GUFF is the Going Under (or Get Up-and-Over) Fan Fund which transports science fiction fans from Europe (including the UK) to Oceania (Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Melanesia, Micronesia and Polynesia) (and vice versa).
Nominations in the race to send a fan southbound to Swancon 50, the 2026 Australian National Convention (29 May - 1 June 2026) in Perth, Western Australia <https://swancon50.sf.org.au/> are open to anyone who was active in fandom prior to January 2025. The winner could also travel to other parts of Australia and New Zealand to visit fans, as time permits.
The winner will be expected to take over the administration of the fund for the next northbound and southbound races, and will ideally publish a report of their trip.
If you wish to stand, please contact us at the email addresses below. You will need three nominators from the UK or Europe and two from Australia or New Zealand, (who will each need to confirm their nominations), a platform of no more than 100 words to appear on the ballot, and a bond of £20/€20 to guarantee attendance at Swancon 50 in Perth if you win.
If you wish to stand but are concerned about finances or access to nominators, or you have questions about what the fund pays for or the duties of a GUFF delegate and administrator, then feel free to contact us in confidence.
Nominations are open from now until 18 February 2026. Candidates will be announced soon after, and voting will then run until 23:59 on 12 March 2026 (UK time – GMT) with the winner announced online as soon as possible after voting has closed.
Nominations should be sent via email to UK administrator Alison Scott at guffeurope@gmail.com and Australian administrator Kat Clay at katclay@gmail.com. The bond should be sent by PayPal to guffeurope@gmail.com.
The nomination and voting periods are shorter than usual, so we would be grateful if you could spread the news far and wide and encourage everyone you think might be a good candidate to take the plunge.
Alison Scott and Kat Clay
GUFF adminstrators