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| Formation | 1985 |
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| Type | Non-profit |
| Headquarters | New York |
Members | Over 1250 |
President | John Palisano |
| Website | www |
The Horror Writers Association (HWA) is a worldwide non-profit organization of professional writers and publishing professionals dedicated to promoting the interests of horror and dark fantasy writers.
HWA was formed in 1985 with the help of many of the field's greats, including Joe R. Lansdale, Robert McCammon, and Dean Koontz, although it was not formally incorporated until 1987, the year it first gave Bram Stoker Awards. The group was originally called HOWL (Horror and Occult Writers League), but quickly changed to the Horror Writers of America when they formally organized. [1] HWA now has members and regional chapters throughout North America, Europe, Australia, South Africa, Russia, and Asia, which led to the current name of the organization.
One of HWA's missions is to encourage public interest in and foster an appreciation of quality horror and dark fantasy literature. To that end, HWA offers information on their Web site, they sponsor or take part in occasional public readings and lectures. They also maintain an official presence at many fan-based horror and fantasy conventions, such as the Bram Stoker Awards Weekend, World Fantasy Convention and the World Horror Convention.
HWA sponsors the annual Bram Stoker Awards for superior achievement in Horror and Dark fantasy. HWA also presents an annual Lifetime Achievement Award to up to three living people who have made significant contributions to the writing of horror and dark fantasy over the course of a lifetime. [2] There are also a number of service Awards, including the Specialty Press Award and the Silver Hammer Award. [3]
Since 1990, HWA has produced a series of anthologies edited by a few of the more prestigious members and published in hardcover, mass-market, or trade paperback by various publishers. Most have also had signed, limited hardcover editions. These anthologies present new stories by the members of the Horror Writers Association. In addition, in 1997 HWA produced a volume of essays on the craft of horror writing, On Writing Horror: A Handbook by the Horror Writers Association, edited by Mort Castle, with contributions from dozens of well-known HWA members. [4] Their latest series of anthologies, Blood Lite, collects darkly humorous tales. [5]
In October 2020, the HWA announced its partnership with United For Libraries, Book Riot, and Booklist as it launched its Summer Scares Reading Program. The program's goal is to introduce readers to new authors and to aid librarians in starting conversations with readers. Each year, a committee consisting of a guest author and four librarians will select three recommended fiction titles for each of three reading levels (Adult, Teen, and Middle Grades) for a total of nine Summer Scares selections. Selected Summer Scares authors will be available for appearances and speaking engagements, for free, at public and school libraries throughout the country. The committee’s final selections will be announced each year on February 14— National Library Lover’s Day. [6]
| President | Term |
|---|---|
| John Edward Lawson | (2022–present) [7] |
| John Palisano | (2019-2022) |
| Lisa Morton | (2014–2019) |
| Rocky Wood | (2010–2014) |
| Deborah LeBlanc | (2006–2010) |
| Gary A. Braunbeck | (2005–2006) |
| Joseph Nassise | (2002–2005) |
| David Niall Wilson | (2001–2002) |
| Richard Laymon | (2000–2001) |
| S.P. Somtow | (1998–2000) |
| Janet Berliner | (1997–1998) |
| Brian Lumley | (1996–1997) |
| Lawrence Watt-Evans | (1994–1996) |
| Dennis Etchison | (1992–1994) |
| Craig Shaw Gardner | (1990–1992) |
| Chelsea Quinn Yarbro | (1988–1990) |
| Charles L. Grant | (1987–1988) |
| Dean R. Koontz | (1986–1987) |
The Bram Stoker Award is a recognition presented annually by the Horror Writers Association (HWA) for "superior achievement" in dark fantasy and horror writing.
The Bram Stoker Award for Lifetime Achievement annually recognizes one to three living artists for "superior achievement in an entire career" which has "substantially influenced the horror genre". It is conferred by the Horror Writers Association, and most winners have been horror fiction writers, but other creative occupations are eligible.
Ellen Datlow is an American science fiction, fantasy, and horror editor and anthologist. She is a winner of the World Fantasy Award and the Bram Stoker Award.
