Rocky Wood Memorial Scholarship
Visit the official scholarship site for up-to-date information.
The Horror Writers Association (HWA), the premier organization of writers and publishers of horror and dark fantasy and home of the iconic Bram Stoker Award®, today announced the creation of the Rocky Wood Memorial Scholarship in honor of the organization’s late president, who passed away on December 1, 2014 as a result of complications from Motor Neurone Disease (MND) or Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease.
The new scholarship, which joins the existing Horror Writers Association and Mary Shelley Scholarships, will focus on non-fiction. Rocky Wood, a two-time recipient of the Bram Stoker Award®, was best known for his extensive work involving the writings of Stephen King. The scholarship was proposed by HWA Treasurer Leslie Klinger, who will also oversee its implementation.
In addition to the scholarship, the HWA announced that Lisa Morton will succeed Wood as the organization’s President. For the last two-and-a-half years, Morton served as Vice President. A screenwriter, author of non-fiction books, and an award-winning prose writer, Morton is a six-time winner of the Bram Stoker Award®. Her expertise on Halloween has led to appearances on both The History Channel and The Discovery Channel, as well as an interview with The Wall Street Journal.
“It’s daunting for me to now step into the Presidential shoes, but I also consider it an honor to continue the great work Rocky started. Because he was such a master at organization, he’s left behind manuals and instructions and a trained corps of volunteers, and together we look forward to continuing his legacy,” Morton said.
During his tenure, Wood grew the HWA membership to record levels, put in place policies and documentation, built a volunteer force of around 180 persons, added events and sponsorships, created scholarships, and launched the highly successful “Horror Selfies” campaign.
Nancy Holder, a multiple award-winning and New York Times-bestselling author, has agreed to serve as Vice President. Morton stated, “Nancy has been involved with the HWA for decades and she brings a wealth of experience and innovation to the position.”
You can leave your thoughts and memories of Rocky at his website’s guestbook.
Although, I have never met you, I appreciate your work, and feel so many have thoughts of you…Your desire to bring fourth an author’s work to full literary glory. Your determination in peeking behind the spider-webbed walls to find hidden treasures lost or unknown of another author’s work; your smile when an author thanks you and appreciates your presence and love of work, missing the very treasure you are, and have been. Now, we all know you’ve got a better job in Heaven, keeping all those legends long gone, happy with your presence and skillful knowledge of research beyond an author’s imagination of what dedication truly is…Love!
God Bless You, Mr. Rocky Wood, and shine a bit of inspiration our way.
I remain,
Sincerely,
Norma Iris Montalvo