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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2010
Contact: Hallie Tibbetts
(hallie.tibbetts at sirensconference.org)
SIRENS ANNOUNCES GUESTS OF HONOR FOR 2011
Conference keynotes to feature women authors
VAIL, CO — November 1, 2010 — The planning team for Sirens, a conference on women in fantasy literature, has announced that Guests of Honor for 2011 will be Justine Larbalestier, Nnedi Okorafor, and Laini Taylor. Each author's works relate to the 2011 conference theme of "monsters," and each author will present her work and a keynote presentation at Sirens, which will be held October 6–9, 2011, in Vail, Colorado. The keynote presentations, which include two luncheons and a dessert reception, are included with all conference registrations so that all attendees will have the opportunity to hear from the authors, among a variety of expected speakers and presenters.
Justine Larbalestier, born to anthropologist parents in Sydney, Australia, now divides her time between Sydney and New York City. Her first work, a scholarly examination called
Nnedi Okorafor, born in the United States to Igbo (Nigerian) immigrant parents, holds a B.A. in rhetoric, masters degrees in both English and journalism, and a Ph.D. in English, and is a professor at Chicago State University. Though American-born, Nnedi's muse is Nigeria, and therefore, many of her stories take place there, either literally or figuratively. Her first work, Zahrah the Windseeker, won the Wole Soyinka Prize for literature, and was shortlisted for several other awards, including a nomination for the Locus Award for Best First Novel. Nnedi's second book, The Shadow Speaker, won the CBS Parallax Award and was a finalist for the Essence Magazine Literary Award, the Andre Norton Award, and the NAACP Image Award. Nnedi has also won the 2007/08 Macmillan Writer's Prize for Africa for Long Juju Man, and her most recent work, Who Fears Death features magical realism. Nnedi also writes short stories, plays and scholarly works, and her next book, Akata Witch, will be published in 2011.
Laini Taylor grew up with her toes in many oceans and her nose in many books. A graduate of U.C. Berkeley and a non-graduate of the California College of the Arts, she has written three young adult fantasy books: Dreamdark: Blackbringer, Dreamdark: Silksinger, and Lips Touch: Three Times, the last of which was a finalist for the 2009 National Book Award. She also collaborated with husband Jim Di Bartolo on The Drowned, a supernatural horror graphic novel. Her books have been YALSA Top Ten Best Books for Young Adults, NPR Best Young Adult Fiction and Book Sense picks, and Junior Library Guild selections, among other honors. Her next book, Daughter of Smoke and Bone, will be published in fall 2011.
Registration for the conference is available on the Sirens website at <www.sirensconference.org>. A call for proposals is also available on the Sirens website, and scholars, professionals, and readers are welcome to submit programming proposals to for the conference schedule. Sirens is seeking papers, panels, workshops, and roundtable discussions on works by women authors, female characters in fantasy works, and other related topics.
Sirens is presented by Narrate Conferences, Inc., a 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to creating dynamic, innovative educational events for adult scholars, students, educators, librarians, professionals, and fans. Narrate Conferences recently presented Phoenix Rising and Terminus, conferences for adults focusing on the Harry Potter phenomenon, as well as Sirens in 2009 and 2010. For more information on Narrate Conferences, including its past and future events, purpose, and staff, please visit <www.narrateconferences.org> or write to (info at narrateconferences.org). For more information about Sirens, please visit <www.sirensconference.org> or write to (help at sirensconference.org).
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2009
Contact: Hallie Tibbetts
(hallie.tibbetts at sirensconference.org)
SIRENS ANNOUNCES GUESTS OF HONOR FOR 2010
Conference keynotes to feature women authors
VAIL, CO — November 1, 2009 — The planning team for Sirens, a conference on women in fantasy literature, has announced that Guests of Honor for 2010 will be Holly Black, Marie Brennan, and Terri Windling. Each author's works relate to the 2010 conference theme of "faeries," and each author will present her work and a keynote presentation at Sirens, which will be held October 7–10, 2010, in Vail, Colorado. The keynote presentations, which include two luncheons and a dessert reception, are included with all conference registrations so that all attendees will have the opportunity to hear from the authors, among a variety of expected speakers and presenters.
Holly Black spent her early years in a decaying Victorian mansion where her mother fed her a steady diet of ghost stories and books about faeries. Her first book, Tithe: A Modern Faerie Tale, was an ALA Top Ten Book for Teens, and received starred reviews in Publishers Weekly and Kirkus Reviews. Her second teen novel, Valiant, set in the same world, was an ALA Best Book for Young Adults, a Locus Magazine Recommended Read, and a recipient of the Andre Norton Award from the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America. Holly also set Ironside, which debuted at #5 on the New York Times Bestseller List, in the same world, and has collaborated with Tony DiTerlizzi to create the vast Spiderwick Chronicles, which include two series, companion works, and a movie. Holly's most recent work is editing Geektastic: Stories from the Nerd Herd with Cecil Castellucci; creating the graphic Good Neighbors novels with Ted Naifeh; and writing numerous short stories. Holly currently lives in a Tudor Revival house in Massachusetts with her husband, Theo, and an ever-expanding collection of books.
Marie Brennan holds an undergraduate degree in archaeology and folklore from Harvard and is now pursuing a Ph.D. in anthropology and folklore at Indiana University, which means that people keep giving her things like degrees and fellowship money for studying stuff that's useful to her as a fantasy writer. She rather likes this arrangement. Because she's been in school without interruption since she was five, she doesn't have the list of odd jobs that a writer should, although she did work one summer pruning Christmas trees with a very large serrated knife, which she feels ought to count for something. Her fiction includes Warrior (previously published as Doppelgänger) and Witch (previously published as Witch and Warrior), and her Onyx Court series—Midnight Never Come, In Ashes Lie, and the forthcoming A Star Shall Fall—as well as numerous short stories. She's been writing fantasy since she was nine or ten years old, and blames this fact on Diana Wynne Jones.
Of Terri Windling, Jane Yolen has said, "If there is a single person at the nexus of fantasy literature, it is Terri Windling—as editor, as writer, as painter, as muse." Terri has published over forty books, winning nine World Fantasy Awards, the Mythopoeic Award, and the Bram Stoker Award, and placing on the short list for the Tiptree Award. As a writer, she has published mythic fiction for adults, young adults, and children, and her essays on myth, folklore, and mythic arts have appeared in magazines, art books, and anthologies, as well as reference volumes such as the Oxford Companion to Fairy Tales. As an editor, Terri creates and edits series for a variety of publishing houses, and helms numerous anthologies for a variety of readers, often created around myth and fairy tale themes, often in collaboration with Ellen Datlow. Terri also founded The Journal of Mythic Arts with Midori Snyder, which won the 2008 World Fantasy Award. Terri's artwork has appeared in the United States and Europe, including at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts and the Tucson Museum of Contemporary Art. Born and raised in the United States, Terri now divides her time between Devon, England and Tucson, Arizona, and is married to the English dramatist and writer Howard Gayton.
Registration for the conference is available on the Sirens website at <www.sirensconference.org>. A call for proposals is also available on the Sirens website, and scholars, professionals, and readers are welcome to submit programming proposals for the conference schedule. Sirens is seeking papers, panels, workshops, and roundtable discussions on works by women authors, female characters in fantasy works, and other related topics.
Sirens is presented by Narrate Conferences, Inc., a 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to creating dynamic, innovative educational events for adult scholars, students, educators, librarians, professionals, and fans. Narrate Conferences recently presented Phoenix Rising and Terminus, conferences for adults focusing on the Harry Potter phenomenon, as well as the inaugural year of Sirens in 2009. For more information on Narrate Conferences, including its past and future events, purpose, and staff, please visit <www.narrateconferences.org> or write to (info at narrateconferences.org). For more information about Sirens, please visit <www.sirensconference.org> or write to (help at sirensconference.org).
