It seems strange to use Grace Bridges and New in the same heading, because Grace has been a fixture of SpecFicNZ for most of the organisation’s history.
Grace’s tenure as President began when her name was pulled out of a hat at the Natcon in 2012. She thought she was getting a prize. Instead, the ‘prize’ was presidency of the organisation. It was a joke of course, but Grace stepped right in and took the helm. She’s been president for most of the intervening 10 years.
Highlights of her years on the Core include gathering with other members at Natcons, working on projects with Young NZ Writers, editing the anthology Te Kōrero Ahi Kā, and leading the organisation of GeyserCon in 2019.
Grace represented SpecFicNZ at a variety of national events including the NZ Book Festival, the Auckland Zinefest, and many National Conventions. She even got to represent SpecFicNZ at Gen Con in Indianapolis in 2019.
An ongoing highlight for her throughout her tenure has been the people she’s met and worked with. “Working with people on a common cause is an excellent way to make friends,” she says.
Last year Grace stepped down from the Core, and the current Core wanted to recognise her many years of hard work for the organisation. First, we wanted to get her a taniwha, but well … have you ever tried to catch one? Then we thought we’d send her on an all-expenses-paid trip to Mars, but … you know … Covid.
So instead, we’ve given her a life membership to SpecFicNZ. Congratulations, Grace, and thank you so much for your tireless efforts on behalf of members over the years!