2022 Horror Writers Association Scholarship Winners Announced

In 2022 the Horror Writers Association (HWA) awarded 13 scholarships/grants/endowments with a total value of $15,650 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 Rob Flumignan (Rob Cornell, Pen name)

Whether it’s a covert-ops team of vampire assassins or a greedy dragon who lives under Detroit’s MGM Grand Casino, most of Rob Cornell’s stories feature some element of the dark and fantastic. He has self-published over a dozen novels, including two dark fantasy sagas—The Lockman Chronicles and the Unturned series. He has also dabbled in the mystery and crime genres, including a three-book series featuring private eye and karaoke bar owner, Ridley Brone. In his most recently completed novel, A Shadow Full of Stars, a “life transplant” offered by an unsettling stranger sends a suicidal musician to an isolated and oppressive utopia designed to keep its residents happy at all costs. Rob hopes to publish this one sometime in 2023.

A native of the Detroit area, Rob spent a handful of years living in both Los Angeles and Chicago before returning to Michigan where he now lives with his wife, kids, three dogs, four cats, and (grudgingly) a bunch of evil chickens. You can find out more about his writing at robcornellbooks.com.

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 Mary Berman
Mary Berman

Mary Berman is a Philadelphia, PA, USA-based writer of science fiction, fantasy, and horror. She earned her MFA in creative writing from the University of Mississippi, and she also holds a BA in Writing Seminars from Johns Hopkins University. Her stories can be found in PseudoPodFiresideWeird HorrorShoreline of Infinity, and elsewhere.

She is a member of the Pitch Wars class of 2021 and the Viable Paradise class of 2022, as well as an active member of SFWA and HWA.

THE DARK POETRY SCHOLARSHIP

The Dark Poetry Scholarship, first awarded in 2015, is designed to assist in the professional development of Horror and/or Dark Fantasy Poets. It is worth $1,250, which may be spent on approved writing education over the two years following the granting of the scholarship.

Tania Chen
  • The winner is Tania Chen

Tania Chen is a Chinese-Mexican queer writer. Their work has been published in Unfettered Hexes by Neon Hemlock, Strange HorizonsPleiades MagazineApparition Lit and Baffling. They are a first reader for Nightmare Magazine, a graduate of the Clarion West Novella Bootcamp workshop of January/Feb 2021 and assistant editor for Uncanny Magazine. They can be found on twitter @archistratego.

THE ROCKY WOOD MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP FUND FOR NON-FICTION WRITING

There are two winners of The Rocky Wood Memorial Scholarship Fund for Non-fiction Writing, an endowed fund providing grants for research and writing nonfiction relating to horror and dark fantasy literature (the amount is flexible).

  • Gillian King-Cargile
Gillian King-Cargile

Gillian is receiving this award for her work with They’re Coming to Get You, Barbara: A Gal’s Guide to Surviving and Thriving in Horror, which examines the role of the female survivor in horror, employing both feminist film theory and irreverent commentary. Gillian King-Cargile earned her BA in film production and an MFA in creative writing from Southern Illinois University. She has worked with schools, libraries, universities, and national labs to create exciting stories, games, events, and even stand-up comedy routines that spark a love of reading and learning. A member of the Horror Writers Association and the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, Gillian has published picture books, middle-grade nonfiction books, and longer work for readers of all ages. Her short stories have appeared in McSweeney’s Internet Tendencies, Carve Magazine, Everyday Fiction, River Styx, 3 Elements, Hello Horror, and other publications. Her short story, “The Dead Kid,” received a Pushcart Prize Special Mention and was adapted into an award-winning short film.

  • Louise Zedda-Sampson
Louise Zedda-Sampson

Louise is receiving this award for her work with a history of horror in Australia. Louise Zedda-Sampson is an Australian writer, researcher and editor. Louise has edited/co-edited several anthologies and was a AHWA Shadows Awards Finalist for Trickster’s Treats 4: Coming Buried or Not! [2020]. Her short fiction has appeared in numerous publications, and her horror articles have appeared online at This is Horror, Horror Tree and Horror Oasis. Her debut book Bowl the Maidens Over: Our First Women Cricketers [2021] examines the Australian women cricketers’ first games in the 1870s.