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 28, 2009
Contact: Hallie Tibbetts
(hallie at sirensconference.org)
SIRENS ANNOUNCES GUESTS OF HONOR
Conference keynotes to feature women authors
VAIL, CO — January 28, 2009 — The planning team for Sirens, a conference on women in fantasy literature, has announced that Guests of Honor for its inaugural year will be Kristin Cashore, Tamora Pierce, and Sherwood Smith. All are popular, acclaimed female fantasy authors whose works relate to the conference theme of "warriors." Conference organizers cited strong characters and adventurous plots as the reason the authors were selected. "These women write extraordinary books, and we're thrilled to honor them," noted conference organizer Amy Tenbrink.
Each author will present her work and a keynote presentation at Sirens, which will be held October 1–4, in Vail, Colorado. The keynote presentations, which include two luncheons and a dessert reception, are included with all conference registrations.
Kristin Cashore grew up in the Pennsylvania countryside as the second of four sisters. She has received a bachelor's degree from Williams College in western Massachusetts and a master's from the Center for the Study of Children's Literature at Simmons College in Boston, and she has worked as a dog runner, a packer in a candy factory, an editorial assistant, a legal assistant, and a freelance writer. She has lived in many places (including Sydney, New York City, Boston, London, and Austin), and she currently resides in northern Florida, where her daily activities include walking along the St. Johns River and counting pelicans on the dock. Kristin Cashore's debut novel, Graceling, grew from her daydreams about a girl who possesses extraordinary powers—and who forms a friendship with a boy with whom she is insurmountably incompatible. Her second novel, Fire, is a companion book to Graceling and will be released in fall 2009.
New York Times best-selling author Tamora Pierce began writing while studying psychology at the University of Pennsylvania. She has written everything from short stories to novels to scripts that have been featured on National Public Radio, and has worked in many aspects of the publishing industry, including as a manuscript reviewer and editor. Since her days at Penn, she has published several quartets of young adult fantasy books with female heroes (and millions have adventured with Alanna, Daine, Keladry, Aly, and Beka), as well as featured the magic of four children in her Circle books. Her most recent works are the Legend of Beka Cooper series, which begins with Terrier and the forthcoming Bloodhound, and Melting Stones, the latest installment in the Circle series, which is available in both print and audiobook.
Sherwood Smith writes fantasy and science fiction novels and short fiction. Her stories have been finalists for the Nebula and Mythopoeic Fantasy Awards, and her characters, including Meliara, Wren, and Inda, are fantasy favorites. Her recently published works include Crown Duel (Crown and Court Duet), the Inda sequence, A Stranger to Command, Sasharia en Garde: Once a Princess, Senrid, the Wren series, and stories in Lace and Blade, Firebirds, and Firebirds Soaring: An Anthology of Original Speculative Fiction. In addition to coauthoring the Exordium series with Dave Trowbridge, she has published novels set in others' worlds, including Earth: Final Conflict, Andromeda, L. Frank Baum's Oz, and (with Andre Norton) the Solar Queen and Time Traders universes.
Registration for the conference is already open on the Sirens website at <www.sirensconference.org>. A call for proposals is also available on the Sirens website, and scholars, professionals, and readers are welcome to submit programming proposals to for the conference schedule. Sirens is seeking papers, panels, workshops, and roundtable discussions on works by women authors, female characters in fantasy works, and other related topics.
Sirens is presented by Narrate Conferences, Inc., a 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to creating dynamic, innovative educational events for adult scholars, students, educators, librarians, professionals, and fans. Narrate Conferences recently presented Phoenix Rising and Terminus, conferences for adults focusing on the Harry Potter phenomenon. For more information on Narrate Conferences, including its past and future events, purpose, and staff, please visit <www.narrateconferences.org> or write to (info at narrateconferences.org). For more information about Sirens, please visit <www.sirensconference.org> or write to (help at sirensconference.org).
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
TUESDAY, JUNE 3, 2008
Contact: Jen Boxerman
(press at terminus2008.org)
TERMINUS APPROACHING ATTENDEE CAP
Online registration for the conference closes July 1
CHICAGO, IL — Only a couple hundred registrations are still available for Terminus, a Harry Potter conference to be held August 7-11, 2008, in Chicago. The organizers confirmed that 1,200 people will attend the conference, and that they can accommodate at most 1,500. "We're surprised and thrilled, of course," said organizer Hallie Tibbetts, who added that registrations have been selling quickly, and several events are completely sold out. A handful of tickets remain for the keynote brunch with Tamora Pierce and participation in the Trade Winds Tournament; there are also tickets available for Wrock Chicago, a pre-conference concert. Tickets may be purchased with new registrations or be added to existing registrations via the "Change My Registration" link at <http://www.terminus2008.org/registration/changes/>. Information about ticket prices and purchases for those not registered for the conference can be found on the Terminus website at <http://www.terminus2008.org/registration/ticketsonly/>.
Conference registrar Amy Wilson noted that some attendees may have tickets, registrations, and room shares to offer via the Terminus forums at <http://www.terminus2008.org/forum/>. Registration age restrictions, payment information, and ticket waiting list information for sold out events is available at <http://www.terminus2008.org/registration/>.
Terminus is presented by Narrate Conferences, Inc., a 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to creating dynamic, innovative educational events for adult scholars, students, educators, librarians, professionals, and fans. Narrate Conferences recently presented Phoenix Rising, a five-day Harry Potter conference in New Orleans. For more information on Narrate Conferences, including its past and future events, purpose, and staff, please visit <http://www.narrateconferences.org> or write to (info at narrateconferences.org). For more information about Terminus, please visit <http://www.terminus2008.org> or write to (info at terminus2008.org).
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 31, 2008
Contact: Jen Boxerman
(press at terminus2008.org)
<http://www.terminus2008.org/events/wrock.html>
TERMINUS ANNOUNCES TWENTY-FIFTH BAND FOR WROCK CHICAGO
And twenty-sixth, twenty-seventh, twenty-eighth, twenty-ninth, and thirtieth bands
CHICAGO, IL — March, 2008 — The planning team for Terminus, a five-day Harry Potter conference to be held August 7-11, 2008, has announced the winner of the Twenty-Fifth Band Competition for Wrock Chicago, an all-day wizard rock festival being held at the Hilton Chicago Hotel on Wednesday, August 6, 2008. Tonks and the Aurors, from Ann Arbor, Michigan, was chosen as the twenty-fifth band and will be featured as a headliner during the event.
"The band is really great," noted lead event organizer Hallie Tibbetts, "and their essay spoke not only of the strength of the fan community and the creative inspiration that we all draw from the books, but also about how Harry Potter has been a factor in bringing the band's family members closer together. It was really moving, and we're thrilled to feature Tonks and the Aurors as a headliner."
In addition to Tonks and the Aurors, Terminus organizers also announced five runners-up to take part in Wrock Chicago. "We received dozens of entries, and all of them were absolutely incredible," said lead event organizer Amy Tenbrink. "We simply couldn't turn so many great bands down." The conference was able to arrange an extension of the event to feature a few additional bands; Wrock Chicago will open at 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday, August 6, instead of noon (as previously announced) in order to include the runners-up. The additions to the lineup include The House of Black, Ministry of Magic, Nagini, RiddleTM, and Swish and Flick.
