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I'm sitting here still in mild shock. To my left is a certificate that says, in part, "For making an overwhelming contribution to WA Science Fiction Community."
And it was awarded to me.
There is an award that means the world to me on the years when it's given out - The Mumfan. The Mumfan is basically an award for the people who make the con-going and fan community experience more enjoyable for others. Not by doing big things, obvious things, but by doing small things that are often more important. All those little, unglamourous jobs that never get noticed, supporting people, helping out, welcoming new people... Why it means so much was summed up by one of the winners last night - 'this isn't an award for writing or art, this is an award for who I am, who we are, as people.'
I've always said that what I love about The Mumfan is that it's an award I could never receive.
I get noticed, I get accolades and receive recognition for writing, or video-clips, or other things. Hell, over the years in Perth I have been a Fan Guest, Special Guest, and National Guest. You can't say I haven't been noticed.
The Silver Swan has only been awarded twice before in thirty-three years - to Grant Stone, one of the loveliest people you could ever have the good fortune to meet, and a major influence and contributor not only to West Australian fandom, but Australian fandom as a whole - and the other to the team that produced Eidolon, one of the most important magazines in Australian SF history, and naturally enough given the nature of the award, produced in Western Australia.
It's a WA award. I wasn't born here, nor have I ever lived here. I come from the other side of the country. I describe myself as a Perth fan, and I love West Australian fandom, but in strict geographical terms I come from the Eastern States.
It's one of the many reasons this award has so much impact for me. I'm not being recognised for a single achievement or a body of work, but for who I am and how I choose to live my life, and ways in which I try to enrich the community I am a part of.
It's funny writing that because this is the con that has gotten me fired up again. Since the first day I have been planning a handful of pieces on things like the 2010 Worldcon bid, programming, etc. Some are just thoughts and bits of advice, but others are a full-on arse-kicking aimed at those who do claim to be looking after fandom, but are in fact mainly looking after themselves, sometimes at the expense of the greater community.
And upon receiving the Silver Swan, I suddenly thought that maybe it's ungracious to receive a major award, and then go on the attack shortly afterwards. That maybe I shouldn't write anything that is overly critical of the way people handle or approach some of the things I want to talk about.
Except then I realise I don't care about whether it's ungracious or not. Because often the actions of these people are motivated by their own self-agrandisment, and desire to be a part of something big and important, rather than caring about the very people it's all meant to be for.
The speech that was read out before I was presented with the award means a lot to me, because it showed that the folks over here 'get' me. They know where I'm coming from.
At the presentation, Anna Hepworth gave a brief summation of what the Silver Swan is, and informed folks that it had only been given out twice before. She was then followed by Grant and Simon, who gave me their speeches, which I have copied below.
Grant Watson
"Sometimes the biggest impact a person can make is not seen in what they do, but what others do after them.
We all learn by example: we are inspired by others and want to do the things they do, we are enchanted by their talent, swept along by their enthusiasm - they make a difference to their community.
If we're very lucky, these inspirational figures respond to this attention - not with a burst of ego but by enthusiasm and excitement of their own.
The winner of the third ever Silver Swan isexactly that kind of person, not only for their own immeasurable contribution to the WA science fiction community, but in the reflection they leave on the rest of us.
I can say in all honesty that my own drive to participate in this community is inspired by one person's outstanding contribution, example, and boundless enthusiasm.
I'm sure both Simon and Anna would say the same. I'm sure half theroom could say the same.
I should point out that Grant was crying so hard by this point that I was sure that someone had died and the Silver Swan was being given to the person posthumously, which I felt was rather a shame. I was also wracking my brain trying to think who had died, because anyone this big in the perth SF scene I should have known of.
Simon Oxwell
A great man once said "Perth fans don't know how lucky they are." But wedo know how lucky we are, and that is why the third Silver Swan is awarded to Danny Oz.
Cue me, open mouthed, shambling up to the microphone, squeaking 'you bastards...' in a tiny little voice, and crying continuously for a few minutes while I tried to come up with something to say to do justice to the huge honour I had just been given. I knew exactly what a big deal this was, and there was no way I could ever begin to show just how amazingly touched and honoured I was and still am.
I have cried a few more times today.
Thank you everyone for your kindness and allowing me to do what I do. I may not always get things right, but that so many people recognise my love and passion for this community, one that has given me so much joy over the years, well, I just wish you could all see into my mind for just a moment, to see just how deeply moved and honoured I am.
I shall do my best to continue to be thought worthy of this in the future.
Thank you.
And it was awarded to me.
There is an award that means the world to me on the years when it's given out - The Mumfan. The Mumfan is basically an award for the people who make the con-going and fan community experience more enjoyable for others. Not by doing big things, obvious things, but by doing small things that are often more important. All those little, unglamourous jobs that never get noticed, supporting people, helping out, welcoming new people... Why it means so much was summed up by one of the winners last night - 'this isn't an award for writing or art, this is an award for who I am, who we are, as people.'
