Marge Hughes Award speeches
For some years, we have text of speeches for the Marge Hughes Award.
2007
Speech given by Ju Landéesse
The Marge Hughes Award recognises exceptional contributions to our community through dedication and care, by being welcoming and promoting the spirit of the community in which we thrive. The award was named after Marge Hughes, and to give you an idea of who she was, I’d like to read a statement provided by Dave Luckett:
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.
Previous winners of this heartfelt award include Simon Oxwell, Emma Hawkes, Davina Watson, Ruth and Rachel Turner, Dale Verdi, Tom Edge and Luigi Cantoni all who embody the spirit in which this award is given.
This is one way in which the WA Science Fiction Foundation supports the community and the amazing energy that people give in order to organise events like Swancon for over thirty years. It is recognition for the difficult, unseen and largely uncelebrated work they have accomplished. It’s the kind of work that nobody usually sees, but WA fandom couldn’t run without it.
2007’s winner of this award is someone who has long upheld the values this award represents. They have given tirelessly over many years, often behind the scenes making sure things run smoothly. That such effort is not easy to pinpoint is a testament to their skill, and the difference it makes to the whole.
No one has been as dedicated and enthusiastic towards welcoming people into Swancon as this year’s winner. Many people will remember being impulsively invited along to lunch or dinner or room parties during the convention. They’re known for getting people talking to one another, sharing experiences, sharing support and mischief alike. You could say that they’re a good choice if you want to learn how to make the most out of your convention experience.
This person has the kind of sparkle that people tend to notice instantly. One person who remembers our winner’s first Swancon, said they’d never seen anyone “throw themselves headfirst into the sci-fi fan community” the way they did, that it was a “non-stop, headlong rush of enthusiasm from the moment she walked through the door” and now, several years later “she’s still rushing through”.
Another remembers that some con goers were surprised when they’d made a fuss of her, they replied that the reason they’d made a fuss was that “she threw herself into our community whole heartedly. That there had been people going for years who had in all that time not gotten as involved, or spoken to as many new people as she did during her first con.”
Since then, aside from all the conversations, the invitations, the socialising and welcoming that she does – that’s just the kind of person she is, she’s also supported numerous conventions, from photocopying, printing, bag stuffing, registration to massive single handed efforts in fundraising.
I asked to give this speech tonight. Because I still hold dear, the heartfelt memory of being introduced to Swancon for the first time. I was welcomed into the thick of it, where it was wild with joy, more fun than I’d ever had and the most incredible sense of community. That I am here tonight is thanks to a very special person within our midst.
I would like to present the 2007 Marge Hughes award to Sarah Parker.
2008
Speech given by John Parker.
Good evening everyone,
I have been asked to pesent our next award, the "Marge Hughes Award" or, as many of us know it, the "Mumfan Award".
Marge Hughes was a huge influence on Swancon as we know it. I never got to meet her myself, as she had passed away before I started attending conventions. I did meet Warren, her son, and remember his very emotional presentation of the early Mumfan Awards.
Before I go onto the award itself, I'm going to read some of what Dave Luckett had to say about Marge:
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.
Now I'd like to now give you an idea of why I see this as such a significant award. People who win this award don't have to have been brilliant writers, artist or performers, although some of you are. They have to have been open, welcoming and made people, who otherwise may have not felt that way, feel welcome to out big family. They have been the smiling conversation seekers, the funny, thoughtful people who make the con that little bit nicer, just by being there and being themselves.
These are people who make you feel welcome even when you barely know them. They are the people who help you out to get the most from the con.
It's a very special award. Heck, I should know. My wife won it last year! Pity I was in a panel against the awards ceremony.
The people who win this award should feel intense pride for winning this award. I certainly know all the winners I have talked to have considered it the highest honour. Sarah still gets teary at the thought of her award.
I tried to think of a way of keeping it a secret who is getting this award to the very end,but I can't see any way of doing this so I'll just push on through. Now tonight I have the very special honour of not one, but two Mumfan awards. The recipients have been welcoming people to cons in their special way for as long as I can remember. Always a cheerful greeting. Always a "Won't you join us?". Yep I think some of you have probably already guessed that the recipients tonight are Alicia Smith and Rob Masters.
2021 - Desiree Heald
Speech given by Belinda Forbes, Written by Jack Bridges
Sometimes people work incredibly hard in the background, dedicating enormous hours and effort to tasks at Swancons. And this labour is invisible in part because we take it for granted.
This Mumfan recipient has contributed year after year, putting in preparation hours, pre-con organisation, and meeting attendances. Then they came to the con and continued to work, missing out on taking part in panels and social events, so their corner of the con would continue to run smoothly.
Their corner of the con is all about promoting other people’s creativity, giving adults and especially children a chance to share their creative work. The vibrancy and joy of the art show over many years, the variety and range in the short story competition, are because of this person’s nurturing and support.
Thank you, Desiree Heald, for caretaking the creative wealth of our community over so many years.
2021 - Steph Bateman-Graham
Speech given by Fe Waters
I am very honoured to have been invited to present this year’s Marge Hughes (Mumfan) Award, to someone who has been an integral part of our Swancon community for many years, and a friend of mine—well, probably for about the same length of time:-)
Like many of us, they are rather a Jack of all trades. We have regularly seen their efforts on display in many aspects of the con, including the Art Show, the Masquerade, and on panels (where they can be relied on to be entertaining!) And that is one of their points of note—they have skill in all these things they do! They have appeared in Tin Duck nominations lists for both art and writing, and their costumes are always entertaining! They have been involved in at least one ConCom, running the Art Show, and been ‘Committee adjacent’ for a number more.
More recently, they have been less regular with their physical presence at the con—not for any lack of desire on their part, but because of the passage of time and the fragilities of the meat suit:-( However, they have long been a stalwart of the online community. And as they have been less able to join us physically, they have increased their participation virtually.
They are a ‘first responder’ on most new arrivals’ posts in facebook, doing their bit to make sure new folk feel welcomed. Especially as the con draws nearer, they regularly check-in with the ConCom (to remind them to breathe! Which also serves to remind the rest of us that the ConCom are really ‘us’...). And they can be relied on to provide prompt feedback, so links, images, and other technical glitches don’t ever remain broken for long!:-)
And it’s in these aspects, that this recipient best reflects the legacy of Marge Hughes. They have given their time, in the past, on panels and committee and activities. And these contributions have been wonderful, and our tapestry would be far less rich without it. But their regular presence, their check-ins and comments, their phrasing of requests (because oh, they really do have a way with words!:-) ), and their participation in the greater Swancon community, helps build our enthusiasm as the convention approaches—but also helps settle, and calm emotions, when things have become fraught. And so while they may never think of themselves as ‘mum’ under any other circumstances, their joy in the con, their infectious enthusiasm, their insightful critique of issues, and support for members of our network—is what makes them a true MumFan.
And so, I’d like us all to acknowledge this year’s recipient of the Marge Hughes Award. To use her own words. Enthusiast. Over-analyst. Geek girl. Cat mother. Reborn horse tragic. Shark lover. Writer. Irritant. Rock photographer.
Please join me in congratulating Stephanie Bateman-Graham, one of this year’s Mumfan recipients!
2021 - Adam Mccaw
Speech given by Michael Cogan
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