Finally, the organizers announced that as of March 31, 2008, all remaining tickets for the Terminus keynote presentations with Cheryl Klein and Tamora Pierce, The Trade Winds Tournament, and Wrock Chicago are available to the public. More information about ticket prices and purchases for those not registered for the conference can be found at <http://www.terminus2008.org/registration/ticketsonly/>, and current attendees may add tickets with new registrations or by using the "Change My Registration" link at <http://www.terminus2008.org/registration/changes/>.
Band Links
Tonks and the Aurors - http://www.myspace.com/tonksandtheaurors
Ministry of Magic - http://www.myspace.com/ministryofmagicmusic
Swish and Flick - http://www.myspace.com/swishandflickwrock
Nagini - http://www.myspace.com/naginilove
RiddleTM - http://www.myspace.com/riddletmmusic
The House of Black - http://www.myspace.com/thehouseofblackwrock
Terminus is presented by Narrate Conferences, Inc., a 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to creating dynamic, innovative educational events for adult scholars, students, educators, librarians, professionals, and fans. Narrate Conferences recently presented Phoenix Rising, a five-day Harry Potter conference in New Orleans. For more information on Narrate Conferences, including its past and future events, purpose, and staff, please visit <http://www.narrateconferences.org> or write to (info at narrateconferences.org). For more information about Terminus, please visit <http://www.terminus2008.org> or write to (info at terminus2008.org).
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 19, 2008
Contact: Jen Boxerman
(press at terminus2008.org)
TERMINUS ANNOUNCES GUESTS OF HONOR
Conference keynotes to feature a look at Harry Potter novels and phenomenon
CHICAGO, IL — March 19, 2008 — The planning team for Terminus has announced Guests of Honor Cheryl Klein and Tamora Pierce, who will present keynotes on their unique experiences with the Harry Potter series and phenomenon. "Tamora Pierce has written some of our favorite books, and Cheryl Klein has edited some of our favorites," noted Hallie Tibbetts, a Lead Event Organizer. "They both have a wealth of knowledge on what's made the Harry Potter series so memorable as well as its impact on the publishing industry." The keynotes will be held at the Hilton Chicago Hotel, where Terminus will take place August 7–11, 2008.
Cheryl Klein, Senior Editor at Arthur A. Levine Books (an imprint of Scholastic, Inc.) and the U.S. continuity editor for the Harry Potter series, will present a keynote address on characterization, narrative voice, plot construction, and theme in the Harry Potter novels. The keynote, "Potter Past: Lessons from the Harry Potter Series," will take place on Friday, August 8.
Tamora Pierce, an accomplished young adult fantasy author of books (including the Circle, Terrier, and Trickster series) will present a keynote address on how the publication of the Harry Potter novels has changed the production and publication of fantasy works. The keynote, "Potter Future: The Changing Face of Fantasy Literature," will take place on Sunday, August 10.
These presentations each require an additional-cost ticket, which includes a full meal. More information on these Guests of Honor, their keynote presentations and the menus for the keynotes can be viewed at <http://www.terminus2008.org/programming/keynotes.html>. Terminus registrants may add keynote tickets via the Change My Registration option at <http://www.terminus2008.org/registration/changes/>.
Terminus is presented by Narrate Conferences, Inc., a 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to creating dynamic, innovative educational events for adult scholars, students, educators, librarians, professionals, and fans. Narrate Conferences recently presented Phoenix Rising, a five-day Harry Potter conference in New Orleans. For more information on Narrate Conferences, including its past and future events, purpose, and staff, please visit <http://www.narrateconferences.org> or write to (info at narrateconferences.org). For more information about Terminus, please visit <http://www.terminus2008.org> or write to (info at terminus2008.org).
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2008
Contact: Jen Boxerman
(press at terminus2008.org)
<http://www.terminus2008.org/events/wrock.html#competition>
TERMINUS ANNOUNCES TWENTY-FIFTH BAND COMPETITION
CHICAGO, IL — February 6, 2008 — The planning team for Terminus, a five-day Harry Potter conference to be held August 7–11, 2008, has announced a competition for the twenty-fifth band slot for Wrock Chicago, an all-day wizard rock festival being held at the Hilton Chicago Hotel on Wednesday, August 6, 2008. Wrock Chicago will feature three stages, ten hours of wizard rock and twenty-five bands. Currently, twenty-four bands are on the lineup and the Twenty-Fifth Band competition will determine the final band to play as part of the event. Terminus invites all witches, wizards and wrockers to enter. The winning band will be featured alongside wizard rock bands that are new and established, well-known and just discovered. For a full list of the participating bands, visit <http://www.terminus2008.org/events/wrock.html>, and for the month of February Terminus will be featuring each band with exclusive interviews, essays and more on their LiveJournal at <http://community.livejournal.com/terminus2008>.
To enter, bands must submit a completed entry form on or before March 5, 2008, a CD of at least five original Harry Potter songs, and an essay of 500-2000 words talking about what the wizard rock community means to the band. Entries should be mailed, along with the band members' legal names, instruments and birth dates, to Terminus, PO Box 149, Sedalia, Colorado 80135.
Terminus will confirm receipt of all entries, make a tough choice, and announce the winner by April 1, 2008.
For the official competition rules and entry form please visit
<http://www.terminus2008.org/events/wrock.html#competition>
Terminus is presented by Narrate Conferences, Inc., a 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to creating dynamic, innovative educational events for adult scholars, students, educators, librarians, professionals, and fans. Narrate Conferences recently presented Phoenix Rising, a five-day Harry Potter conference in New Orleans. For more information on Narrate Conferences, including its past and future events, purpose, and staff, please visit <http://www.narrateconferences.org> or write to (info at narrateconferences.org). For more information about Terminus, please visit <http://www.terminus2008.org> or write to (info at terminus2008.org).
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
TUESDAY, JANUARY 29, 2008
Contact: Jen Boxerman
(press at terminus2008.org)
<http://www.terminus2008.org/programming/>
TERMINUS PROGRAMMING DEADLINE EXTENDED
Conference programming proposals due by February 3, 2008
CHICAGO, IL — January 29, 2008 — The planning team for Terminus, a five-day Harry Potter conference to be held August 7–11, 2008, has announced that the deadline for programming proposals has been extended to Sunday, February 3.
"The programming for Terminus is drawn from the proposals made to the conference," noted Hallie Tibbetts, a Lead Event Organizer. "We invite scholars, professionals, and fans to share their analyses and interests surrounding Harry Potter and the related phenomenon with our attendees. Between the release of the final book and the continued fan interest, there are still hundreds of avenues to explore in presentations, and there's nothing quite so exciting as discussing Harry Potter with over a thousand other attendees who understand the allure of the books, films, and fan community."
The conference welcomes proposals for papers (solo and pre-empaneled), panels, workshops, and roundtable discussions. In addition, there are presentation options for fanfiction readings, fan art and craft portfolios, and gallery art, and interactive booths for writing, editing, drawing, and art critique.
Links:
Programming main page: <http://www.terminus2008.org/programming/>
Vetting boards: <http://www.terminus2008.org/programming/academic/vettingboards.html>
Information for submissions of papers, pre-empaneled papers, panels, workshops, and roundtable discussions: <http://www.terminus2008.org/programming/academic/>
Information for submissions of fanfiction, fanart/gallery art, and creative booths: <http://www.terminus2008.org/programming/exploratory/>
Programming forum: <http://www.terminus2008.org/forum/index.php?board=3.0>
Informal, how-to posts on preparing a proposal: <http://community.livejournal.com/terminus2008/tag/programming>
Terminus is presented by Narrate Conferences, Inc., a 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to creating dynamic, innovative educational events for adult scholars, students, educators, librarians, professionals, and fans. Narrate Conferences recently presented Phoenix Rising, a five-day Harry Potter conference in New Orleans. For more information on Narrate Conferences, including its past and future events, purpose, and staff, please visit <http://www.narrateconferences.org> or write to (info at narrateconferences.org). For more information about Terminus, please visit <http://www.terminus2008.org> or write to (info at terminus2008.org).
