I’ve written about The Australian Discworld Convention before. By now many people know that we refer to it as Nullus Anxietas followed by a number. In 2026 that number is 10, or in Roman numerals, X. I’ve been to all of them, unless you count Unseen University Convivium in 2012 where the Adelaide fan club (City of Small Gods) were testing the waters. I didn’t get to that one, much sadness.
I spent much of this convention in tears. I was remembering the start, that first Australian Discworld Convention, how I volunteered as Membership Chair not knowing what I was getting myself in for, nor how much work there would be, nor how much I would enjoy it, nor the friends I’d make. At that time we were only thinking about the one convention in 2007, we didn’t think towards any type of future. But Post Con Blues is a thing and a couple of us kept talking (spoilers, we’re still talking today), we then wondered if it was possible to run a second Nullus. That wondering turned into a full-blown committee and all of a sudden Nullus II was upon us.
Afterwards we wondered about sending it up to Sydney, having run two conventions back-to-back (actually with two years in between) we were very tired. We had a phone call with a couple of likely people and only a couple of years later I find myself driving to Sydney for a third Nullus in 2011. At that point Adelaide people wanted to test the waters, and so Convivium was born. That meant we had three cities able to run a Nullus. Since then we’ve alternated between Melbourne, Sydney and Adelaide.
Since the first Nullus we’ve had so much growth. We have fan clubs all over Australia, two in Sydney, one in each of Melbourne, Canberra, Adelaide, Hobart, Perth, Brisbane…in no particular order. We have an Accessibility Group on Facebook where we keep people informed without any fanfare, making it easier on their computer readers. We have a Nullus Anxietas Artificers where people show off their crafty creations. I’m wondering about the advisability of starting a Nullus Anxietas Writers’ Group, not because I don’t think there’s a need but solely because I don’t have the time.
I’ve watched as friends become lovers, become married couples or move in together and become de-factos. I’ve watched people meet for the first time and become best friends. Yes, I’ve seen divorces, but that seems to be part of life. I’ve seen an inordinate number of really lovely people who have changed me for the better.
I’ve seen how Nullus has changed so many, many lives. Some had mental health issues and only made the first step towards recovery because they wanted to attend the first Nullus. I’ve watched these people continue their journey into wellness and beyond.
There are two reasons I spent so much of my time in tears. The first was because I was looking at what we’ve done. If we hadn’t had a first convention then I wouldn’t have been in Sydney for the tenth. I was on that first committee, I have been part of that growth and it was so wonderful to look at what we started.
The second is because I’ve watched friends die. This is the hardest part of life, knowing people will die. And two of my friends from the first committee have left us for peace and health. We lost Sarah only a couple of months ago so the grief is still really close to the surface. So this year’s convention was bitter sweet. Looking around at the convention knowing I was part of the beginning and knowing that I’ve lost really good friends whom I only knew because of the first Nullus Anxietas in 2007. The bitterness of loss will always be there, but moderated by the sweetness of having known them in the first place and that could not have happened if I had not joined that committee in 2004.