlesohn Misha Sumra Hold Over Funds No Preference Signed: ________________________________ Date:________________________
We may ask around if we don't know you already; you might want to suggest someone we should ask (not a candidate or nominator) here: