Black Heritage in Horror Month 2025: An Interview with Jamal Hodge

What inspired you to start writing?

Pain, uncertainty, and hope. Honestly, I was a naive child, filled with joy at the thought of meeting another face. But when homelessness found my family in the South Bronx, I quickly learned that people weren’t always safe. Being exposed to ‘American history’ in school further revealed what it meant to be Black in this country, a trauma, in my view, that demands mental health support, like counseling, in schools. These harsh realities made me dream of a better world. I found that place within the pages of books, the ink of a pen, and the boundless depths of my own imagination.

Something New, Something Old, Something Different: HWA Celebrating Black History Month 2025

The worldview of horror writers, editors, screenwriters, etc. population is a plethora of different groups. The definition of groups within a demographic is large and multi-faceted. One thing horror creators have in common is they want their work to generate a sense of fear or discomfort in the reader or viewer. This work is influenced by the experiences of the group in the world and their individual lives. Each creator’s work is flavored by the disturbing aspects of their life and the world around them. The HWA runs a monthly series each year highlighting horror writers and editors, etc. from different marginalized groups.

The HWA’s Library Advisory Council Announces the 2024 recipients of the YAWN Endowment

The Horror Writers Association’s Library Advisory Council is proud to announce the 2024 recipients of the Young Adults Write Now (YAWN) Endowment. This endowment is provided by the Horror Writers Association and is aimed at supporting teen writing programs in libraries as part of its ongoing dedication to furthering young adult literacy. We received a large number of excellent applications last year and are heartened by the number of libraries currently prioritizing teen writing programs. 

NUTS & BOLTS: Interview With Kasey and Joe R. Lansdale

Whether they come by way of Oz, Wonderland, or the Brothers Grimm, nightmare-inducing children’s stories are the gateway for many nascent fans into the strange, terrifying, and delightful genre of horror fiction. Joe R. Lansdale took a crack at children’s horror fiction with the Ray Bradbury-influenced Something Lumber This Way Comes, which is being rereleased by Pandi Press this month. Kasey Lansdale, executive editor of Pandi Press, provides some useful information about the publishing industry for aspiring authors in this month’s edition of Nuts & Bolts.  And Joe gives some tips on writing children’s fiction.

The 2024 Bram Stoker Awards® Preliminary Ballot Announced

The 2024 Bram Stoker Awards® Preliminary Ballot Announced The Horror Writers Association (HWA) is pleased to announce the Preliminary Ballot for the 2024 Bram Stoker Awards®. The HWA is the premier writer’s organization in the horror and dark fiction genre, with more than 2,000 members. We have presented the Bram Stoker Awards in various categories since 1987. For the full ballot please see HERE. Works on this ballot are not referred to as “nominees” or “finalists.” Only works appearing on the Final Ballot may be referred to as “nominated works” and their authors as “finalists.”  The HWA Board and the…

Horror Writers Association Gets 10 Year Commitment from Pitt Library System for StokerCon

The Horror Writers Association (HWA) and the University of Pittsburgh Library System (ULS) are excited to announce a new chapter in their collaboration leading up to StokerCon.  Building on their roles as Marquee Sponsor in 2023 and Raven Sponsor in 2024, the ULS has committed to a ground-breaking 10-year Legacy Sponsorship starting with StokerCon 2025.

Halloween Haunts Blog: Call for Submissions

From October 1 through October 31, the Horror Writers Association will host an online event to celebrate the month of Halloween and help horror readers and horror writers connect at the eeriest time of the year.

All HWA members are invited to participate in this series of daily blog posts, book excerpts, and more. Halloween Haunts offers HWA members a place to share Halloween anecdotes and stories to connect with new readers, spread the word about members’ new works, and raise the profile of the horror genre and the HWA.

2024 Horror Writers Association Elections for Officers and Trustees

2024 Horror Writers Association Elections for Officers and Trustees

The HWA’s annual elections will soon be upon us. Up this year are four Trustee positions, as well as the offices of President and Secretary. Please read the statements of the following candidates carefully. Links to the ballot will be sent out on or around August 19, 2024 to our Active and Lifetime members, with a due date of August 25, 2024. The elected officers shall hold their respective offices for terms of two years, beginning on November 1 and ending on October 31.

