Beyond programming, Sirens features keynote addresses, events, and other activities created by the Sirens team. Please read below for more information, and note that your registration fee includes everything detailed on this page.
Finally, if you would like to extend your Sirens experience, we offer the Sirens Studio, which includes workshop intensives and discussion time for readers, writers, and professionals.
Sirens Keynote Addresses
Each of our four Guests of Honor will deliver a keynote address at Sirens, and we’ll provide a breakfast, lunch, or dessert reception with each of those keynotes. In the past, these keynote addresses have included topics such as the monstrous feminine, ghosts as a cultural construct, finding hope in a time of rage, and inclusiveness in fandoms.Programming
We will feature dozens of hours of programming presented by Sirens attendees on Friday and Saturday. Please see our conference archive for past years’ topics and the programming section of our website for how you can propose programming.Events
Afternoon Tea
After a day of travel, join us for a Thursday afternoon of tea and conversation in our community room. The Narrate Bookstore will open Thursday afternoon as well. This is a terrific opportunity to meet new and returning members of the Sirens community over tea and book talk!
Welcome Reception
Our welcome reception on Thursday evening is the official opening of Sirens. We invite all attendees to join us for a dessert reception, followed by our team’s welcome remarks and our first keynote address.
Friday Lunch
All attendees are invited to join us for lunch and our second keynote address.
Bedtime Stories
On Friday night, we ask our guests of honor to present their work, whether that’s through a reading, a presentation of research, or an exploration of craft. Most often, guests of honor read from published or unpublished work, but in the past they have presented eloquently on other topics, such as the importance of “home” as a theme or a survey of fan vids.
Saturday Breakfast
All attendees are invited to join us for breakfast and our third keynote address.
Saturday Lunch
All attendees are invited to join us for lunch and our fourth keynote address.
Sirens Ball
Don your finest—whether that’s your favorite ballgown, an elaborate costume, your most villainous spandex, or just jeans—and come to the Sirens Ball on Saturday night. We’ll have dancing, of course, as well as a quiet area nearby for conversation. Both the Murder Mystery and the silent auction will take place during the ball.
Sunday Breakfast
We’ll close Sirens with breakfast, a raucous live auction, and our closing remarks. All attendees are invited to join us for breakfast before buying a few last-minute books and heading home. Sirens will end at 12:00 p.m. on Sunday.
Activities
Wednesday Night Drinks and Dinner
If you are in town Wednesday night, we invite you to join us at 5:00 p.m. for drinks and 7:00 p.m. for dinner excursions. While you must pay for your own food and beverages, this is a wonderful way to meet new people over drinks, dinner, and book talk.
Sirens’s Auction
Over 25% of Sirens’s expenses each year are covered through our elaborate auction during the conference—thereby reducing the cost of attending Sirens for everyone. Our auction begins on Thursday afternoon with buy-it-now items in our community room and continues with a silent auction of all items during the Sirens Ball. Especially fabulous items will be auctioned off live at our Sunday Breakfast—where the auction is often rowdy and the bidding furious. If you would like to donate an item or two to our auction, you’ll find more information here.
Books and Breakfast
Each year, Sirens selects tremendous, controversial, and popular books within our theme and invites attendees to bring their breakfast to a book discussion. Books and Breakfast will be held on Friday morning at 8:00 a.m and here are the books that we’ll be discussing in 2021:
A Feast of Sorrows by Angela Slatter
Girls Made of Snow and Glass by Melissa Bashardoust
Monstress: Awakening by Marjorie Liu and Sana Takeda
Nimona by Noelle Stevenson
Queen of the Conquered by Kacen Callender
Slice of Cherry by Dia Reeves
The Mere Wife by Maria Dahvana Headley
Wilder Girls by Rory Power
Guest of Honor Book Signings
During Sirens, we set aside time for attendees to seek autographs and conversations with our guests of honor. You’re welcome to bring your own books for signing, or purchase books or bookplates from our bookstore.
Book Talk with Sirens
During Sirens, we offer a bookstore with over 2,000 individual speculative and nonfiction titles by women, nonbinary, and transgender authors. The proceeds from the bookstore go toward supporting Sirens (and lowering the cost of attending for everyone), so we hope that you’ll come shop. Throughout the conference, we’ll offer a number of programs designed to help you find new books you’ll love—usually by enthusiastically putting a stack of great books in your hands.
Murder Mystery
Ready to match wits with a devious killer? Can you locate the witnesses, assemble the clues, and deduce the killer’s identity? Our Murder Mystery will take place during the Sirens Ball, and we hope you come ready to play!
...and More
As Sirens’s 2021 schedule takes shape, we will develop additional activities to enhance our programs. In the past, these activities have included crafting, hiking, hot-tub time, writing challenges, interactive workshops, and fantasy-themed games.
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