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 16, 2008
Contact: Jen Boxerman
(press at terminus2008.org)
<http://www.terminus2008.org/support/sponsorship/kit.html>
TERMINUS: CAMPAIGN FOR FANDOM AND BOOK AID
$2,500 goal set for conference attendees to support fan works showcase and literacy
CHICAGO, IL — January 16, 2008 — The planning team for Terminus, a five-day Harry Potter conference to be held August 7–11, 2008, has announced a new fundraising campaign to support the fan community and literacy. Terminus proposes that Artists and Authors Night, the fan showcase event of the conference featuring fanfiction, podcasts, fanart, crafts and other fan works, be sponsored not by a corporation, individual, or single group, but by fans for fans!
Fandom Sponsors Fandom
A sponsorship goal of $2,500 has been announced with various giving levels and donor benefits. Terminus will provide any group that raises $250 or more with a table during Artists and Authors Night and include that group in the interactive Fandom Trail game for all attendees. In addition, Terminus will recognize all donors on their website, in the program book and at the event itself.
...and More: Book Aid Sponsorship
If the fan community raises $2,500 before May 1, 2008, Terminus will donate $500 of the $2,500 raised to Book Aid International—and will donate one-half of any funds contributed above and beyond the goal to Book Aid as well.
From Book Aid's website: 80 million of the world's children do not go to school, and one fifth of the world's adults, the majority of them women, are illiterate. All these individuals live in absolute poverty, and are effectively excluded from taking control of their lives. Additionally, J. K. Rowling's support of Book Aid, as well as fandom's past support, is well documented.
The group donation to Book Aid could be used toward a case of books for a school, library, university, or hospital in a developing country. And, as Narrate Conferences, Inc., Terminus's presenting organization, is itself a 501(c)(3) charitable organization, donations may be eligible for tax deduction.
"Fandom Sponsors Fandom is a great way for Harry Potter fans to be involved in Terminus," said Amy Tenbrink, lead event organizer of the conference. "Donations allow us to expand our conference and recognize people for their work in ways that wouldn't otherwise be possible. It's incredible that the fan community has been so willing to support our conferences in the past, and we hope that they'll be as excited about supporting our night dedicated to the fan community and Book Aid."
Terminus is presented by Narrate Conferences, Inc., a 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to creating dynamic, innovative educational events for adult scholars, students, educators, librarians, professionals, and fans. Narrate Conferences recently presented Phoenix Rising, a five-day Harry Potter conference in New Orleans. For more information on Narrate Conferences, including its past and future events, purpose, and staff, please visit <http://www.narrateconferences.org> or write to (info at narrateconferences.org). For more information about Terminus, please visit <http://www.terminus2008.org> or write to (info at terminus2008.org).
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MONDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2007
Contact: (information at terminus2008.org)
TERMINUS ANNOUNCES PODCAST LINEUP
Fan creativity night to feature a series of Harry Potter podcasts
CHICAGO, IL — December 3, 2007 — Terminus, a five-day Harry Potter conference to be held August 7–11, 2008, at the Hilton Chicago Hotel, has announced collaborations with three fan podcasts for its Artists and Authors Night event. Artists and Authors Night, to take place on Saturday during the conference, will feature creative and transformative fan participation related to the Harry Potter series. Each live podcast will focus on an area of particular interest, including news and book/film discussions, wizard rock, and creative writing.
The evening will kick off with PotterCast, a weekly production of The Leaky Cauldron, which highlights news, discussions about the books and films, and interviews with fans and Harry Potter experts. Spinner's Cast, a diverse Harry Potter podcast founded in 2006, will feature some of their regular elements along with wizard rock interviews and an interactive CallOUT segment, where the audience can sound off about book-related issues. Finally, FictionAlley's SpellCast, which is focused on fanfiction, will present a live podcast play with conference attendees as voice actors.
Artists and Authors Night is scheduled for Saturday, August 9, 2008, and is open only to conference attendees. Other programming that may be scheduled on this evening includes a fan sponsor fair; fanfiction readings; a fanart portfolio show; craft workshops; interactive booths for drawing, art critique, writing, and editing; and readings by professional authors. Most of this programming is drawn from the fan community, and proposals will be taken until February 1, 2008. More information is available at <www.terminus2008.org>.
PotterCast <http://www.pottercast.com> is the weekly Harry Potter podcast of Webby Award-winning Potter site The Leaky Cauldron <http://www.leakynews.com>, and presents newsworthy discussion about and in-depth discussion of Harry Potter in a humorous, intelligent and informative program. Hosted by Melissa Anelli, John Noe, and Sue Upton, it is the only Harry Potter podcast to offer celebrity interviews, many of which have offered never-before-heard information about the upcoming films and previously published books. Past guests have included Arthur Levine, American editor of the Harry Potter books; Matt Lewis, the actor who plays Neville Longbottom; acclaimed director M. Night Shyamalan; and many more. Transcripts, polls, blogs, contests, and other information is available on the show's Web site. PotterCast debuted in August of 2005, has been in the Top 100 on the iTunes Podcast Directory on a regular basis, and won a 2006 Podcast Award for Best Entertainment.
SpellCast, a production of FictionAlley.org <http://www.fictionalley.org>, is a weekly podcast that features readings and reviews of Harry Potter fanfiction. Since its establishment in May 2006, SpellCast has featured dozens of stories and produced several audio dramas, including the live production of "The Three Trials of Severus Snape" at Phoenix Rising in May 2007. SpellCast, along with its Book Club, can be found at <http://www.spellcastpodcast.com>.
Spinner's Cast, a podcast founded in the fall of 2006, brings together diversity of opinions, diversity of cultures, and diversity of discussions and wraps it all up in a friendly Harry Potter-related podcast that's heard in at least 20 countries around the world. Episodes feature character analysis, theories, and exclusive interviews. In June of 2007, Spinner's Cast was nominated for the People's Choice Podcast Awards in the culture/arts category. Spinner's Cast can be found on the Web at <http://www.spinnerscast.com>.
Terminus is presented by Narrate Conferences, Inc., a 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to creating dynamic, innovative educational events for adult scholars, students, educators, librarians, professionals, and fans. Narrate Conferences recently presented Phoenix Rising, a five-day Harry Potter conference in New Orleans. For more information on Narrate Conferences, including its past and future events, purpose, and staff, please visit <http://www.narrateconferences.org> or write to (info at narrateconferences.org). For more information about Terminus, please visit <http://www.terminus2008.org> or write to (info at terminus2008.org).
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MONDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2007
Contact: Hallie Tibbetts
(hallie.tibbetts at terminus2008.org)
<http://www.terminus2008.org/wrock>
TERMINUS ANNOUNCES WROCK CHICAGO
Special pre-conference event to feature 25 wizard rock bands in concert
CHICAGO, IL — October 1, 2007 — The planning team for Terminus, a five-day Harry Potter conference to be held August 7–11, 2008, has announced a special pre-conference wizard rock concert to be held on Wednesday, August 6, 2007. The event, Wrock Chicago, will take place all day at the Hilton Chicago Hotel, and include twenty-five wizard rock bands performing music inspired by Harry Potter.
The bands—including The Switchblade Kittens, who wrote the first known wizard rock song "Ode to Harry" in 2000—span a range of musical genres, including pop, death metal, jazz, folk, and more. "There's something for every wizard rock fan," notes Amy Tenbrink, lead event organizer for Terminus. "We listened to dozens of bands to choose a representative group, and it was tough to narrow it down to the current lineup."
