Happy New Year
Welcome to 2010! We hope you had a fun, safe New Year’s, and are ready for a grand 2010. And of course with 2010 comes a new Sirens. We’re already gearing up for the conference, and programming proposal time is coming, so please read on.

Online Chats
Our first chat of the year is this Saturday, January 9, at 2:00 p.m. Eastern time. Chats are a great place to talk about books, travel, and that presentation you’ve been thinking about proposing–and to meet other book lovers and potential attendees. No particular software or programs are necessary to join in: this page will turn into a chat room at the appropriate time on January 9.

Also, in case anyone wants to chat about a specific book, we’ve selected Emma Bull’s War for the Oaks from the Sirens reading list for this chat. If you can’t make the chat, or you’d like to discuss other books (from the reading list or not), check out our message boards. You don’t need to be an attendee to use them, and we think you’ll find everyone very friendly and very fun.

The following chat is scheduled for March 6, and our featured topic will be helping everyone get presentations together and answering questions about the submissions and vetting process. If you have ideas, if you’d like encouragement, or if you’re looking for collaborators, we hope that you’ll join us–or write us at (programming at sirensconference.org).

Presentations, Presentations, Presentations
Speaking of presentations, Sirens is very likely different from other types of conferences you’ve known in terms of programming. While we create the schedule, events, and the conference as a whole, the presentations–the papers, panels, workshops, roundtable discussions, and afternoon classes–are concepted, developed, and presented by you. If you want to see something on the schedule, design it–and then propose it, or nudge someone else to do so or to join you as a co-presenter. (You can even use the Tell a Friend feature if you like.)

Start with a few big ideas: Sirens focuses on women in fantasy–as authors, as readers, as artists, as professionals, as characters of interest in fantasy works–so connect your presentation to this overarching idea. The 2010 theme is faeries, so presentations related to the theme are of special interest, but in no way does your presentation have to be about faeries. Read more here on the call for proposals page. Proposals will be accepted until May 7, 2010.

And look for posts this winter and spring on types of presentations, possible topics up for grabs, and the submissions and vetting process. We do hope you’ll consider submitting!

Book Discussions
Some of you might remember that last year we featured book discussions for one work by each of our guests of honor over the summer. We’ll be doing the same this summer, and if you’d like to get a jump start on those books, take a look at Kin (The Good Neighbors) by Holly Black, Midnight Never Come by Marie Brennan, and both The Changeling and A Midsummer Night’s Faery Tale by Terri Windling.

Who’s Your Faery?
Congratulations to tinuviell, who won the prize for Who’s Your Faery? A copy of Shannon Hale’s The Goose Girl was provided to the lucky winner.

Travel Tip: The Terrace Wing
When you make your reservation at the Vail Cascade Resort and Spa, remember one quirky feature of the Terrace Wing rooms: not all floors lead directly to the conference center. The first floor rooms (like room 180) have a corridor connecting to the main part of the hotel, but from the upper floors, you’ll have to return to the first floor and then either take a flight of stairs or walk to a main elevator to be able to reach the second floor meeting rooms. It’s slightly more private in the Terrace Wing, and an upgrade in features and cost, but if you’d like to trade that for a shorter walk, a standard room in the main building will be more convenient. (Most convenient? Ask for a room on the second floor near the business center.)

Quick Links
The Sirens Website and Tell a Friend Link
Registration
Travel
Become a Supporter
Read the FAQ

See you in Vail!

Have questions? You can leave them here in the comments section or e-mail them to (help at sirensconference.org).