I've always said that what I love about The Mumfan is that it's an award I could never receive.
I get noticed, I get accolades and receive recognition for writing, or video-clips, or other things. Hell, over the years in Perth I have been a Fan Guest, Special Guest, and National Guest. You can't say I haven't been noticed.The Silver Swan has only been awarded twice before in thirty-three years - to Grant Stone, one of the loveliest people you could ever have the good fortune to meet, and a major influence and contributor not only to West Australian fandom, but Australian fandom as a whole - and the other to the team that produced Eidolon, one of the most important magazines in Australian SF history, and naturally enough given the nature of the award, produced in Western Australia.
It's a WA award. I wasn't born here, nor have I ever lived here. I come from the other side of the country. I describe myself as a Perth fan, and I love West Australian fandom, but in strict geographical terms I come from the Eastern States.
It's one of the many reasons this award has so much impact for me. I'm not being recognised for a single achievement or a body of work, but for who I am and how I choose to live my life, and ways in which I try to enrich the community I am a part of.
It's funny writing that because this is the con that has gotten me fired up again. Since the first day I have been planning a handful of pieces on things like the 2010 Worldcon bid, programming, etc. Some are just thoughts and bits of advice, but others are a full-on arse-kicking aimed at those who do claim to be looking after fandom, but are in fact mainly looking after themselves, sometimes at the expense of the greater community.
And upon receiving the Silver Swan, I suddenly thought that maybe it's ungracious to receive a major award, and then go on the attack shortly afterwards. That maybe I shouldn't write anything that is overly critical of the way people handle or approach some of the things I want to talk about.
Except then I realise I don't care about whether it's ungracious or not. Because often the actions of these people are motivated by their own self-agrandisment, and desire to be a part of something big and important, rather than caring about the very people it's all meant to be for.
The speech that was read out before I was presented with the award means a lot to me, because it showed that the folks over here 'get' me. They know where I'm coming from.
At the presentation, Anna Hepworth gave a brief summation of what the Silver Swan is, and informed folks that it had only been given out twice before. She was then followed by Grant and Simon, who gave me their speeches, which I have copied below.
Grant Watson
"Sometimes the biggest impact a person can make is not seen in what they do, but what others do after them.
We all learn by example: we are inspired by others and want to do the things they do, we are enchanted by their talent, swept along by their enthusiasm - they make a difference to their community.
If we're very lucky, these inspirational figures respond to this attention - not with a burst of ego but by enthusiasm and excitement of their own.
The winner of the third ever Silver Swan is
I can say in all honesty that my own drive to participate in this community is inspired by one person's outstanding contribution, example, and boundless enthusiasm.
I'm sure both Simon and Anna would say the same. I'm sure half the
I should point out that Grant was crying so hard by this point that I was sure that someone had died and the Silver Swan was being given to the person posthumously, which I felt was rather a shame. I was also wracking my brain trying to think who had died, because anyone this big in the perth SF scene I should have known of.
Simon Oxwell
A great man once said "Perth fans don't know how lucky they are." But we
Cue me, open mouthed, shambling up to the microphone, squeaking 'you bastards...' in a tiny little voice, and crying continuously for a few minutes while I tried to come up with something to say to do justice to the huge honour I had just been given. I knew exactly what a big deal this was, and there was no way I could ever begin to show just how amazingly touched and honoured I was and still am.
I have cried a few more times today.
Thank you everyone for your kindness and allowing me to do what I do. I may not always get things right, but that so many people recognise my love and passion for this community, one that has given me so much joy over the years, well, I just wish you could all see into my mind for just a moment, to see just how deeply moved and honoured I am.
I shall do my best to continue to be thought worthy of this in the future.
Thank you.
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and also, OMG a kaleidescope! what a great looking award!
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Sorry, I seem to be missing something. Forgive me for showing my ignorance, but how does the Mumfan award relate to your winning the Silver Swan?
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We in WA decided to do something else instead - we didn't feel that the Mumfan said everything that needed to be said about how much effect Danny has had on the WA community, and more than that, the Australian community. The Silver Swan is for an overwhelming contribution to WA SF Fandom/Community, and that really is just the tip of the iceberg to explain Danny's contribution.
Of course it shouldn't come as a surprise to me that there are prominent and active fans around today who don't remember Marge Hughes, otherwise known as Mumfan. It was, as far as fannish history is concerned, long long ago now. She died, God, I suppose eighteen years ago now, when nearly everyone who's out con-running these days was still in short pants, or not even alive. But it is a surprise, all the same. Mumfan was a one-off, a nonesuch, and I thought, (not examining the thought at all, or I'd have known it was ridiculous) that she'd never be forgotten.
She was Warren Hughes' mother, and even Warren isn't seen about much these days, though he does usually turn up to Swancon when he's in town.
