The Horror Writers Association Announces Horror University 2025

  The HWA is pleased to announce this year's course lineup for StokerCon 2025. Course Pricing: $55 per course (to register see Eventbrite for details). Michael Arnzen: The Uncanny and the Abject This two-hour online workshop will involve short writing activities that will allow you to explore and practice the different techniques writers summon when triggering revulsion or conjuring dread. Amityville-born horror writer Michael Arnzen holds four Bram Stoker Awards and an International Horror Guild Award for his often funny, always disturbing fiction and poetry. In addition to his creative books -- like the novel, Grave Markings, or the short story collection, Proverbs for Monsters--he's…

HWA Poetry Showcase IX Table of Contents

HWA Poetry Showcase IX Table of Contents   “To Hear the Call” by Stephanie M. Wytovich “spoon against bone” by Geneve Flynn “The Koiy Factory” by Naomi Simone Borwein “Birthpangs, Deathpangs” by Mary A. Turzillo “FACE OFF” by Christina Sng “A THOUSAND MILES FROM HERE” by Alessandro Manzetti “Reasons Why You Can’t Go Out to Play Alone” by Victoria Nations “The Science of Last Things” by K. H. Vaughan “conflagration” by Cassondra Windwalker “One Eye, Two Eyes” by Jacqueline West “A Lacing of Lavender” by Carina Bissett “Something to Know About the Wind At the Cliff House” by Hillary Dodge…

Congratulations to all the poets who were selected for the annual HWA Poetry Showcase IX

Congratulations Poets! by Angela Yuriko Smith Congratulations to all the poets who were selected for the annual HWA Poetry Showcase IX, especially our featured poets Stephanie M. Wytovich, Geneve Flynn and Naomi Simone Borwein. It was difficult to choose just 50 poems when well over 200 poetry submissions came in this year. I’m grateful for fellow judges Lee Murray, Maxwell I. Gold and Frances Pai for helping me to read all of these and make the hard decisions.  A big thank you to HWA John Palisano for showing support for dark poetry and poets by not only doubling the Showcase…

The Horror Writers Association (HWA) Announces The Release of its Next Publication: The HWA Poetry Showcase, Volume IX

PRESS RELEASE The Horror Writers Association presents its ninth annual poetry showcase featuring a selection of the best original dark poetry from the past year. Edited by Angela Yuriko Smith with judges Lee Murray, Maxwell I. Gold and Frances Lu Pai Ippolito, this year features Stephanie M. Wytovich, Geneve Flynn, and Naomi Simone Borwein as our featured poets. Cover artwork by Kyra Starr. Appreciation to HWA President John Palisano for doubling the payment to poets and awarding poets both payment and a contributor copy instead of poets choosing between two options. The artwork for this year’s cover pays tribute to…

Call for Submissions Horror Writers Association Poetry Showcase IX

Call for submissions for Poetry Showcase Volume IX  The HWA is proud to announce that it will call for submissions from its members for the Poetry Showcase Volume IX beginning April 1. Angela Yuriko Smith will be the editor for the volume. This year’s judges, along with Angela, will include Lee Murray and Maxwell I. Gold.   Only HWA members (of any status) may submit. The reason for this can be found in the word “Showcase.” The HWA is very proud of the tradition of poetry in the horror genre and of the HWA’s support for poetry. This volume is designed…

Women in Horror: Interview with Sara Tantlinger

Sara Tantlinger is the author of the Bram Stoker Award-winning The Devil’s Dreamland: Poetry Inspired by H.H. Holmes, and the Stoker-nominated works To Be Devoured, Cradleland of Parasites, and Not All Monsters. Along with being a mentor for the HWA Mentorship Program, she is also a co-organizer for the HWA Pittsburgh Chapter. She embraces all things macabre and can be found lurking in graveyards or on Twitter @SaraTantlinger, at saratantlinger.com, and on Instagram @inkychaotics What inspired you to start writing? Poetry! I loved writing lyrics and poetry for as long as I can remember. Luckily, I think I burned all…