I thought it was a bit too early in my new career to beg a day off for that purpose :)

I thought that was probably the case - the good news is that Slash 3: The Return of the Slash was already being advertised at this one. You should do a paper next time - there was a panel of literary slashing that you would have enjoyed (one on Shakespeare's Sonnets, the other on Billy Budd, novella and libretto).