Malcolm Edwards
As Chris Priest has already been to Australia, Malcolm Edwards won't come as much of a shock. In any event, the similarity ends with their names. He once published a fanzine called Magic Pudding: there the ethnic case for your vote rests. You are left to support a man who, during a decade in fandom, has produced a number of excellent fanzines, including the best-ever issues of the BSFA organ Vector has been deeply involved in the organisation of two large conventions, including Seacon '79 (which was originally his idea); was a major contributor to and editor of the definitive Encyclopaedia of SF was Administrator of the Science Fiction Foundation before embarking upon a mildly unsuccessful freelance career; and has published more good critical work than you'd expect from meeting him, because it's as a friendly and entertaining drunkard at conventions that he really shines.
Nominators: Justin Ackroyd, Randal Flynn, Bruce Gillespie, Leroy Kettle and Peter Roberts.
Joseph Nicholas
Now pushing 27, Joseph Nicholas entered fandom in late 1974 and has since become something of a fixture on the modern British scene (most noticeably at late-night room-parties, where his tendency to fall asleep at crucial moments allows people to draw on him with felt pens -- but he'll be charging for this service in future, so watch it). Supposedly renowned for the incredibly long letters he writes to every fanzine he receives, he has in fact now largely abandoned this practice. in favour of (hopefully) more enduring articles about SF and fandom, and his own fanzine, Napalm in the Morning. A founder-member of the influential Surrey Limpwrists and currently Reviews Editor of the BSFA's serconzine Vector, he has achieved a certain notoriety for his "K Is For Knife" fanzine reviews in Ian Maule's Nabu and was (along with almost everyone else in British fandom) recently denounced by D. West -- but continues to enjoy talking, drinking, movies and rock music regardless.
Nominators: Leigh Edmonds, Dave Langford, Marc Ortlieb, Chris Priest and Bob Shaw.
First Round
Australia UK Total
Malcolm Edwards 8 16 24
Joseph Nicholas 12 35 47
Hold Over Funds - 2 2
Write-ins:
Platform 5 Waterloo - 1 1
Surrey Limpwrists - 1 1
Blue Streak - 1 1
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20 56 76
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Joseph Nicholas achieved an outright majority on the first ballot.
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