But that isn't her claim to fame. Nor is it scholarship, or geekiness, or artistry, or brilliant wit, or being a great organiser. No, it was much more than that. It was goodness. It was warmth, and gentleness, and a sense of fun that never hurt, and acceptance, and laughter and wisdom that went far beyond mere cleverness. If you needed a shoulder to cry on, you went to Mumfan. If you needed someone to rejoice with, that was her. She never asked you why. She always knew, because she always noticed.
She went away and died, one day. She never said, never gave a hint. But when it happened, we all - every fan who knew her - felt a bleak loss of, I suppose, dimension. It was more than the void a good person leaves in the lives of those around her. Mumfan was what a lot of us aren't. There was a stillness about her, a depth, a stable core, a bone-deep integrity that she communicated to us. When she listened and accepted, she helped us explain ourselves to ourselves, helped us learn be satisfied with what we are, and to know it was right.
We felt, all of us then, that we couldn't just let that go. We had to remember it at Swancon. We thought we'd do something in her memory for the person who did the most, unrewarded and unnoticed, to make the con a success - that is, a joy, a wonder, an affirmation of who we are, in our several and shambolic ways. We are fans. We are family, and she was mother to us all.
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I did indeed read where Danny said it affected him too, and that he could never receive it. But thanks for taking the time to reply, regardless.
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To be given the Mumfan means that you, just by being you, improved the lives of the people around you, and in your community, in countless small ways without ever expecting nor wanting any recognition for it.
The Silver Swan is given out even less often. Three times now, in thirty-three years, effectively. It's kind of like the Mumfan in that it's a recognition that you have made people's lives better for no reason other than you could, and goes beyond that to say that you have made fandom better by being yourself, by being a positive influence. And not just WA fandom, but Australian fandom as a whole.
Grant Stone has set up a university library of SF books and material, gotten SF on the ciriculum, has hosted a regular SF radio show since the 70's. He is not only a nationally important figure, he is known internationally for his work for SF fandom.
He is one of the founders of Swancon, and has even bailed out one Swancon by writing a cheque for their hotel deposit from his own bank account (if I remember the story correctly). He is welcoming of old friends and new fans alike, and is a solid part of the community. While not a writer, artist, or performer, the nearest fan you would know that I can think of that is comparable for having positively touched so many lives with his love and enthusiasm of the fan community is Ian Gunn.
Eidolon got the second Silver Swan. There are other Australian magazines that went longer, came out more regularly, and are better known. But Eidolon's dedication to quality set it apart from the majority. It launched and established many of the current leading lights of Australian SF, including people like Terry Dowling, Sean Williams, and Shaun Tan. That one of the editors now works for Locus in the US, thanks to the work on Eidolon, should give you an idea of how highly it is thought of. When it ended, some of the most powerful editors and writers in the international SF scene were sorry to see it go. The nearest equivalent currently in Australia is Borderlands - Ellen Datlow regularly hassles them wanting to know when the next issue will be out.
If I had been given the Mumfan I would have been incredibly moved and touched beyond words. It has more heart behind it that any other award I know of. I don't know, maybe you need to be West Australian to truly understand the significance of it. I do, but then again there's a reason I've called myself a Perth fan for over a decade now.
That I've been given the Silver Swan is completely overwhelming. In the Australian SF scene, while lesser known, it's up there in importance with the Peter McNamara and Chandler Awards. I'm still getting teary when I look at the certificate. It says that I haven't merely helped out a few people, but I've positively affected an entire community.
To me what it means, given the high quality of character and achievement of the previous recipients, is that I have a hell of a lot of work to do yet before I can feel truly worthy of it.
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I didn't get a chance to congratulate on the night (I was going to come up but then your gameshow stared and then we had to run off to rescue the kids) so HUGE congrats!
Oh, and there was a teeny tiny moment as you hyperventilated on stage that I though "Oh F&ck! We've killed him! He's gonna turn blue and die, RIGHT THERE ON STAGE!" but then you recovered.
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You are one of my biggest memories of almost every con I have attended. Certainly of my first. And I think after reading Grant's speech that he has said it better than I ever could.
I am so thrilled for you. Congratulations!!
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I am just so glad we found a way to let you know how very important you are to us all.
:-)
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Congrats Danny.
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ST~
p.s: is it sad that i'm more interested in the jarrah turning than what's written on the plaque?
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award
love and hugs
carol
xoxoxo
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I'm glad you feel loved, and I hope this helps you to keep in mind the extent of love and warmth people feel towards you.
I have been out of touch of the whole "fandom" thing (there isn't really any fandom movement in Adelaide), but this doesn't stop me caring about you, and the fond memories of all the times we shared.
You deserve this.
Lots of love,
Kat
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Jeremy
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Between you, and Rob and Leece, I was a blubbering mess.
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Congrats mate!
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But seriously, I'm very happy for you - you deserve awards and general rejoicing, and I'm very glad you're getting them:)
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