"While Draco and the Malfoys and the Whomping Willows will perform as part of Terminus's wizarding talk show, The North Star LIVE!, we didn't have a way to really feature wizard rock during the conference itself," Tenbrink said. "We talked with some members of the wizard rock community, and ended up adding an entire optional day of Terminus devoted to the phenomenon. We believe it's the largest wizard rock show ever!"
Brian Ross of Draco and the Malfoys, who is providing organizational support for the event, added, "It's a tribute to what these stories mean to our lives that so many people are expressing their love for Harry Potter creatively through music. For all of us to have a venue like Terminus to showcase that for some of the biggest Harry Potter fans in the world is very exciting!"
Special event tickets for Wrock Chicago, which are $20 for the entire day and provide access to all stages, are currently on sale to Terminus attendees only. Current registrants can add the ticket through the "Change My Registration" option at <http://www.terminus2008.org/registration/changes/>. Unsold tickets will be made available to the public next spring and at the door, if any remain at that time.
Twenty-four bands are presently confirmed for Wrock Chicago on August 6; the final band will be chosen through a contest to be held in February of 2008.
Main stage performances include:
The Switchblade Kittens
Harry and the Potters
Draco and the Malfoys
The Whomping Willows
The Remus Lupins
The event also features:
The Butterbeer Experience
Catchlove
Celestial Warmbottom
The Chocolate Frogs
The Cruciatus Curse
Danny Dementor
Justin Finch-Fletchley & the Sugar Quills
Ginny and the Heartbreakers
Gred and Forge
The Gringotts Girls
The Hermione Crookshanks Experience
The Hinky Punks
Lord Voldi and the Dark Marks
The Moaning Myrtles
The Mudbloods
The Parselmouths
The Quaffle Kids
Snidget
Thomas & Finnigan
Terminus is presented by Narrate Conferences, Inc., a 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to creating dynamic, innovative educational events for adult scholars, students, educators, librarians, professionals, and fans. Narrate Conferences recently presented Phoenix Rising, a five-day Harry Potter conference in New Orleans. For more information on Narrate Conferences, including its past and future events, purpose, and staff, please visit <http://www.narrateconferences.org> or write to (info at narrateconferences.org). For more information about Terminus, please visit <http://www.terminus2008.org> or write to (info at terminus2008.org).
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MONDAY, APRIL 23, 2007
Contact: (organizers at terminus2008.org)
CHICAGO TO HOST HARRY POTTER SCHOLARS AND FANS
Narrate Conferences, Inc., announces Terminus, a 2008 Harry Potter conference for scholars and fans
CHICAGO — The bustling hub of downtown Chicago will be the setting for Terminus, an academic conference on Harry Potter, to be held August 7–11, 2008. The second presentation of Narrate Conferences, Inc., Terminus will bring adult scholars, students, and fans from around the globe to the historic Hilton Chicago Hotel to analyze and explore the complete Harry Potter series.
The programming schedule will include a variety of offerings — including formal lectures, participatory workshops, roundtable discussions, and explorations of craft — that will give attendees the chance to expand their knowledge and understanding of the Harry Potter series. Especially important is the interdisciplinary study of J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter series, with an emphasis on discourse and sharing scholarship between academics, students, professionals, writers, artists, and fans. Additionally, Terminus, one of the first major Harry Potter gatherings following the publication of the final book in the series, presents the perfect opportunity for analysis of the novels in their entirety.
Terminus begins on Thursday, August 7, 2008, with the Arrival Dinner and opening of the Pan-Magical Games, which includes the Trade Winds and Thoth's Tournament of Knowledge. Other events include a wizarding talk show; Artists and Authors night, which will highlight creative fan pursuits; a bon voyage ball in honor of Harry himself; and the Departure Breakfast. Guests of Honor and keynote presentations will be announced at a later date.
"We're very excited to hold Terminus in Chicago," noted lead event organizer Hallie Tibbetts. "Chicago is an ideal location for a conference to bring together enthusiasts from around the world, as it's a travel hub, and we're very lucky to have the historic Hilton Chicago Hotel for a venue — it's magical all in itself."
Terminus is a presentation of Narrate Conferences, Inc., a 501(c)(3) charitable organization dedicated to creating dynamic, inventive events for adult scholars, students, educators, librarians, professionals and fans from around the world. For more information on Narrate Conferences, including its past and future events, as well as its purpose and staff, please visit <http://www.narrateconferences.org> or contact (info at narrateconferences.org). For more information on Terminus, visit <http://www.terminus2008.org> or contact (info at terminus2008.org).
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MONDAY, MARCH 26, 2007
Contact: Renee Antoine, Media Manager
(press at thephoenixrises.org)
QUIDDITCH TEAMS JOIN THE BORDERS RIVERSIDE QUIDDITCH CLASSIC
NEW ORLEANS, La., March 26, 2007—Phoenix Rising has announced the final line-up for the Borders Riverside Quidditch Classic, to be held on May 19, 2007, as part of the Phoenix Rising conference activities. The tournament will include the Alivan's Winged Lions, the Knight 62442 Werewolves; the Whimsic Alley Sea Serpents; the Borders Potion Masters; the Shrieking Shack Marauders; the Owl Appreciation Society Fighting Owls; the World Confederation of Pirates and Ninjas Pontchartrain Pirates; and the Betas Anonymous Punctuation Pixies. All teams will play at least three matches of outdoor Quidditch, complete with spectators, and at the end of the tournament, the winners will take home the famed Delta Cup.
"It's incredible to see such a diverse group of fan groups and businesses join together to play Quidditch on the banks of the Mississippi River," said Madeleine Defourneaux, the Bayou Quidditch League's tournament manager. Interested attendees can join the tournament until the close of registration on April 10, 2007.
Additionally, non-attendees may take part in the tournament by visiting <http://www.thephoenixrises.org> and using the "purchase tickets only" option. Until April 10, anyone may purchase Quidditch tournament registration, tickets for the Storyville wizard rock event on Bourbon Street, and for the keynote events, presented by Susan Aikens of Borders, Inc., Danny Bilson of Electronic Arts, Jon Burlingame of the University of Southern California, and Dr. Anne Heibert Alton, as well as for a unique walking dinner at the Aquarium of the Americas.
Links: <http://www.thephoenixrises.org/registration/>
<http://www.thephoenixrises.org/events/quidditch/>
About Phoenix Rising
Phoenix Rising (www.thephoenixrises.org), a Harry Potter conference for adult scholars, students, professionals and fans, is presented by Narrate Conferences, Inc. (www.narrateconferences.org), a 501(c)(3) charitable organization that produces dynamic, innovative events. Phoenix Rising is an unofficial event, and is not endorsed, sanctioned or any other way supported, directly or indirectly, by Warner Bros. Entertainment, the Harry Potter book publishers, or J. K. Rowling and her representatives.
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2007
BORDERS® SPONSORS THE PHOENIX RISING CONFERENCE
A Weekend of Celebration for Harry Potter Fans
ANN ARBOR, Mich., Feb. 6, 2007 — Borders, Inc. today announced its corporate sponsorship of the 2007 Phoenix Rising conference, presented by Narrate Conferences, Inc. The Phoenix Rising conference, dedicated to the exploration and celebration of Harry Potter through lectures, workshops, discussion, Quidditch, artwork and writing, will take place May 17 through May 21 in New Orleans. Through this sponsorship, Borders Rewardsä members will enjoy 10% off the conference registration fee. Visit a Borders or Waldenbooks store to sign up for the free loyalty program where members earn rewards every time they shop and enjoy exclusive savings every week. For additional information about the Phoenix Rising conference, please visit www.thephoenixrises.org.
