Call for Proposals - Guidelines - Additional Preparation Information

CALL FOR PROPOSALS: Sirens
Stevenson, Washington
October 11–14, 2012
A conference on women in fantasy literature presented by Narrate Conferences, Inc.

Sirens, a conference focused on literary contributions by women to the fantasy genre and on fantasy works with prominent female characters, will take place October 11–14, 2012, in Stevenson, Washington, near Portland, Oregon. The conference seeks papers, panels, interactive workshops, roundtable discussions, and other presentations suitable for an audience of academics, professionals, educators, librarians, authors, and fantasy readers.

The theme for 2012 is "tales retold," and presenters are invited to explore fantasy based on extant stories. Programming prompted by the theme is encouraged; presenters are not limited to this theme, however, and proposals that address specific aspects of a work or series, works related by other themes, and studies of the fantasy genre across all disciplines are encouraged as well. A non-exhaustive list of sample topics includes literary analyses of novels; studies of genre history; use of fantasy works in schools and libraries for education; examination of related business and legal issues; media and fan studies; craft-based workshops in writing, art, and publishing; and overviews of how fantasy works fit into larger contexts.

Presentation submission to the vetting board is by online system only. No other format or contact will be considered. The online submission system is located at <http://www.sirensconference.org/submissions/>.

The deadline for proposals is May 6, 2012, and notices regarding proposals will be sent no later than June 2, 2012. Those requiring an early decision in order to obtain travel funding should contact the programming coordinator at (programming at sirensconference.org).

At the time of proposal submission, presenters must provide an abstract of 300-500 words, a 50-100 word presentation summary for publication, and a presenter biography of no more than 100 words. Those wishing to submit a proposal for an interactive roundtable discussion may submit a brief explanation of a topic and a list of 10-15 sample discussion questions in lieu of a formal abstract; workshop proposals may be formatted as lesson plans. Afternoon classes—interactive demonstrations of interest to fantasy readers that may be less formally related to the theme—may also be presented as lesson plans. Presenters must be available to attend the conference in its entirety; no partial or day registrations will be offered.

Conference papers will be collected for publication at a later date. Presenters must be registered for the conference no later than July 1, 2012. For more information about programming, the review process, suggested timing and structure of presentations, audio-visual availability, and proposal submissions, please see the Sirens website at <http://www.sirensconference.org/programming/>. Questions specifically about programming may be directed to (programming at sirensconference.org), and general conference inquiries may be sent to (help at sirensconference.org).

Sirens is a presentation of Narrate Conferences, Inc., a 501(c)(3) charitable organization with the mission of organizing academic, literary, and exploratory educational conferences that address themes of interest to scholars, educators, students, professionals, and readers. For inquiries about Narrate Conferences, Inc., please write to (info at narrateconferences.org).

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Call for Proposals - Guidelines - Additional Preparation Information

Guidelines

The programming for Sirens is comprised of presentations by scholars, authors, professionals, educators, students, readers, and others with an interest in the fantasy genre. This same diverse group makes up the audience for presentations at Sirens. To assist potential presenters with submitting proposals, we offer the following examples of presentation structures and formats that can be accommodated within the Sirens schedule.

Papers, Lectures, and Presentations
Presenters may read scholarly papers or deliver lectures or talks. Most paper presentations are followed by a brief question-and-answer period. Individuals may choose 25- or 50-minute blocks of time for a presentation, including any audience discussion or questions. Those submitting shorter papers as individuals will be matched with other presenters to fill a 50-minute or longer presentation time block.

Pre-empaneled Papers
A set of related papers may be submitted as a panel to ensure that they are scheduled together. The initial submitter is designated as contact and moderator, and provides the panel's overall title, as well as her own paper title, summary, and abstract. The initial submitter also enters the e-mail addresses of co-panelists. Then, each co-panelist will receive a notice by e-mail to enter a biography and contact information, as well as the title, summary, and abstract for her individual paper. Pre-empaneled paper sets will generally be scheduled in a 50-minute presentation time block; we suggest that two or three papers be presented, with a maximum of three pre-empaneled papers per presentation. (We expect to be able to schedule groups of three papers in an extended time block so that each presenter has at least 25 minutes to present, should we receive sets of three papers together.)

Panel Discussions
Panels, led by a moderator, generally discuss a topic before an audience, and may or may not take questions during or after the discussion. All panelists must be named at the time of proposal submission. Moderators may submit either a formal abstract or a list of questions for the panelists to address; we recommend submitting at least ten thoughtful questions with a proposal. Panel discussions will be scheduled in a 50-minute presentation time block.

Workshops
Workshop sessions are led by an instructor and focus on the application and practice of craft. Generally, an attendee will expect to gain or expand upon a particular skill at a workshop, and the opportunity for participation marks this style of presentation. Seating specifics depend on the allotted rooms and overall program schedule, but typically, workshops have limited seating much like the roundtables described below. Workshops will be scheduled in a 50-minute time block.

