Dark Poetry Scholarship Rules

Rules – The Dark Poetry Scholarship.

1. Authority – the Dark Poetry Scholarship is established by the authority of the Horror Writers Association Board.
2. Only Horror Writers Association (HWA) members in good standing as of 1 March in the year the Award is given are eligible to receive either Scholarship. As a result, only those persons who are members of the HWA may apply.
3. The application period shall be between 1 November and 31 December.
4. The Board will appoint a sub-committee of no less than three members, who will be the sole determinants of the winners of each Scholarship. The sub-Committee will be composed of one Board member and two previous winners of the Bram Stoker Award® for Superior Achievement in a Poetry Collection (unless otherwise authorised by a resolution of the Board). The sub-committee has the discretion not to announce a winner if it feels no applicant is up to the required standard. The sub-committee may not allocate joint winners of either Scholarship. They may not give both Scholarships to the same person in one year. They may not give either Scholarship to a writer who has previously won any HWA Scholarship.
5. Any announced winner will stand except in the case of circumstances listed in Rule 7, in which case any HWA member may appeal the decision to the full Board. The Board has full and final authority in determining any appeal under Rule 7.
6. The announcement of any winner will occur on or about 15 March each year.
7. HWA members may appeal the decision of the Board sub-committee to award the scholarship under the following limited circumstances:
   1. There is dispute over whether the winner was a member in good standing during the application period (see Rule 2); or as of 1 March in the year the Award is given, in which case said appeal must be lodged within 30 days of the announcement; or
   2. There is evidence that the winner is bringing the HWA into disrepute during the period the Award is given and for a period of 2 calendar years thereafter.
   3. If any Appeal under Rule 7 is lodged the Board must give the original winner full rights to put their case in answer to the appellant and any questions the Board may have. The Board must ensure procedural fairness to all parties involved in the Appeal but should make its decision promptly, and in any case, within 30 days of the original appeal being lodged.
8. No outside party (persons or entities who are not members of the HWA) may appeal the decisions of the sub-committee.
9. If a Scholarship decision is overturned under Rule 8a. the sub-committee will:
   1. Determine a new winner as soon as practicable from the original applicants. The sub-committee has the discretion not to announce a new winner if it feels no applicant is up to the required standard.
   2. Advise the former winner that the Scholarship has been withdrawn
10. If a Scholarship decision is overturned under Rule 8b. the Board will have discretion as to whether the Scholarship is given to a new winner, taking into account the amount of the Scholarship Funds that the original winner has already spent. If the Board decides to issue a new Scholarship the sub-committee will determine a new winner as soon as practicable from the original applicants. The sub-committee has the discretion not to announce a new winner if it feels no applicant is up to the required standard.
11. Applicants must fill in and submit the Application Form designed for that purpose; the Application Form must be published at www.horror.org but may be also be made available in any other way the HWA sees fit.
12. The Application Form must include a section in which the Applicant outlines how the Scholarship Funds would be spent (an ‘Education Plan’) and how that would benefit the applicant’s career development
13. The Application form must call for an Essay from the applicant indicating their intent in applying for the Scholarship and how it will benefit their professional writing career.
14. The sub-committee may use any criteria it sees fit to determine the winner but should consider the following matters:
    1. The quality and potential shown in each applicants’ written work to date (including any samples that may be submitted to support the application; and any examples the sub-committee may seek out);
    2. The essay described in Rule 13;
    3. The likelihood that the applicant’s career would benefit from further writing education (in respect of this the sub-committee will consider writers with any experience, background or body of work – from aspiring unpublished writers through to those who already have an extensive publishing record – the key here is the likelihood of the applicant benefitting from further writing education);
    4. The likelihood that the applicant is committed to writing and publishing horror and/or dark fantasy poetry;
    5. The likelihood that the applicant is committed to the horror genre;
    6. The likelihood that the applicant will contribute to the development of the genre, including increasing and/or broadening our readership;
    7. The Education Plan the applicant has submitted;
    8. The financial need of the applicant; and
    9. The broad interests of the HWA and the horror genre
15. On winning a Scholarship a writer should have regard to implementing their Education Plan in spending the Scholarship monies. Actual spend must be in accordance with the following process:
    1. Only expenditure that complies with Rule 16 is eligible (whether or not the spend appeared in the applicants’ Education Plan)
    2. If the expenditure appeared in their Education Plan and is eligible the applicant will ask the Treasurer to make payment on their behalf; or they will seek reimbursement from the Treasurer for a payment they have made, providing receipts for that expenditure (noting that no payments made before the Scholarship was announced may be reimbursed under any circumstances). Under no circumstances will advances or prepayments be made direct to the Scholarship winner – where the HWA contribution is only part of a payment being made the applicant must either seek reimbursement; or the HWA will make a co-payment with the applicant).
    3. If the expenditure appeared in their Education Plan and is eligible the applicant must seek approval from the Board Scholarship Sub-Committee. Such approval must be made promptly (certainly within 30 days); must not be withheld unreasonably; and the applicant has the right to appeal to the full Board if not satisfied with the sub-committee’s decision. The Board should make any appeal decision promptly, and in any case, within 30 days of the original appeal being lodged.
16. The following expenditures are eligible under the Scholarship:
    1. Course fees for physical or online writing courses offered by recognized educational institutions; bona fide writers associations; or recognized individual tutors; or groups of writers. The HWA scholarship sub-committee shall be the sole determinant of whether a course is recognized or bona fide but such recognition should not be unreasonably withheld;
    2. Resources such as textbooks, software etc. required of each person attending the course (the HWA will only reimburse relevant software purchases to a maximum of $250);
    3. Writing Guides and other publications (only where such publications can be demonstrated to assist in the winner’s writing education)
    4. Registration fees for no more than one writing festival per year and only where that festival includes relevant presentations;
    5. Registration fees for no more than one horror genre convention per year;
    6. Subscription fees to no more than two periodicals per year (and only where the periodical can be demonstrated assist in the winner’s education);
    7. Membership fees in non-genre writers’ groups or associations to a maximum of $100 per year (and only where such membership can be demonstrated to assist in the winner’s writing education)
17. The following expenditures are not eligible under the Scholarship:
    1. Courses offered by any family member of the winner; nor any entity associated with the winner;
    2. Travel, accommodation, meals and related costs, except where those costs are already included in course fees (for instance for ‘live-in’ courses);
    3. Purchases of hardware or software (excepting software noted in 16b);
    4. HWA membership fees
18. The winners have a maximum of two calendar years from the announcement to spend the total funds of their Award. Any monies not spent by the expiry of that time period are forfeited. Any monies spent within the two year but not claimed with 90 days of the end of the two year period will not be reimbursed.
19. The Scholarship will be made available annually but the HWA Board has the right to suspend the Scholarship in any given year for the sole reason of limited finances; or to abolish the Scholarship altogether. Notice of such suspension or abolition must be given no later than 31 October each year.