During the conference, Borders will support the Riverside Quidditch Classic tournament where Muggles and wizards alike test their skill as a Keeper, Beater, Chaser, or Seeker. The company will sponsor a team called the "Borders Potion Masters."
On Saturday, May 19 from 12 to 2 p.m., Susan Aikens, independent reader buyer for Borders, selected as one of Phoenix Rising's Guests of Honor, will participate as a keynote speaker. During her lecture, "Transformation: From Boxes to Bookshelves and Beyond," Aikens will speak about the numerous changes the Harry Potter books have had on her field.
Borders will also serve as the exclusive onsite vendor, providing Harry Potter, science fiction and fantasy books during the conference. In addition, Borders will sponsor the discussion panel portion of the conference, including a special discussion titled, "Severus Snape: Friend or Foe," where the nature of Professor Snape's loyalty will be debated. The quandary, sure to pit Muggle against Muggle and wizard against wizard, is the centerpiece of an exclusive "The Great Snape Debate" that Borders and Waldenbooks will carry out in the coming months as fans eagerly await the book's release this summer.
The in-store and on-line campaign, will include events, discussions and surprises and features an exclusive offer when customers visiting their nearest Borders and Waldenbooks store may select from one of two Snape stickers as they reserve a copy of the seventh Harry Potter book. By choosing either the "Trust Snape" or "Snape is a Very Bad Man" sticker, customers will take sides on a burning question that has become more compelling with each book in the Harry Potter series.
"The Phoenix Rising conference gives fans of Harry Potter the thrill of celebrating the extraordinary wizardry world that J. K. Rowling has created for us," said Aikens. "To be given the opportunity to support and take part in the discussion of what this book series has done for the book industry and the renewed vigor it has given children's literacy is an honor."
About Borders, Inc.
Borders is a subsidiary of Borders Group, Inc. (NYSE: BGP) a $4 billion retailer of books, music, movies and stationery items that trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol BGP. Headquartered in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Borders Group, through its subsidiaries, operates more than 1,300 Borders and Waldenbooks stores and employs more than 34,000 people worldwide who serve more than 30 million customers each year. More information on the company is available at www.bordersgroupinc.com.
About Phoenix Rising
Phoenix Rising (www.thephoenixrises.org), a Harry Potter conference for adult scholars, students, professionals and fans, is presented by Narrate Conferences, Inc. (www.narrateconferences.org), a non-profit organization that produces dynamic, innovative events. Phoenix Rising is an unofficial event, and is not endorsed, sanctioned or any other way supported, directly or indirectly, by Warner Bros. Entertainment, the Harry Potter book publishers, or J. K. Rowling and her representatives.
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
FRIDAY, JANUARY 5, 2007
Contact: Kayla Castille, Public Affairs Coordinator
(press at thephoenixrises.org)
HARRY POTTER CONFERENCE HOLDS ESSAY CONTEST FOR LOUISIANA TEENS
Five winners will receive free registration to Phoenix Rising, May 17-21
NEW ORLEANS — Students from the New Orleans area are invited to participate in an essay contest about the themes of rebirth in the Harry Potter novels, with the top five essays winning free registration to Phoenix Rising, a conference focusing on the best-selling series from J. K. Rowling.
The contest seeks written essays of up to 2,000 words, or digital essays of three to five minutes in length, and is open to teens between 14 and 17 years of age. Students must reside or attend school (public, private or parochial) within the limits of Orleans, Jefferson, St. Bernard, Plaquemines, St. Tammany, St. Charles, or St. John the Baptist parishes. The deadline for entering is March 1, and the winners will be announced on March 15.
Phoenix Rising is an academic and educational conference scheduled for May 17–21 at the Sheraton New Orleans. It will explore the Harry Potter phenomenon through a variety of programming, including formal panels and presentations, roundtables, workshops, an art gallery, fanfiction readings and more. The conference will also incorporate special events, including an all-day professional Quidditch tournament and a traditional Masquerade Ball.
Though the conference programming is geared primarily toward adults, teens who will be between 14 and 17 years old by the time of the conference may attend with a registered chaperone. Contest winners will receive a full registration for themselves, as well as their chaperones.
"This essay challenge seeks to involve area teens in our event, while also contributing to the conference's goal of education," said Hallie Tibbetts, Phoenix Rising lead event organizer. "The themes of Phoenix Rising — rebirth and renewal — are prominent in the most recent Harry Potter novel, and certainly are ideas that south Louisiana students are facing every day."
New Orleans resident Meghann Niehus, who teaches photojournalism and works in the Technology Department at Isidore Newman School, is coordinating the essay challenge for Phoenix Rising. She said the contest offers students a unique chance to enter a digital essay as an alternative to a traditional written entry.
"Digital media are becoming more and more important to students' success inside and outside the classroom," Niehus said. "We wanted to give students the opportunity to express their ideas through images, sound and video."
To download the essay prompt, or for more information about the Phoenix Rising Student Essay Challenge, visit www.thephoenixrises.org/newsroom/promotions.html. Questions can be directed to (studentchallenge at thephoenixrises.org).
Phoenix Rising is presented by Narrate Conferences, Inc. (www.narrateconferences.org), a non-profit organization that produces dynamic, innovative events for scholars, students, professionals and fans. The conference.s Guests of Honor include Dr. Anne Hiebert Alton, Danny Bilson, Jon Burlingame, Vicky Dann, and Dr. Henry Jenkins, among others. Phoenix Rising is an unofficial event, and is not endorsed, sanctioned or any other way supported, directly or indirectly, by Warner Bros. Entertainment, the Harry Potter book publishers, or J. K. Rowling and her representatives.
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2006
Contact: Kayla Castille, Public Affairs Coordinator
(press at thephoenixrises.org)
THE LEAKY CAULDRON TO PRESENT LIVE POTTERCAST AT PHOENIX RISING IN NEW ORLEANS
PotterCast to be part of opening night event at conference on all things Harry Potter
NEW YORK, October 1, 2006 — The Leaky Cauldron and Phoenix Rising are pleased to announce that a special PotterCast will be recorded in New Orleans as part of Phoenix Rising, a Harry Potter conference.
"We're very excited to head down to New Orleans and bring PotterCast live to more than a thousand fans at Phoenix Rising," said PotterCast host Melissa Anelli, who will also be part of the panel Transformation: From Fan to Fandom with MIT scholar Henry Jenkins. "When Phoenix Rising asked us to produce a podcast on its opening night, we jumped at the opportunity." The podcast will be open to all attendees with registration, which is currently $160 and includes five days of programming, the Overture Dinner and Coda Breakfast, admission to all programming and events of Phoenix Rising, a ticket for a New Orleans-style Masquerade Ball, a conference t-shirt, and the opportunity to purchase keynote presentation and special event tickets.
On Thursday, May 17, 2007, Phoenix Rising's Overture Dinner event will begin with a southern take on a Hogwarts feast. Following dinner, PotterCast will record in the Grand Ballroom of the Sheraton New Orleans. The evening will also feature a Grand Gallery Opening that showcases fanart submitted to the conference and the opening of Phoenix Rising's vendor room. The conference will continue through May 21, 2007, with programming submitted by scholars, professionals, and fans, as well as keynote presentations on how the arts and fans transform the Harry Potter series and special events that take advantage of locations in New Orleans' French Quarter.
Conference organizer Hallie Tibbetts noted that "PotterCast has set a standard in the Harry Potter community for celebrity interviews, insightful analysis and fun elements, which dovetails very well with our broad-ranging programming. It also invites listeners to interact and be part of the show, and since we encourage collaborative programming, [PotterCast] is an excellent fit for our Overture event."
