Sirens Conference 2012: Tales Retold



It's Thursday! Must be conference day! I don't know if you've noticed but somehow most of the conference announcements on the blog occur on Thursdays. It wasn't planned but it kept happening that way--such as receiving emails on Wednesdays--although this one arrived a few days ago and I am just finally sorting through to it. Thanks to Valerie Frankel for sharing this one and another one I will announce when I learn a bit more.

This one, however, sounds wonderful! Read on for more information:

Sirens Conference 2012:

In fantasy worlds, women embark on daring adventures. They slay dragons and lead nations, spark revolutions and solve riddles. In their worlds, beauty is nice, but cleverness, perseverance, and fairness are nicer. They are wise, powerful, stubborn, charming, shy, angry, changeable. So are the women who write them. And so is Sirens.

Sirens is a conference on women in fantasy literature. We are part scholarly examination, part networking weekend, part personal retreat—and always a chance to discuss fantastic women. We welcome adult readers of all types, including scholars, authors, librarians, educators, and publishing professionals. We encourage all attendees, regardless of background, to share their perspectives as part of our conference, and all attendees are welcome to submit presentations for our programming.

Within our focus on fantastic women, each year Sirens features a fantasy-related theme—and in 2012, that theme is "tales retold." Women have been storytellers, oral historians, and eloquent entertainers for thousands of years, and in 2012, Sirens will celebrate—and participate in—that tradition. Within the larger question of women in fantasy literature, we will examine and dissect retellings of tales from around the world: fairy tales, certainly, but also myths, legends, and folklore. To further our discussion, we have invited three guests of honor, each of whom has brilliantly retold classic stories, to join us: Kate Bernheimer, Malinda Lo, and a third, yet unannounced guest.

In 2012, Sirens will take place October 11–14, at the Skamania Lodge in the Columbia River Gorge. Located in Stevenson, Washington, Skamania is a resort in the style of the grand Pacific Northwest lodges, with a soaring foyer, a roaring fire, and expansive views of the Columbia River. Your free time during the conference can be spent either chatting with other attendees or rejuvenating your spirit in the spa, the woods, or the library.

Our website's sections describe the many aspects of Sirens, so please use the navigation bar above to learn more about our conference, programming, registration, traveling to Skamania, and connecting with other attendees. If you would like to learn more about our three previous years of Sirens, please visit our archive. If you need more information or assistance, we look forward to hearing from you. We hope you join us!

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