The SpecFicNZ Official Logo Contest SpecFicNZ, the new writers association, will finally launch in 2010 and we need an original, eye-catching logo to plaster on our website, print on our promotional material, and tattoo on the foreheads of all the Core members. If you are an artist, a wanna-be-artist, or simply a rad doodler, we would love to see your most creative logo ideas. If you aren't artistically inclined, you probably know someone who is. Please feel free to pass this information on to them. Entries are free, easy, and you can make up to five of them. And the prize for the winner is pretty decent -- $140 NZ, a free 6-issue subscription to Andromeda Spaceways Inflight Magazine, and a copy of the book Newton's Sleep from Random Static Publishing (and of course, the fame -- never forget the fame). The Contest opens for entries March 15th, 2010, and closes April 15, 2010. You can find more information and complete contest rules here.

The Career Of A Local Artist Is Sprouting Up Like Magic Local artist Emma Weakley is about to have her first book published and she still a teenager. Wellington publisher Random Static will be releasing Jack and the Beanstalk, a quirky take on the classic fairytale. "Emma's illustrations are delightful", said Random Static editor Kelly Buchanan. "The story is simple enough for young children, but the sense of humour and the little details in the artwork make it entertaining for adults who haven't completely lost touch with their inner child, too. It a bit outside our usual remit, but we enjoyed it too much to pass up." "I didn't expect anything to come of this little project, so it is very exciting to have it published", said Emma. Ms Weakley is a budding illustrator who lives on the Kapiti Coast and turned 19 last November. She likes drawing monsters, listening to irritating music, and quiet days investigating dead things on the beach. Last year, she won the Sir Julius Vogel Award for Best Professional Art, for her cover illustration for Newtons Sleep. The official launch for Jack and the Beanstalk is taking place at 2pm on Saturday the 20th of February, at Crossways, 6 Roxburgh St, Mt Victoria. Emma will be performing a reading and signing copies of the book, and the original art, concept sketches, and paintings will be on display. Light refreshments will be provided. Jack and the Beanstalk will be available via the RandomStatic web site and all good bookstores. The cover image is can be seen here.

The 2010 Europe to Australasia GUFF Ballot GUFF was created in 1979. Known as the Get Up-and-over Fan Fund or the Going Under Fan Fund, depending on which direction it's running, GUFF exists to provide funds to enable well-known fans from Australasia and Europe to visit each other's national (or other) conventions and to 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. The voting form for this year's GUFF can be found here. Information about the candidates can be found here.

The 2010 North America to Australasia DUFF Ballot Since 1972 DUFF, the Down Under Fan Fund, a fan-supported fellowship, has encouraged closer ties between Australasian and North American Science Fiction fans through the alternating exchange of representatives. DUFF delegates will time their travels to allow them to attend the World Science Fiction Convention or the national convention in the destination country and visit fans they would not have a chance to meet otherwise. The newly elected delegate will be responsible for raising funds, establishing a bank account, keeping a record of the funds accumulated and administering DUFF until a new delegate is elected from their continent. The new delegate is also expected to publish a trip report, copies of which can be sold to add to the fund. Voting for the 2010 DUFF fellowship is now open. Click here to download a voting form. Full details of DUFF candidates and instructions on how to vote are included with the voting form.

Sir Julius Vogel Award There is an excellent article about the Sir Julius Vogel awards at The World SF News Blog. It discusses the history of the award and has some speculations about its future. The article was written by Ripley Patton.

More awards for a New Zealand writer Paul Haines has had significant success in 2009. His novella Wives (X6, coeur de lion, 2009) has just tied to win the 2009 Aurealis Award for Best Horror Short Story. It has also made the Locus 2009 Recommended Reading List. For anyone considering Hugo or SJV nominations, a free download of Wives is available here. His short story Slice of Life - A Spot of Liver (Slice of Life, The Mayne Press, 2009) also tied to win the 2009 Aurealis Award Best Horror Short Story. This is the first time in the award's history that an author has tied with themselves for a win. His collection Slice of Life (The Mayne Press, 2009) was shortlisted for the 2009 Aurealis Award Best Collection, and has also been shortlisted for the 2009 Chronos Award Best Collection.