Please include the following in your application:

• A maximum of four samples of your horror or dark fiction poetry in PDF, Word or .RTF formats
• Your writing resume
• Your Essay indicating your intent in applying for the Scholarship and how it will benefit your professional writing career.
• An Education Plan. This Plan should indicate how you would propose to spend the US$2500 scholarship should you win.
• A brief statement as to your financial need to make application for this Scholarship, rather than paying these costs personally
• A list of no more than three references (none of whom may be members of the HWA Board). State why each reference has been chosen and provide an email address for each.

Note the following requirements and restrictions and ensure you have read the Rules carefully:
The following expenditures are eligible under the Scholarship:

• Course fees for physical or online writing courses offered by recognized educational institutions; bona fide writers associations; or recognized individual tutors; or groups of writers. The HWA scholarship sub-committee shall be the sole determinant of whether a course is recognized or bona fide but such recognition should not be unreasonably withheld;
• Resources such as textbooks, software etc. required of each person attending the course (the HWA will only reimburse relevant software purchases to a maximum of $250);
• Registration fees for no more than one writing festival per year, where that festival includes relevant presentations;
• Registration fees for no more than one horror genre convention per year;
• Subscription fees to no more than two periodicals per year (and only where the periodical can be demonstrated assist in the winner’s education);
• Membership fees in non-genre writers’ groups or associations to a maximum of $100 per year (and only where such membership can be demonstrated assist in the winner’s education)

The following expenditures are not eligible under the Scholarship:

• Courses offered by any family member of the winner; nor any entity associated with the winner;
• Travel, accommodation, meals and related costs, except where those costs are already included in course fees (for instance for ‘live-in’ courses);
• Purchases of hardware or software (excepting software noted in 17b);
• HWA membership fees

The winners have a maximum of two calendar years from the announcement (scheduled for March 15, 2015) to spend the total funds of their Award.

Apply here.