The Horror Writers Association (HWA) has awarded 14 scholarships/grants/endowments to assist writers looking to pursue a career as a writer of horror fiction, nonfiction, or poetry. They also have named the libraries that will receive funds from HWA’s endowment program for use in expanding their young adult reading programs.
THE HORROR WRITERS ASSOCIATION SCHOLARSHIP
The Horror Writers Association Scholarship, open to all horror writers (HWA membership is not required), is worth $2500, which may be spent on approved writing education over the two years following the granting of the scholarship.
The winner is Nikki Blakely
Nikki Lynn Blakely lives in the San Francisco Bay Area, and enjoys crafting stories that evoke smiles, tears, laughter, the occasional eye roll, and sometimes even a scream. Her work has appeared in Sundial Magazine, Bright Flash Literary Review, Luna Station Quarterly, the Centifictionist, Writers Resist, Little Old Lady Comedy, in the following anthologies: Between the Covers, 72 Hours of Insanity V9 (Writer Games), Dim and Flaring Lamps, and the podcasts Tall-Tell TV, and The Gallery of Curiosities (2/24) You can find her on Twitter – @nblakely99
THE MARY WOLLSTONECRAFT SHELLEY SCHOLARSHIP
This scholarship, worth $2,500, is open to female horror writers. It may be spent on approved writing education over the two years following the granting of the scholarship.
The winner is Hyten Davidson
Hyten Davidson is a writer and actor based in NYC. Her screenplays have won multiple awards, including the L.A International Horror Film Festival, and her short film The West Virginian Starfish took home the Best Short Film award at last year’s Long Island Film Expo. Her short fiction has been published in The Maine Review, Landlocked Magazine, Rock Salt Journal, and New Reader Magazine. Most recently, Hyten’s horror audio drama Come to Mama premiered on the latest season of the NoSleep Podcast. For more, visit www.hytendavidson.com.
THE ROCKY WOOD MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP FUND FOR NON-FICTION WRITING
Elizabeth Lepro is a New York-based writer and MFA candidate at Hunter College. Her reporting has been published in various outlets in the U.S. and Egypt. Her Substack newsletter, Food for the Worm, is a series of essays about horror films and humanity. Through it, she explores the weird, wicked, and whatever it is that goes bump in the night. You can read more here – https://foodfortheworm.substack.com/
DIVERSITY GRANTS
The Diversity Grants are open to underrepresented, diverse people who have an interest in the horror writing genre, including, but not limited to writers, editors, reviewers, and library workers. The Diversity Grants have adopted the broadest definition of the word diversity to include, but not limited to, gender, gender identity, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, disabled, and neurodiverse. Each Grant is worth $500 and may be spent on approved expenses for a period of two (2) years following the awarding of the Grant. There are nine winners:
Justin Carlos Alcala
Justin Carlos Alcala is an award-winning American novelist & short story writer. His works are most notable for their appearance in Publisher’s Weekly, the SLF Foundation Awards, and the University of British Columbia project archives. Justin is a folklore fanatic, history nerd, tabletop gamer, and time traveler. Alcala’s thirty plus short stories, novellas, and novels can be found in anthologies, magazines, journals, and commercial publications. He currently resides with his dark queen, Mallory, their hex-witch daughter, Lily, changeling son, Ronan, goblin-baby, Asher, and hound of Ragnarök, Fenrir in Bigfoot’s domain. Where his mind might be is anyone’s guess. Pronouns: he/him. Website: https://www.justincalcala.com Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/JustinAlcala Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/justin.alcala/ Blog: https://justinalcalablog.com Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7862799.Justin_Alcala?from_search=true TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@justinalcala312
Nadira Jamerson (she/her) is a journalist and horror/fantasy writer from Pasadena, California. Her work primarily focuses on the Black queer woman’s perspective, mental health, and healing generational trauma. You can read her latest novel and other works on her website. Pronouns: she/her. Website: nadiraxrene.com Instagram handle: @nadiraxrene
Bridgette Johnson
Bridgette Johnson is a writer of horror for middle grade, young adult, and adult audiences. Her short story “Copperhead Holler” was published in Appalachia Bare. They love attending fan conventions and hiking their own section of spooky woods. Pronouns: she/they. Twitter/X: @cecilewrites.
Mara Adanto-Keledei
Mara Adanto-Keledei is a Mexican-Korean-American bookseller focusing on racial horror and the Gothic. They recently returned to academia and this summer attended Manchester Metropolitan University’s International Gothic Summer School. Previously a designer for theater and haunted houses, their experience informs their current writing. Mara can often be found running around at book festivals or trying new soups. They dream of someday building their own Castle of Otranto-themed haunt. Pronouns: they/them. Website: https://soupgoth.com/
Leanbh Pearson
Leanbh Pearson lives on Ngunnawal Country in Canberra, Australia. An award-winning LGBTQI and disability author of horror and dark fantasy, her writing is inspired by folklore, fairytales, myth, history and climate. She’s judged the Australian Shadows Awards, Aurealis Awards, an invited panelist and member of the AHWA, CSFG, Australian Fairytale Society, British Fantasy Society, HWA and SFWA. Leanbh has been awarded AHWA and HWA mentorships, nominated for the Ditmar Awards and winner of AHWA Robert N Stephenson Flash Fiction Story Competition. Leanbh’s alter-ego is an academic in archaeology, evolution and prehistory. Pronouns: she/her. Website: www.leanbhpearson.com Twitter/X, Facebook, Instagram & Threads: @leanbhpearson
Marcie Rendon
Marcie Rendon is White Earth Ojibwe. She was listed in Oprah’s 2020 list of 31 Native American Author’s to read and received Minnesota’s 2020 McKnight Distinguished Artist Award. Rendon’s Cash Blackbear crime novels have received prestigious recognition. “Sinister Graves” was a Minnesota Book Award Finalist 2022. Her short story, “Wingless”, is in the highly touted Never Whistle At Night anthology, edited by Shane Hawk and Theodore Van Alst. Forthcoming work includes Anishinaabe Songs for the New Milliniuem (poetry); Where They Last Saw Her (crime); Stitches of Tradition (picture book); book 4 Cash, and of course, more horror. Pronouns: she/her. Website: https://www.marcierendon.com/ Twitter/X: @marcierendon Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarcieRendonMN Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marcierendon/
FadairoTesleem
FadairoTesleem (TPC vi) is a Nigerian poet and a member of The Poetic Collective. He was on the shortlist for 2022’s Spectrum Poetry Contest, Abubakar Gimba’s Prize for Nonfiction (2023) & Africa Teen Writers’ Award (poetry category). His poems are published in The B’K Magazine, Geez Magazine, Dillydoun Review, Protean Poetry, Kreative Diadem, Consequence Forum, & host of other publications. Tesleem is an alumnus of the Olongo Africa Poetry workshop &SpriNG Writers’ Fellowship. Pronouns: he/him. Twitter/X: @_olakunle
The Young Adults Write Now Endowment Program provides up to five endowments of $250 each per year for selected libraries to establish new, or support ongoing, writing programs. The following libraries will each receive $250 to help fund teen writing programs as part of the HWA’s ongoing dedication to furthering young adult literacy:
Somerset Public Library—Somerset, MA — Horror is Lit!, administered by Marybeth Rua-Larsen, Head of Reference
The Westport Library—Westport, CT — StoryFest, administered by Alex Giannini, Associate Director Programs & Events