More information about the Overture can be found at http://www.thephoenixrises.org/events/events.html.
Phoenix Rising (http://www.thephoenixrises.org) is a five-day conference on all things Harry Potter in New Orleans from May 17–21, 2007. Guests of Honor include Dr. Anne Hiebert Alton, Danny Bilson, Jon Burlingame, Vicky Dann, Tim Ditlow, Henry Jenkins, among others. The conference is presented by Narrate Conferences, Inc. (http://www.narrateconferences.org), a non-profit organization that produces dynamic, innovative events for scholars, students, professionals and fans.
PotterCast (http://www.pottercast.com) is the weekly Harry Potter podcast of Webby Award-winning Potter site The Leaky Cauldron (http://www.leakynews.com), and presents newsworthy information about and in-depth discussion of Harry Potter in a humorous, intelligent and informative program. Hosted by Melissa Anelli, John Noe and Sue Upton, it is the only Harry Potter podcast to offer celebrity interviews, many of whom have offered never-before-heard info about the upcoming films and previously published books. Past guests have included Arthur Levine, American editor of the Harry Potter books; Matt Lewis, the actor who plays Neville Longbottom; acclaimed director M. Night Shyamalan, and many more. Each week fans can also listen to in-depth Potter theory discussions with the hosts of the show and Steve Vander Ark of the Harry Potter Lexicon; they can also enjoy fan DVD commentary, contests, filk (song parody) competitions, fan interviews, themed shows, and plenty of other interactive comment aimed to keep fans interested and involved. Transcripts, polls, blogs, contests and other information are available on the show's Web site. PotterCast debuted in August, 2005, and reached #1 on the iTunes Podcast Directory within 48 hours of its release and has been a regular feature in its Top 100 ever since. It has since been profiled by the New York Post and has been awarded a 2006 Podcast Award for Best Entertainment.
The Leaky Cauldron (http://www.leakynews.com) is a Webby Award-winning Harry Potter site that features the oldest and most accurate news archive on the subject on the Web. In addition to news and its podcast, PotterCast, it features interviews with celebrities within the Harry Potter franchise (including author J. K. Rowling and her editors), the largest Harry Potter image and video galleries online, the largest collection of Potter merchandise available, polls, DVD commentaries, forums, widgets, crafts, contests, specialized feeds and subscriptions, and much, much more. J. K. Rowling has publicly called it her "favorite fan site," and awarded it a Fan Site Award in May, 2005. The site was also awarded Yahoo!'s 2005 Find of the Year, a 2004 Lovemark and a 2002 Bloggie.
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 9, 2006
Contact: Kayla Castille, Public Affairs Coordinator
(press at thephoenixrises.org)
TICKETS TO PHOENIX RISING'S KEYNOTE PRESENTATIONS AND SPECIAL EVENTS ON SALE NOW
NEW ORLEANS — Take a journey through the history of the Harry Potter fandom after taking a stroll through the Aquarium of the Americas. Or learn how the Potter novels are transformed into audiobooks, video games or film scores, from the experts on the front lines. Play in a professional triple-elimination Quidditch tournament on the banks of the Mississippi River. And then snuggle up in your squashy, purple sleeping bag to watch the Harry Potter movies with all your friends.
Phoenix Rising is thrilled to announce its Guests of Honor, who will present at the keynote presentations, as well as several events. The Guests of Honor include: Danny Bilson, Vice President of Intellectual Property Development at Electronic Arts, who worked with J. K. Rowling on developing the Harry Potter video games; Tim Ditlow, Vice President of Random House for Listening Library, who produced the Harry Potter audiobooks and works closely with Jim Dale; Jon Burlingame, a renowned film scoring professor and journalist; Dr. Anne Hiebert Alton, an English professor with a focus in children's and Victorian literature; Henry Jenkins, premier fandom scholar; and fandom members Melissa Anelli of The Leaky Cauldron, Heidi Tandy of FictionAlley, and Ebony Thomas, formerly of Harry Potter for Grown-Ups and pumpkinpie.org.
The chance to hear these guests and more is available now as tickets to Phoenix Rising's keynote presentations and special events go on sale today. Phoenix Rising, a Harry Potter conference, will be held May 17–21, 2007, in New Orleans.
Keynote and event tickets can be purchased through the online registration system at http://www.thephoenixrises.org/registration/. Those who are already registered for the conference can buy tickets through the "Change My Registration" feature, and those who have not registered must do so before buying tickets. Attendees can buy extra tickets to two events for guests not registered for Phoenix Rising — Storyville, a revival of New Orleans' historic jazz district, complete with Cajun food and the largest balcony on Bourbon Street; and Transformation: From Fan to Fandom, a panel discussion with fandom's founders following a walking dinner in the Aquarium of Americas.
The add-on options include:
SPECIAL EVENTS
STORYVILLE: $30
Friday night, Phoenix Rising's attendees will take to Bourbon Street, dining on classic Cajun food and dancing to the rhythm of New Orleans jazz. Phoenix Rising will — at the Bourbon Vieux, Cajun Cabin and Five O'Clock Grille — revive Storyville, New Orleans' legendary red light district, which incubated "jass" in its infancy. Dinner will be served, the blues will be lowdown and mean, and those with tickets will interact with the crush of New Orleans from the largest balcony on Bourbon Street.
Ticket-holders will be given wristbands, so they may leave, wander the French Quarter, and return. A traditional Cajun dinner is included with the ticket price, and each ticket holder will receive one drink coupon as well.
RIVERSIDE QUIDDITCH CLASSIC: $30
It has thrilled Quidditch fans for years, and has a history to challenge any other Quidditch tournament in the world — and in 2007, the Bayou Quidditch League will hold the Riverside Quidditch Classic as part of Phoenix Rising. Tournament play will involve a triple-elimination series on the banks of the Mississippi River in the French Quarter. Phoenix Rising will feature House Quidditch play as well, which is included with the price of registration; you may choose that option later during the registration process.
Tournament fee includes placement on a "professional" Quidditch team, a jersey with your name and number, participation in the triple-elimination Riverside Quidditch Classic, and snacks, sports drinks and water.
SQUASHY PURPLE SLEEPING BAG MOVIE NIGHT: $25 for sleeping bag
Each night of Phoenix Rising, Headmistress Vicky Dann will present on one of the Harry Potter films, and then screen the film for attendees. Both the presentations and the films are included in the basic registration for Phoenix Rising. You do not need to purchase an additional ticket in order to attend.
In grand Harry Potter tradition, however, you may wish to purchase a purple, squashy sleeping bag for use during the Movie Nights.
KEYNOTE PRESENTATIONS
TRANSFORMATION: FROM TEXT TO TECHNOLOGY: $40
Danny Bilson will present on the development and production of the Harry Potter video games by Electronic Arts, including his work with J. K. Rowling on their creation. He is Vice President of Intellectual Property Development for Electronic Arts; a Hollywood writer, director, and producer; and an instructor for the Interactive Media program in the University of Southern California's School of Cinema-Television.
TRANSFORMATION: FROM INFLUENCE TO INSPIRATION: $20
Dr. Anne Hiebert Alton, professor of English at Central Michigan University and expert in children's, fantasy, and Victorian literature, will present on the various genres that have influenced the Harry Potter series, from folk tales to pulp fiction. Before the lecture, attendees have private access to New Orleans' Musée Conti Wax Museum, which features historical exhibits and a "haunted dungeon." Cash bars will be available.