THE 2023 BRAM STOKER AWARD® WINNERS

SAN DIEGO, CA--The 2023 Bram Stoker Awards® took place on June 1, during the Annual Bram Stoker Awards® Banquet at StokerCon™ 2024. Winners received awards for superior achievement in the following categories:

2024 FINAL FRAME Finalists Announced

2024 FINALISTS (in alphabetical order)

13th Night

Director: Benjamin Percy Writer: Benjamin Percy UNITED STATES / 2024 / 14:32 A father will do anything to save his daughter. Anything.

HWA SPECIALTY AWARD WINNERS ANNOUNCED

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Columbus, OH – The Horror Writers Association (HWA) is pleased to announce the recipients of its Specialty Awards. These will be presented on June 1st, 2024, during the Bram Stoker Awards® Presentation at StokerCon®2024 in San Diego, CA.

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD WINNERS ANNOUNCED

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Columbus, OH – The Horror Writers Association (HWA) is pleased to announce the recipients of its Lifetime Achievement Award. These will be presented on June 1st, 2024, during the Bram Stoker Awards® Presentation at StokerCon®2024 in San Diego, CA.

Lifetime Achievement Award The recipients of the HWA’s Lifetime Achievement Award for 2024 are:

Women In Horror Month 2024 : An Introduction by Kathryn Ptacek

    The Journey is Never Done. Kind of Like Housework. Kathryn Ptacek We’ve come a long way, baby. Well, if you were alive many decades ago, you'd recognize that as the advertising jingle—somewhat altered—by a tobacco company for a cigarette that it geared toward women. That was back in the late ’60s and early ’70s when everything was bright and fresh and we could do anything. Except apply for credit cards and buy our own cars. But I digress. Yes, we—that is, women horror writers—have come a long way, but there’s no reason to sit back on our celebratory…

The 2023 Bram Stoker Awards® Final Ballot — CORRECTED

  IMPORTANT NOTE—BALLOT CORRECTION The Bram Stoker Awards Committee must note a correction to the previously announced Final Ballot. It was recognized unfortunately late in the Awards process that CAMP DAMASCUS by Chuck Tingle, included in the Young Adult Novel category on the Preliminary Ballot, is not a young adult work. After careful discussion and review of the Preliminary Ballot voting, the Awards Committee has moved CAMP DAMASCUS to the Novel category, where it should have originally been included, resulting in six finalists in NOVEL. In the Young Adult Novel category, YOU'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO DIE TONIGHT by Kalynn Bayron…

2024 SUMMER SCARES READING LIST

In celebration of National Library Lover’s Day, the Horror Writers Association (HWA), in partnership with United for Libraries, Book Riot, Booklist, and NoveList®, a division of EBSCO Information Services (EBSCO), is delighted to announce the sixth annual Summer Scares reading list, which includes titles selected by a panel of authors and library workers and is designed to promote Horror as a great reading option for all ages, during any time of the year. This year, Summer Scares welcomes author Clay McLeod Chapman as the 2024 spokesperson. “Our bookshelves are getting haunted this summer!” exclaims Chapman. “Every last one of the…

The 2023 Bram Stoker Awards® Final Ballot

  The Horror Writers Association (HWA) is pleased to announce the Final Ballot for the 2023 Bram Stoker Awards®. The HWA is the premier writers organization in the horror and dark fiction genre, with more than 2,000 members. We have presented the Bram Stoker Awards in various categories since 1987. Works appearing on this Ballot are Bram Stoker Award® Nominees for Superior Achievement in their Category, e.g., Novel, and everyone may refer to them as such immediately after the announcement. The HWA Board and the Bram Stoker Awards® Committee congratulate all those appearing on the Final Ballot. Notes about the…

Black Heritage in Horror Month 2024: An Introduction by Dr. Lisa Wood

by Dr. Lisa Wood I’m often asked about being an African American writer in the horror genre. The question is fair; I am an African American writer who has been a psychological horror author for a long time, so it would follow that I have witnessed trends and patterns over the years and might have a comment toward it. But the question, in and of itself, is one that I wish never had to be asked again. It implies that there is a difference between African American people versus other racial groups in the genre. It implies that today a…