Brian Keene is an American author and podcaster, primarily known for his work in horror, dark fantasy, crime fiction, and comic books. He has won the 2014 World Horror Grandmaster Award and two Bram Stoker Awards. In addition to his own original work, Keene has written for media properties such as Doctor Who, Hellboy, Alien, Masters of the Universe, and The X-Files.
Joe Richard Lansdale is an American writer and martial arts instructor. A prose writer in a variety of genres, including Western, horror, science fiction, mystery, and suspense, he has also written comic books and screenplays. Several of his novels have been adapted for film and television. He is the winner of the British Fantasy Award, the American Horror Award, the Edgar Award, and eleven Bram Stoker Awards.
Gary A. Braunbeck is an American science fiction, fantasy, mystery and horror author.
Richard Thomas Chizmar is an American writer, the publisher and editor of Cemetery Dance magazine, and the owner of Cemetery Dance Publications. He also edits anthologies, produces films, writes screenplays, and teaches writing.
Cemetery Dance Publications is an American specialty press publisher of horror and dark suspense. Cemetery Dance was founded by Richard Chizmar, a horror author, while he was in college. It is associated with Cemetery Dance magazine, which was founded in 1988. They began to publish books in 1992. They later expanded to encompass a magazine and website featuring news, interviews, and reviews related to horror literature.
Thomas Francis Monteleone is an American science fiction author and horror fiction author.
Janet Berliner, formerly Janet Gluckman, was a Bram Stoker Award-winning author and served as president of the Horror Writers Association from 1997 to 1998. She was also a member of Authors Guild, the International Thriller Writers, and the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America. She was born in Cape Town, South Africa, but moved to America with her husband in 1960. She became a citizen of the United States in 1966, and lived in Las Vegas.
Stephen Jones is an English editor of horror anthologies, and the author of several book-length studies of horror and fantasy films as well as an account of H. P. Lovecraft's early British publications.
Lisa Morton is an American horror author and screenwriter.
Linda D. Addison is an American poet and writer of horror, fantasy, and science fiction. Addison is the first African-American winner of the Bram Stoker Award, which she won five times. The first two awards were for her poetry collections Consumed, Reduced to Beautiful Grey Ashes (2001) and Being Full of Light, Insubstantial (2007). Her poetry and fiction collection How To Recognize A Demon Has Become Your Friend won the 2011 Bram Stoker Award for Superior Achievement in a Poetry Collection. She received a fourth HWA Bram Stoker for the collection The Four Elements, written with Marge Simon, Rain Graves, and Charlee Jacob. Her fifth HWA Bram Stoker was for the collection The Place of Broken Things, written with Alessandro Manzetti. Addison is a founding member of the CITH writing group.
Joel A. Sutherland is a Canadian author of thriller, horror and fantasy short stories and novels, anthologies and children's books. His notable works include Frozen Blood and the Haunted Canada series. Sutherland's writing has won the Forest of Reading Silver Birch Award and the Hackmatack Award, and been nominated for the Forest of Reading Red Maple Award, the Bram Stoker Award and the Black Quill Award. He lives in Courtice, Ontario.
Jason Vincent Brock is an American author, artist, editor and filmmaker.
Guy Anthony De Marco is an American author, musician, programmer and teacher.
The Horror Writers Association (HWA) periodically gives the Silver Hammer Award to an HWA volunteer who has done a truly massive amount of work for the organization, often unsung and behind the scenes. It was instituted in 1996, and is decided by a vote of HWA's Board of Trustees.
James Gregory "JG" Faherty is an American author who writes in the horror, science fiction, and dark fantasy genres.
Michael Knost is the pen name of Michael Earl Collins, a suspense author, anthology editor, magazine feature writer, and writing teacher/lecturer who lives in Chapmanville, West Virginia.
Centipede Press is an American independent book and periodical publisher focusing on horror, weird tales, crime narratives, science fiction, gothic novels, fantasy art, and studies of literature, music and film. Its earliest imprints were Cocytus Press and Millipede Press.
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