New Zealand science fiction poem nominated for international award Meliors Simms' poem Two Kinds of Time, first published in the acclaimed anthology Voyagers: Science Fiction Poetry from New Zealand (Interactive Press, 2009), has been nominated for a Rhysling Award for the best science fiction, fantasy or horror poem published in 2009. The Rhysling Awards, administered by the Science Fiction Poetry Association, were inaugurated in 1978. Among previous winners are such well-known writers as Margaret Atwood, Ursula K. Le Guin, Jane Yolen and Joe Haldeman. "I'm honoured to have my poem nominated for an international poetry award with such an illustrious history," said Meliors Simms from her home in Hamilton. "I had never heard of the genre of science fiction poetry until I was invited to submit to the Voyagers anthology a few years ago. Two Kinds of Time was my first effort and marked a shift in my writing style from introspective to more ideas-based poetry." Tim Jones, who co-edited Voyagers with Mark Pirie, said "We are delighted for Meliors, and very pleased for this further recognition for New Zealand science fiction poetry and for Voyagers. The anthology has been very well-received in New Zealand, and it has already appeared on the NZ Listener and New Zealand Herald best books lists for 2009. The international interest in the anthology, and in Meliors' poem in particular, is just as exciting." Voyagers: Science Fiction Poetry from New Zealand is available from leading New Zealand independent bookstores. It is also available online from Interactive Press, from Fishpond (NZ) and from Amazon.com. Meliors Simms has made a short video called "Non Linear Time", which features one section of her nominated poem "Two Kinds of Time". It can be viewed on YouTube. Meliors' web site is here. For more information about the Rhyslings, please visit here. The Voyagers website is here. Voyagers received a very positive review in Star*Line, the journal of the Science Fiction Poetry Association. That review is available here.

Sir Julius Vogel Awards 2010 The Sir Julius Vogel sub-committee of SFFANZ is accepting nominations for science fiction and fantasy works first published or released in the 2009 calendar year. Details of the Sir Julius Vogel Awards can be viewed by clicking on this link. Nominations open on January 1st 2010 and close on 31st March 2010 at 8.00pm. Please email your nominations to sjv_awards@sffanz.sf.org.nz Please send one nomination per email and include as many contact details as possible for the nominee as well as yourself. A detailed nomination FAQ can be found here Rules and Criteria for the Sir Julius Vogel Awards Rules and Criteria for the Sir Julius Vogel Awards (PDF) Voting for the awards will take place at the 2010 National Science Fiction convention, Au Contraire. Please support the works that you like by nominating them, even if you think (or know) that they have already been nominated - additional nominations still matter. The number of nominations a work receives may have a direct bearing on whether it makes it to the final ballot.

Hugo Award Nominations for 2010 The nominating period for the Hugo Awards commences January 1st 2010. The Hugo Awards celebrate the best in the field of science fiction and fantasy. Hugos are presented each year at the World Science Fiction Convention (Worldcon) by the World Science Fiction Society. The Hugo nomination process for works published or otherwise released in 2009 and individual achievement awards is open to current members of the World Science Fiction Society, which means supporting or attending members of the 2009 Worldcon (Anticipation) or the upcoming 2010 Worldcon (Aussiecon 4). Nominations must be received by 13 March 2010. In order to participate, you must have purchased an Aussiecon 4 membership by 31 January 2010 or have been a member of the 2009 Worldcon, Anticipation. More details and a nomination form can be found on the Aussiecon 4 website. According to Vincent Docherty, Hugo Awards Administrator, the best-known Hugo Award categories are Best Novel and Best Dramatic Presentation. "However, there are many other categories of Hugo Awards, including some for short fiction, for artists, and editors, and for activities by fans," says Docherty, "Winning an award as prestigious as the Hugo can mean the difference between an author having one or two works published and having the industry keen to get its hands on anything you create." A shortlist of the five most popular works or achievements in each award category will be published in early April 2010, with the voting process open to Aussiecon 4 members until 31 July 2010. The Hugo Awards Ceremony will be one of the highlights of Aussiecon 4, and will take place on the evening of Sunday 5 September 2010. Aussiecon 4 will be held at the new Melbourne and Convention and Exhibition Centre from 2 to 6 September 2010. The convention will be a five-day event bringing together readers and fans and a premium field of authors, illustrators, publishers, scientists, and other leading genre figures. "Worldcon is a truly amazing and unique phenomenon", says Perry Middlemiss, Co-Chair of Aussiecon 4. "It has all the features of an international writer's festival but celebrates a very specific genre: science fiction, fantasy, and horror." Contact: Vince Docherty Hugo Awards Administrator hugoadmin@aussiecon4.org.au Telephone: +31 6 5252 1090 http://www.thehugoawards.org Fiona Park Communications Division Head communications@aussiecon4.org Telephone: +61 3 9281 7423 For more information about Aussiecon4, see our website.