Roundtable Discussions
Roundtable discussions are limited to a smaller audience—typically, one that reflects the discussion section that would be paired with a college lecture course—and depend on audience participation. The most successful discussions are facilitated by a moderator who seeks to explore open-ended questions with the audience and who encourages everyone present to take part. To encourage this format, a potential moderator may present either an abstract or a list of at least ten sample discussion questions at the time of proposal submission. Roundtable discussions will be scheduled in time blocks of 50 minutes. Presenters are encouraged to prepare at least ten questions to fill a 50-minute block, and to have additional questions prepared. Additionally, roundtables may have only a single moderator; no co-moderation is possible for Sirens. Those groups considering a roundtable with multiple moderators are encouraged to consider a panel discussion instead, which is more suited to having multiple presentation leaders, or to select one person from the group to moderate, with other group members planning to attend and support the discussion. Seating in roundtable discussions is limited to roughly 25 participants.

Afternoon Classes
Less formal demonstrations or classes in areas related to fantasy literature may be proposed as well. They are not meant to replace the proposal types listed above or to be an "easier" option for presenters; instead, they are an opportunity for presentations that are of interest to fantasy fans but that are less closely related to the conference's focus or theme, or topics that are fantasy-based but not necessarily related to a particular work. A non-exhaustive list of sample topic areas includes historical dress and music, martial arts, weaponry, battle strategy, costume construction, and so forth. Afternoon classes may be similar to workshops or be more demonstration-based, and may be led by one instructor or a group of instructors. Instructors may be asked to repeat their classes on both of the main days of the conference. Lesson plans are a welcome alternative to abstracts for this type of proposal. These classes are scheduled in blocks that range from one to two hours, depending on available space during the conference, but instructors should plan for a shorter time block rather than a longer one. Please e-mail (programming at sirensconference.org) for consultation on whether your proposal topic is most suited for an afternoon class or another type of presentation.

Combination Presentations
This list of presentation types is not meant to limit the styles of presentation brought to the vetting board for consideration; instead, we hope that it will inspire creativity and help submitters make decisions about how to structure potential presentations, especially since terminology can vary across fields. We know that a lecture could lead into a panel, or a panel could precede a workshop. The combination option in the submission system allows for a full description of any such presentation. At the time of submission, a submitter should be prepared to describe the elements of the presentation and what proportion of the presentation will be devoted to each element in the abstract. Combination presentations are scheduled in 50-minute time blocks. That said, most presentations can be considered one of the styles listed above; please e-mail (programming at sirensconference.org) for consultation on whether your proposal topic is most suited for a combination presentation or whether your proposed elements are typically presented as some other style.

Call for Proposals - Guidelines - Additional Preparation Information

Additional Preparation Information

Collaboration: Since Narrate Conferences strongly encourages collaboration, especially across scholarly and professional fields, we are pleased to offer those seeking co-presenters or a place to brainstorm a dedicated discussion area on our forums.

Audio-visual Equipment: When planning a proposal, please consider requests for audio-visual needs carefully. Sirens has limited access to audio-visual equipment, and the programming team plans the schedule and use of equipment based on requests made during the proposal process, prioritized by relevance to presentations.

Typically, a microphone is provided for a paper or lecture, and several microphones for a panel, if the scheduled space warrants such a need, so no special request is necessary for these presentation formats. Amplification and other audio-visual supports are not available for any roundtable discussions because these presentations are scheduled in rooms appropriate for a small group.

LCD projection is available on a limited basis for inherently visual presentations, such as those that address film or art, and on an as-available basis for other types of presentations. Not all requests for projectors can be accommodated. Priority for use of a projector will depend upon information provided in the abstract, as well as to projector availability within tracks and other factors. Windows-based computers are provided; presenters may connect their own PCs or Macs, but should plan to submit a backup of visual presentations at the conference in case of technical difficulties, and should note a desire to use a personal Mac-based device during the submission process to ensure that adapters are available. Sound amplification is available as sound out. Video clips should be used in place of DVDs whenever possible. We recommend that presenters consider handouts, posters, and other visual aids if only one or two visuals are needed and that all presenters keep these alternatives in mind in case projection is not available or not offered.

Easels are available for all presenters, but presenters must provide their own paper if necessary. Small (18x24") dry erase boards may be available.

Audio-visual availability for individual presentations will be announced approximately one month after the presenter registration deadline. We cannot provide funds or reimbursement for workshop materials, copying, or audio-visual equipment that is arranged by a presenter outside of Sirens's inventory.

Registration: Each presenter must have a paid registration for Sirens by July 1, 2012. Presenters who have not registered by that date will not be included on our programming schedule, and no registration or presentation space will be held for them.

If you have questions not answered here, please e-mail our programming team at (programming at sirensconference.org).

Call for Proposals - Guidelines - Additional Preparation Information