The much anticipated program for Continuum 8: Craftonomicon — the 2012 NatCon — is now online and available to download as handy PDFs. It looks pretty damn good and the only thing I’m not looking forward to is making some difficult choices in regards to what sessions I attend. Fortunately, some of the decision making has been taken out of my hands with the following being program items with which I’m actually involved and for which I therefore must show up. Preferably awake and sober. Not always that easy at an SF convention!

Tales As Old As Time — 6pm, Friday 8th June
Fairytales are in vogue again, all over TV and movie screens and for years collected by Ellen Datlow in retold anthologies. Why are we so fascinated with these stories? And with so many retellings and versions out there how do writers make them new again? (Jenny Blackford, Lisa Hannett, Kirstyn McDermott, Jane Routley, Angela Slatter)

Twelve Planet Press Hour — 7pm, Friday 8th June
Ever wondered how your favorite Twelve Planet collection would taste like in cupcake form? Then come along to the Twelfth Planet Cocktail hour, to celebrate the launch of the newest Twelve Planets, Through Splintered  Walls by Kaaron Warren and Cracklescape by Margo Lanagan, plus the new TPP novella Salvage by Jason Nahrung and a surprise announcement! Each book will be lovingly interpreted as a cupcake by master baker, Terri Sellen. Your cocktail choice is entirely your own…

Masters of Podcasting — 10am, Saturday 9th June
What makes someone podcast? Ego? Frustrated media ambition? Being too ugly for television? Ego? A group of fannish podcasters discuss the origins, do’s, don’ts and why-the-hell-nots of podcasting. Why start a podcast? How do you do it? Where do you find an audience? A group of talented talkers talk about talking. (Terry Frost, Alisa Krasnostein, Kirstyn McDermott, Jonathan Strahan)

The Future Is Now — 2pm, Saturday 9th June
eBooks, iDevices, apps etc are changing how we write and read. What’s out there, what’s worth using, and is all this technology a help or a hindrance? And where to from here? (Alan Baxter, Louise Cusack, Kirstyn McDermott, Julia Svaganovic)

Podcast: The Writer and the Critic — 3pm, Sunday 10th June
The Writer and the Critic is a monthly podcast devoted mostly to speculative fiction books, reviews and the odd bit of idle gossip. Join hosts Kirstyn McDermott and Ian Mond and their most estimable guests Alison Goodman and Kelly Link in this special live-recorded edition for a discussion of The Crystal Singer by Anne McCaffrey and The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater. (Alison Goodman, Kelly Link, Kirstyn McDermott, Ian Mond)

The Awards Debarcle — 2pm, Monday 11th June
What is the role of awards in the Australian SF community? Do we have too many? Do we need more (or different) awards? Discuss. (Dave Cake, Kirstyn McDermott, Ian Mond, Jason Nahrung)

And if all that wasn’t enough, Ian Mond and I will also be hosting the Awards Ceremony on the Sunday night from 8pm until …. um … well, we promise it won’t last all night! Cross our hearts and hope to … look, we promise okay? Just trust us.

Hope to see you there!