2009 AGM Minutes The minutes of the 2009 SFFANZ AGM are now available to view.

Writer Neil Gaiman Will Be In Wellington In 2010 Writer Neil Gaiman, who was the Literary Guest of Honour at Construction, the 1998 New Zealand National Science Fiction and Fantasy convention - will be in Wellington on the 13th March 2010 as an official speaker at the NZ International Arts Festival being held in Wellington under the Writers and Readers section. Date : 13 March 2010 (Saturday) Time : 5.30pm Duration : 1 hour Price : $25.00 adult Venue : Wellington Town Hall More information can be found here. Information about the festival proper can be found here.

SFFANZ Committee Reorganisation It is with regret that we announce that two members of the board, June Young and James Dignan, have had to step down for personal reasons. However, June has kindly agreed to stay on as Press officer. We thank June and James for their service and contributions over the past years. June's resignation from the board left the position of president vacant. The Board have appointed Alan Robson as the new president.

World SF Convention - Aussiecon4 September 2010 Click On the logo above for more information about the World SF Convention next year. Click here to download a PDF press release.

Voyagers: Science Fiction Poetry from New Zealand A promotional tour has been arranged for Voyagers: Science Fiction Poetry from New Zealand (edited by Mark Pirie and Tim Jones). The dates and venues for the tour are: Dunedin Library, 14 Oct, 5:30 pm, join Sue Wootton, James Dignan, Tim Jones and IP Director Dr David Reiter to kick off the national tour. Circadian Rhythm Cafe, 15 Oct, 7 pm. Our event here will feature Sue Wootton, Jenny Powell, James Dignan, David Eggleton, Tim Jones and David Reiter. Christchurch, Madras Cafe, 16 Oct, 5 pm, with Owen Marshall, James Norcliffe, David Gregory, Tim Jones and David Reiter Wellington, Wellington Central Library, 19 Oct, 5:30 pm, with Janis Freegard, Nic Hill, Helen Rickerby, Jack Perkins, Rachel McAlpine, Michael O'Leary, Marilyn Duckworth, Tim Jones, Mark Pirie and David Reiter Kapiti Coast, Kapiti Coast Library, 20 Oct, 5:30 pm for 6 pm, featuring Puri Alvarez, Nic Hill, Helen Rickerby, Michael O'Leary, Janis Freegard and David Reiter Hamilton, TBC, 21 Oct Auckland, 22 Oct, Auckland Central Library, with Raewynn Alexander, Jacqueline Ottway, Iain Sharp, Michael Morrissey, Anna Rugis, Alastair Paterson, Iain Britton, Thomas Mitchell, Janet Charman and David Reiter Devonport, 24 Oct, 6:30 pm, Depot Arts Space, with Iain Britton, Alistair Paterson, Andrew Fagan, Janet Charman, Anna Rugis, Thomas Mitchell and David Reiter.

Sir Julius Vogel Award winners for 2009 have been announced The full results can be found here. The Sir Julius Vogel Awards are awards in professional and fan fields from the 2007 year, voted by the fans and presented at the National Science Fiction convention each year. Full details on the categories and rules can be found here. Voting is open to members of SFFANZ or members of the national science fiction convention for that year. The awards this year were held at Conscription.

