What professional accomplishment are you proudest of?

KINITRA: I am proudest of being considered a Beyoncé scholar!

JOY: When I look back at my career, I find that the moments that stand out for me are less about specific accomplishments and events and more about people and relationships. I’m especially proud of the impact that I’ve had as a leader and manager in helping my team members do great work and advance in their own careers. I’ve met amazing mentors during my own professional journeys, and I have a strong commitment to continuing to pay that support forward.

What topics in fantasy fiction are you exploring right now?

KINITRA: The Conjure Woman in Popular Culture.

RUQAYYAH: I am looking to read more in the middle-grade category because I am not that well read in it but it has so much to offer! Some of my favorites are The School for Good and Evil series and the Nevermoor series by Jessica Townsend.

What’s a topic you’d love to see someone submit for programming at Sirens?

JOY: In 2018, I moved across the country from Washington to Massachusetts for an amazing new job. While I’m enjoying my new job and city, I do still miss the Pacific Northwest sometimes, and that’s left me thinking a lot about the idea of home. I’ve always enjoyed stories with a strong sense of place—It’s one of the things that often draws me to fantasy—so I’d love to see a proposal exploring the concept of place attachment and how that specifically intersects with Sirens’ overall theme of women in fantasy literature.

YOON: I’d love to hear more about women in fantasy outside the West, in whatever format (TV, comics/manga/manhua/manhwa/etc., books, etc.), as well as more about representation of nonbinary/genderqueer characters and authors.

Could you tell us about a really exemplary presentation you’ve attended at Sirens?

KINITRA: The Bullet Journal presentation has started a new obsession in my life. I really enjoyed the lock-picking class even though I never successfully picked any of the locks.

What have you been reading lately?

KINITRA: I have been reading Harrow County, the comic book series. There is a Conjure Woman character I find quite interesting.

RUQAYYAH: I’m currently reading The Coldest Girl in Coldtown by Holly Black which I’ve wanted to read ever since I was introduced to Holly’s writing through The Cruel Prince. I’m so excited to dive into a vampire book again! But my favorite science fiction/fantasy book right now is Mirage by Somaiya Daud, and I’m pumped for the sequel.

YOON: I’m currently reading Sonya Taaffe’s gorgeous, sea-flavored and queer-tinted fantasy collection Forget the Sleepless Shores, whose stories variously feature sea creatures, angels, scholars, and a dybbuk. Highly recommended.

We welcome proposals from all Sirens attendees and potential Sirens attendees, and we hope that our programming schedule will include presenters with a wide variety of perspectives, experiences, identities, and vocations. We are accepting proposals from April 4 to May 15. For more information, please read an overview of how Sirens programming works and our tips, tricks, and frequently asked questions. For details on each programming type, please click the following links to be taken to their respective posts: papers/lectures, panels, roundtable discussions and workshops/afternoon classes.