TRANSFORMATION: FROM BOOK TO AUDIOBOOK: $40
Tim Ditlow, vice-president and publisher of Listening Library for Random House, and the producer of many children's and young adult audiobooks — including the best-selling, award-winning Harry Potter series — will present on the connection between listening and literacy, the founding of Listening Library, and how our understanding of J. K. Rowling's text is transformed and enhanced through Jim Dale's performance.
TRANSFORMATION: FROM FAN TO FANDOM: $55
World-renowned fandom and media studies academic Henry Jenkins will partner with founders of the Harry Potter fandom on this panel, including Melissa Anelli of The Leaky Cauldron, Heidi Tandy of FictionAlley, and Ebony Thomas, formerly of pumpkinpie.org and Harry Potter for Grown-ups. The panel will discuss, from both academic and practical viewpoints, how an individual fan experience is turned into a collective fandom experience through the growth of online fan communities. This presentation includes admission to the Aquarium of the Americas, and a unique "walking dinner" will be served as attendees tour the Aquarium's exhibits.
TRANFORMATION: FROM SCREENPLAY TO FILM SCORE: $40
As part of a traditional New Orleans jazz brunch, attendees can hear from Jon Burlingame, film scoring professor at the University of Southern California; writer for Variety, the Los Angeles Times, and Premiere, among other publications; and curator of the world's first museum exhibit on film scoring. Mr. Burlingame will speak about John Williams' film scores and how they impact the entirety of the films.
More details on the keynote presentations and special events, including menus, are available at http://www.thephoenixrises.org/programming/keynotes/ and http://www.thephoenixrises.org/events/storyville.html.
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
WEDNESDAY, JULY 5, 2006
Contact: Kayla Castille, Public Affairs Coordinator
(press at thephoenixrises.org)
PHOENIX RISING AND FICTIONALLEY TO PRESENT FANDOM SHOWCASE ARTISTS AND AUTHORS NIGHT IN NEW ORLEANS
Evening will feature fanfiction readings, fanart displays, live SpellCast and more
Phoenix Rising, a Harry Potter conference, and FictionAlley, the fandom's largest Harry Potter-only archive, are thrilled to announce Artists and Authors Night, a featured event at Phoenix Rising in New Orleans. Artists and Authors Night, which occupies all of Saturday evening on the Phoenix Rising schedule, will highlight and explore the creativity of the abundantly talented Harry Potter fandom.
"Artists and Authors Night is a unique opportunity to incorporate the online fan community into an academic conference on a large scale," says Hallie Tibbetts, a Phoenix Rising lead event organizer. "We've chosen to dedicate an entire evening to this event in order to recognize the valuable and exciting contributions that fans have made to understanding Harry Potter."
Attendees of Phoenix Rising, scheduled for May 17–21, 2007, are invited to present their writing or artwork in a variety of ways during Artists and Authors Night, including fanfiction readings, art gallery displays, creative booths, and drabble and sketch challenges. Also, as attendees roam the ballroom of the Sheraton New Orleans, they will be able to visit tables hosted by other online archives and fan sites, as well as meet published authors of young adult novels, fantasy literature, or other works related to Harry Potter.
Additionally, attendees are invited to several featured events, though the focus of the evening is the myriad interactive opportunities for fans to demonstrate their work. First, world-renowned fandom scholar Henry Jenkins will join several founders of the Harry Potter fandom — including Melissa Anelli of The Leaky Cauldron, Heidi Tandy of FictionAlley, and Ebony Thomas, formerly of pumpkinpie.org and Harry Potter for Grown-ups — in a keynote presentation discussing the creation of an online community from both academic and historical perspectives. After the presentation, FictionAlley will host SpellCast, the official FictionAlley podcast, featuring fanfic reviews, fandom news, tips and thoughts for artists, a Writer's Corner, and other types of creativity — from knitting to vidding to event organization - straight from the conference.
Phoenix Rising's online submissions system is now open, and authors, artists, editors and others can submit their work for presentation at http://www.thephoenixrises.org/submissions/exploratory/. More information about Artists and Authors Night programming and preparing for a submission can be found here: http://www.thephoenixrises.org/programming/exploratory/aanight/.
Artists and Authors Night is one of several unique aspects of Phoenix Rising, a Harry Potter conference with themes celebrating rebirth and the rise of the hero, set in a city that is herself being reborn. For more information about the event, visit www.thephoenixrises.org, or e-mail (help at thephoenixrises.org).
FictionAlley.org, a 501(c)(3) charitable organization, was founded in the summer of 2001 as an archive for Harry Potter fanfic, and now hosts over ten thousand stories and chapters by thousands of authors. The site includes message boards for discussion of the series, writing and art, and fan news, and presents a bi-weekly podcast, SPELLcast, on fan creativity. In the summer of 2005, FictionAlley was invited to be part of the MINERVA project at the Library of Congress; the Library now archives all of the contents of FictionAlley for its permanent collection. FictionAlley can be visited on the web at http://www.fictionalley.org.
Phoenix Rising is a presentation of Narrate Conferences, Inc., a Colorado non-profit organization dedicated to creating conferences focused on academic and exploratory programming that appeals to scholars, students, professionals, and fans. Narrate Conferences can be contacted at http://www.narrateconferences.org.
Phoenix Rising is an unofficial event and is not endorsed, sanctioned, or any other way supported, directly or indirectly, by Warner Bros. Entertainment, the Harry Potter book publishers, or J. K. Rowling and her representatives.
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
SUNDAY, JAN. 29, 2006
Contact: Kayla Gagnet, Public Affairs Coordinator
(kayla at thephoenixrises.org)
NEW ORLEANS TO HOST HARRY POTTER FANS AND SCHOLARS
Narrate Conferences, Inc., announces Phoenix Rising, a 2007 academic conference on the famed boy wizard
NEW ORLEANS — The spirited city of New Orleans will be the setting for Phoenix Rising, an academic and educational conference on all things Harry Potter, to be held May 17–21, 2007.
This city of pageantry and revelry, herself being reborn in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, will welcome fans and academics from all over the globe to celebrate the best-selling book series by J. K. Rowling.
Phoenix Rising seeks to explore the Harry Potter phenomenon through academic programming — intellectual discussion and debate on the most famous boy wizard of his time. On top of these formal panels, presentations and roundtables, the conference adds exploratory education in a variety of forms, including games, fanfiction readings and an art gallery.
Phoenix Rising will step off on the evening of Thursday, May 17, 2007, with the Overture Dinner and Gallery Opening. Throughout the weekend, attendees will venture beyond the Sheraton New Orleans into the city's famed French Quarter for keynote presentations and evening events, including a masquerade ball, at unique and historic locations.
Amy Tenbrink, lead event organizer for Phoenix Rising, said the conference is thrilled to bring tourism dollars to New Orleans as it rebuilds.
"New Orleans was always on our short list of places to host a conference, but we were worried that after the hurricane, the city wouldn't be ready," said Tenbrink, a lawyer from Denver, Colo. "But when we went down there and visited, we were so warmly welcomed, and people were so excited about our event, that it became our only choice."
The theme of rebirth, of Harry Potter emerging from the devastating times that marked the two most recent novels, will infuse Phoenix Rising's programming. As fans await the seventh and final book in this epic series, they will explore the hero's journey to rise from the ashes into greatness through this conference.
Tenbrink and the entire conference staff bring vast event planning experience to Phoenix Rising. Most notably, they organized The Witching Hour, a 2005 Harry Potter conference in Salem, Mass., for a different non-profit organization.
Phoenix Rising is the first offering from Narrate Conferences, Inc., an educational non-profit corporation with the mission of putting on innovative and dynamic events for readers and scholars.
For more information on Phoenix Rising, visit www.thephoenixrises.org, or contact Kayla Gagnet, public affairs coordinator, at (press at thephoenixrises.org).
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