SFFANZ Book Review Service has started We have now started a regular series of book reviews of books distributed by both Hachette (New Zealand) and Harper Collins (New Zealand). Click on the Reviews link in the menu on the left hand side. Bookmark the page and return to it regularly. The reviews will be constantly updated.

SFFANZ Book Reviews Hachette (New Zealand) is part of the Hachette group, one of the leading publishers in France. In New Zealand, they distribute books from many publishers such as Little Brown, Headline, Hodder etc. Harper Collins (New Zealand) is the official distributor for Harper Voyager, Simon and Schuster, Usborne, Anova Books and Little Hare Books. We will shortly be publishing reviews of SF and Fantasy novels distributed by both Hachette and Harper Collins. There is a new link reviews on the main menu on the left hand side. This link will take you straight to the reviews.

New Zealand E-Zine Semaphore Magazine is run in New Zealand by New Zealanders. It publishes work from around the world and strongly encourages submissions from New Zealanders. Semaphore publishes short fiction, poetry and creative essays in a quarterly e-zine. Every December it publishes an anthology of the best pieces from the previous four issues, as voted by the readers.

New Small Press Prima Storia is a new journal dedicated to publishing strong fiction pieces by Australian and New Zealand writers. We are interested in submissions from writers working in any genre -- and particularly work from writers that does not fit comfortably in any genre. We would also be very interested in publishing an essay on the history of New Zealand sci-fi. If anyone feels up to it and wants a book token or two, please let us know. Please visit the website for the Editor's (Mark Rickerby's) email address. He is happy to answer any questions that you might have.

Sir Julius Vogel Awards 2009 The Sir Julius Vogel sub-committee of SFFANZ is currently accepting nominations for science fiction and fantasy works first published or released in the 2008 calendar year. Details of the Sir Julius Vogel Awards can be viewed by clicking on this link. Nominations open on 1 December 2008 and close on 28 February 2009. To make a nomination please email sjv_awards@sffanz.sf.org.nz. Please send one nomination per email and include as many contact details as possible for the nominee as well as yourself. You can find full details about the nomination procedures and rules, including eligibility criteria here. These rules can be downloaded as a PDF document here. A detailed nomination FAQ can be found here. The voting will occur at Conscription, the national science fiction convention being held in Auckland, New Zealand over Queen's Birthday, 27 May - 1 June 2009. Please support the works that you like by nominating them, even if you think (or know) that they have already been nominated - additional nominations still matter. The number of nominations a work receives may have a direct bearing on whether it makes it to the final ballot.

Aussiecon4 - World SF Convention in 2010 The World Science Fiction Convention is coming to Melbourne. It will be held between the 2nd and the 6th of September 2010. The guests of honour are Kim Stanley Robinson, Robin Johnson and Shaun Tan. Full details and membership information can be found on the Aussicon4 web site.

Phillip Mann Audio Presentation Radio NZ has just released a 7 disc audio production of 'The Master of Paxwax', the first story in Phillip Mann's dualogy about Pawl Paxwax, the Gardener. If it sells well enough they will also release the second volume, 'The Fall of the Families' - so please contact Replay Radio and, of course, buy the discs. Orders can be placed by writing to: Replay Radio, P O Box 123, Wellington, and on the web at: Replay Radio They accept Visa and Mastercard, as well as cheques. Phillip Mann is the Patron of the Phoenix SF Club based in Wellington.

30th National New Zealand SF Convention ConScription, the 30th National New Zealand SF Convention, will take place over Queen's Birthday Weekend (29th May - 1st June) 2009 at the Hotel Grand Chancellor in Auckland. A writer's workshop has been organised to begin on May 27th, the Wednesday before the convention. The guest of honour is Julie Czerneda and the fan guest of honour is Robbie Matthews. Full details may found at their website.

