Horror Writers Association

Posts byadmin, Author at Horror Writers Association [ 1161 ]

REVIEW: The Children of Red Peak by Craig Dilouie

Novel Review by Sheri White

Plot Summary:

David, Deacon, and Beth were friends as children, all three living on a compound. Although run by a man of strong faith and a belief in God, the kids lead a relatively normal life. Then the leader, Jeremiah Peele, goes to check out the scene of a miracle he heard about. He takes the miracle as a sign the apocalypse is imminent. The commune moves to the mountain, now becoming an apocalypse cult. The children’s lives change drastically for the worse. They live in shacks, half starving, no school, no playing. Just praying …

REVIEW: Whalefall by Daniel Kraus

cover art for the novel WHALEFALLUpon receiving the highest recommendation from the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, Daniel Kraus’ novel, WHALEFALL, was reviewed by the HWA’s Mental Health Initiative Notable Works readers.

On its surface, WHALEFALL is a story of Jay Gardiner, a young man swallowed by a sperm whale. His determination to escape the whale is charted on one timeline, while the backstory of significant life events is traced on another. Jay is Jonah, his old self annihilated in the belly of the beast, and his biblical journey becomes something deeply personal. The dive is not just into the ocean, but into the unexplored …

Call for Papers for the 2023 Ann Radcliffe Academic Conference

The Sixth Annual Ann Radcliffe Academic Conference
at StokerCon 2023

Conference Date: Friday, June 16, 2023
Conference Location:

    Station Square Hotel
    300 W Station Square Dr
    Pittsburgh, PA 15219

Conference Website: https://www.stokercon.com
Email: AnnRadcliffeCon@gmail.com

The 2023 StokerCon® convention in Pittsburgh promises to be a banner event. In addition to celebrating the birthplace of many aspects of modern horror, this year also represents the bicentenary of Ann Radcliffe’s death, and the publication of the 2nd edition of Frankenstein, the first to bear Mary Shelley’s name.

The co-organizers of the Ann Radcliffe Academic Conference are eager to embrace …

Notable Works from the Mental Health Initiative

Background

There is an established link between mental health stigma and poor recovery from mental illness. Stigma is hurtful and demeaning, and drives those who experience it to isolate themselves and deters them from talking about their issues. This, in turn, fosters a climate of deterioration and impedes recovery. Therefore, it is important that, as writers of horror, we recognise this when depicting mental illness in our work.

The primary purpose of the Notable Books initiative is to provide the HWA membership with examples of genre literature that balance high quality storytelling with sensitivity and understanding when depicting mental illness …

REVIEW: Riptide by Dan Rabarts

RIPTIDE by DAN RABARTS
Short story review by Lee Murray

A multiple winner of the Australian Shadows and Sir Julius Vogel Awards, Kiwi Dan Rabarts (Ngāti Porou) is well known in Antipodean horror circles, his body of work comprising novels, novellas, short fiction, screenplays, and poetry. Of these, his short story, “Riptide”, which appears in Simon Dewar’s anthology Suspended in Dusk II (2018, Grey Matter Press), is arguably his most powerful work and my personal favourite. Perhaps the story appeals to me because it is set on a nameless beach in Aotearoa, somewhere that I might have walked myself, or …

REVIEW: Serpent’s Wake by L.E. Daniels

SERPENT’S WAKE by L.E. DANIELS
Novel review by Dave Jeffery

After twelve years trapped in the throat of a serpent, a girl escapes. She returns to her village naked with a monstrous snakeskin trailing behind her. One decision at a time, she reclaims her life. Each character she encounters by land and sea—brute, healer, orphan, mystic, lover—reflects an unhealed aspect of herself and plots her recovery through symbolic milestones. Serpent’s Wake is intended for adults and young adults exploring how, once fractured, we may mend.

As a reader there comes a time when you become so mesmerised in a story, …

Thomas F. Monteleone Statement

The Board of Trustees for the Horror Writers Association does not condone hate speech in any way, shape, or form. We stand in support of our members’ right to feel safe, welcome, and above all else, respected. The Horror Writers Association condemns the recent words and actions of Thomas Monteleone and in accordance with our anti-harassment policies, The Board of Trustees has voted to ban Mr. Monteleone from attendance and participation in StokerCon 2023.

Furthermore, in respect to those same policies, the Board of Trustees has voted to ban Mr. Monteleone from attending our future events.

Lastly, the Board of …

The Dragon’s Lair: Tips & Tricks with Vince Liaguno

Greetings from the Dragon’s Lair! I’m very excited to present this mini-series of tips-and-tricks from seasoned publishing professionals for the benefit of members and non-members alike. A little background before we dive into the good stuff! My hope and vision for not only this blog, but these resource columns is to give authors, editors, and publishing professionals who are new to the world of publishing or even seasoned professionals, some resources to look through and reference.

We have a fantastic line-up of editors and publishers for our Tips and Tricks Series. I’m pleased to introduce Vince Liaguno!

Vince …

HWA Mental Health Initiative


In June 2022, the Horror Writers Association launched its Mental Health Initiative, comprising, resources, and activities intended to promote positive mental health, foster the concept of hope, and challenge the stigma of mental illness in the horror genre. The initiative, run by the organisation’s Wellness Committee, is an ongoing programme of work.

In the initiative’s first year a dedicated webpage for resources was established on the HWA website, and Of Horror and Hope, a downloadable anthology of poems, flash fiction, and personal reflections on mental health by HWA members was published. Ongoing activities include “Holistic Horrors”, a monthly column in …

Mental Health Initiative Charter

From the HWA Wellness Committee

The aim of the Horror Writers Association’s Mental Health Initiative is to bring hope and promote inclusion for those who endure mental illness. The initiative wants to challenge a climate within the horror genre that has traditionally focused on poor and ill-informed representations of mental illness, and this is known to be a vehicle to perpetuate stigma in wider society.

The Wellness Committee will focus on the following core elements when designing and developing its promotions and activities:

    To promote a positive image of mental illness/health

    To challenge and reduce the stigma associated with mental

HWA MENTAL HEALTH INITIATIVE RESOURCES


This listing is non-exhaustible and will be updated regularly so that members have access to the most current materials as we gain access to them. For the purposes of this initial list, the contents are established resources readily available on the internet but condensed here for the purpose of ease. There will be an ongoing process of review and there are planned future additions of lived-experience reflections from members and recommended reading materials.

NATIONAL HELPLINES/INFORMATION WEBSITES

National helplines in territories where the HWA has a membership of 5 people or more. Those sites that feature any kind of paid service …

Get a few quick bites from the HWA
(delivered straight to your inbox):


Receive regular updates on our members' new releases, event announcements so you can meet your current and future Horror idols, and much more, just for Horror fans.

(Non-members are especially tasty welcome!)






Close Box

Social media & sharing icons powered by UltimatelySocial