HWA Bestows Silver Hammer, Specialty Press, and Service Awards

Horror-writers-association02The Horror Writers Association announced a series of honors this week.

Rena Mason has been named the recipient of HWA’s 2014 Silver Hammer Award, given to an HWA volunteer who has worked diligently for the organization, often unsung and behind the scenes. Mason currently serves as Co-Chair of the Bram Stoker Awards®. She has also worked as a compiler for the awards process, and arranged and supervised HWA events, such as a recent panel at the Vegas Valley Book Festival.

ChiZine Publications is the winner of the HWA 2014 Specialty Press Award, which recognizes a publisher outside the mainstream New York City publishing community that specializes in dark-themed fiction.

ChiZine Publications (CZP), founded and run by Brett Alexander Savory and Sandra Kasturi,  sprang out of the successful chizine.com, which began presenting fiction and reviews in 1997. Since its inception in 2008, CZP has published more than 90 books by authors including Christopher Golden, Stephen Graham Jones, Geoff Ryman, Robert Shearman, Melanie Tem and Steve Rasnic Tem.

Finally, HWA will give its 2014 Richard Laymon President’s Award for Service to the organization’s publicity team of Doug Murano, Tom Calen, and Brock Cooper. The Award is presented to a volunteer who has served HWA in an especially exemplary manner and has shown extraordinary dedication to the organization. The recipients were selected by HWA President Lisa Morton.

“These three gentlemen have completely re-created HWA’s promotion and publicity, taking it from almost zero to sixty in record time,” Morton said. “Thanks to this amazing trio, we’ve received hundreds of thousands of hits on campaigns like our ‘Horror Selfies’, our press releases have been receiving international attention, and more readers than ever know about the Bram Stoker Awards®. Our former President Rocky Wood held Doug, Tom, and Brock’s work in the highest standing, and I share that admiration and appreciation.”

All three of the awards will be presented to recipients on May 9 at the Bram Stoker Awards® Banquet in Atlanta, held as part of World Horror Convention 2015.

[From the press releases.]