The Great Romance - Republication of a historical New Zealand Science Fiction book New Zealand, 1881. A small two volume novella entitled The Great Romance was published under the pseudonym of  The Inhabitant. Neglected until now, and republished for the first time in its entirety this Spring by the University of Nebraska Press, the work stands out as a remarkable example of early science fiction. Here, apparently for the first time in the history of the genre, or even the history of science itself, readers encounter descriptions of spacesuits, airlocks, shuttlecraft, space fleets, friendly non humanoid aliens, and the human colonisation of space. The author also raises the idea of faster than light travel pre Einstein, the possibility of humans exploring planetary systems beyond our solar system, cross-species miscegenation, the impact of weightlessness on the human condition (in particular muscle fatigue), and telepathy. Behind these genre-defining elements is the story of John Hope, who, by means of a sleeping elixir, awakes to a utopian community in a distant future a "kingdom of thought" where the struggle for existence has been eliminated and humanity operates under an unwritten law of civility and harmony, aided by telekinesis that inerrantly reveals all wrong-doers. Since only two of the probably three volumes are extant, the tale ends with a chilling cliffhanger. In his introduction, Dominic Alessio the editor of the re-published edition, discusses the cutting-edge aspects of this work and its significance in both the realm of science fiction and the history and culture of its day. Dominic Alessio is Associate Professor of History and Director of the Study Abroad Program at Richmond, The American International University in London. The Los Angeles Times has a  review of the book Here is an academic introduction and a sample chapter To find out more about the book go to the University of Nebraska Press, with an option to purchase a copy. Also available for purchase here via the United Kingdom. This site has a decent sized image of the book cover

2008 AGM The minutes of the AGM held on March 24th 2008 have been posted to the web site. Click on the link on the left hand side.

New Zealand SF Writers There is a lot of new information on the Interesting Lists page. We have added bibliogaphic information about anthologies of New Zealand SF together with bibliographies of a lot of New Zealand science fiction writers. We have also put together lists of New Zealand film and television SF and Fantasy.

Debate On The Structure Of The Sir Julius Vogel Awards In accordance with the motion passed at the AGM on 24th March 2008, the SFFANZ Board have opened a discussion site to debate the structure of the Sir Julius Vogel (SJV) awards. Please visit sffanz_discuss for information on how to take part in the debate. We look forward to hearing from you.

Interesting Lists We've been asking for lists of work by New Zealanders in the fields of science fiction, fantasy and horror (see the panel on the right hand side of this page). To this end, we have put a new link in the left hand menu. It is called Interesting Lists and if you click on it, you will be taken to a page where we are starting to display the lists we have received. Of course, we'd like more material to add to the lists, so please do get in touch with us if you have anything to add.

Sir Julius Vogel Award winners for 2008 have been announced The full results can be found here. The Sir Julius Vogel Awards are awards in professional and fan fields from the 2007 year, voted by the fans and presented at the National Science Fiction convention each year. Full details on the categories and rules can be found here. Voting is open to members of SFFANZ or members of the national science fiction convention for that year. The awards this year were held at Conjunction.

DUFF 2008 race is now over Congratulations to the winners, Steve and Sue Francis!  They will attend Swancon 2008, the 47th Australian National Convention and the 33rd annual West Australian Science Fiction Convention. And they will be swinging by New Zealand to say hi! More details as they come to hand.

Changes to Rules for the Sir Julius Vogel Awards At the 2008 AGM of SFFANZ, the new set of rules for the SJVs were accepted by a vote of the membership. The members have also asked for further public discussion of the rules in order to clarify various issues that have arisen over the last 7 years. The SFFANZ board are currently deciding on the best way to carry out this discussion. It is likely that a combination of email and webpages will be used. We are concious of  providing options for people in how they want to take part in the discussion. We will provide details on how to take part in this discussion shortly. Members will be contacted directly, and the details will be made public here. New rules for the Sir Julius Vogel Awards Original rules for the Sir Julius Vogel Awards

Inkspillers In our Useful Links section, we've added Inkspillers, an Australasian website devoted to writers and resources for writers. Check it out!

Next New Zealand National Science Fiction Convention is Conscription - Queens Birthday, 2009 Go to their website for FULL details.

Armageddon is coming! For future Armaggedon events in Auckland, Wellington and occasionally Christchurch, go to their website for full details of future events..

Contact us by email at: enquiries@sffanz.sf.org.nz