DENNIS ETCHISON YOUNG WRITERS AWARD

The Dennis Etchison Young Writers Scholarship open to students in grades 10-12 (or the equivalent, if home schooled), with an interest in writing horror/dark fiction. It is a $500 grant.

This year, a single winner was chosen out of twenty-seven applicants. As they are a minor, however, their name and likeness will not be released due to privacy laws.

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 five winners:

  • Chinaza Eziaghighala

Chinaza Eziaghighala (she/her) is a medical doctor (House Officer), featured on WHO Africa, who tells stories. An interdisciplinary writer at the intersection of health, film, and literature, she is a 2021 University of Iowa International Writing Program Alum and 2022 Voodoonauts Fellow. She is an SFWA member. Her works are in/forthcoming BSFA’s Fission #2 Vol 1 Anthology, Mythaxis, Planet Scumm, Metastellar, Brittle Paper, Hellboundbooks and BSFA’s Focus. CHIMERA, her debut novella, is forthcoming in 2024 from Nosetouch Press. She works as a Screenwriter for Africa Magic/Multichoice and is training to become a Film Developmental Executive with Jungle Film Works. 

  • Darcy Marie Hughes

Darcy Marie Hughes (e/em/eir/eirs/emself). The poet, TTRPG designer/streamer, fiction writer, and editor with 18 names (including Emily Flummox, Tristissima, & Skunkheart) competed nationally twice during eir decade-long slam career. Much of eir poetry, notably “Sacred Purification Ritual Using Your Own Urine Instead of Water”, focuses on identifying with the divinity of the disgusting.

E’s performed eir stories “Civilization Stained These Young Things” and “The Fog of Time Means We’re Everywhere” during the San Francisco Leather Cultural District’s Erotic Storytelling Hour; the former’s been published in Scry of Lust 2.  An excerpt from eir Spiritualist space-fantasy novel Aduality{0≠2;100=108} appeared in Wickedly Abled. 

  • Naching T. Kassa

Naching T. Kassa (she/her) is a wife, mother, and horror writer. She serves as an assistant at Crystal Lake Publishing and is a proud member of the Horror Writers Association, Mystery Writers of America, and several Sherlock Holmes Scions.  Naching resides in Eastern Washington State with her husband, Dan, and their three children.

  • Ian Muneshwar

Ian Muneshwar (he/they) is a Boston-based writer and teacher. His short fiction has sold to venues such as Strange Horizons, Nightmare, and The Dark, and has been selected for The Year’s Best Weird Fiction and Year’s Best Dark Fantasy & Horror. Ian has taught writing in the Transitional Year Program at Brandeis University, in the Experimental College at Tufts University, and in Clarion West’s online programming. You can find out more about his work at ianmuneshwar.com

  • Meemee Taylor

Meemee Taylor (she/her) is a Louisiana-raised, Los Angeles-based author and screenwriter of psychological thrillers, horror, and creature features with a touch of humor. She was the July 2022 Winner of the Roadmap Career Writers Program Diversity Initiative with her horror TV pilot, The Vessel. She was also a top 10 Finalist in the Women Write Now 2022 Program and has had horror short stories published in the anthology, The Memory Eater, and on the Yahoo Contributors Network. An avid world runner, her favorite race will always be the local Run For Your Lives 5k, where “zombies” chased her throughout the course.

YOUNG ADULTS WRITE NOW

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:

  • McCracken County Public Library—Paducah, KY; Telltale Stories, administered by Justin Brasher, Library Director
  • Woodland Hills Academy Library—Woodland Hills, CA; Teen Wolfpack Horror Writer’s Club, administered by Neva Galvez, Teacher Librarian

HWA Scholarship Applications Accepted Through 8/1

The Horror Writers Association (HWA) is accepting applications for seven scholarships and grants offered to those pursuing careers as writers of horror fiction, nonfiction, or poetry, The diversity grants also extend to library workers. And there is are funds offered for YA writing programs at libraries.

The window to apply is open until August 1, 2021 at midnight Pacific time.

The 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.

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 late Rocky Wood, then HWA President, explained why the scholarship was created in 2014.

It is very clear to the HWA that there are unseen, but real, barriers limiting the amount of horror fiction being published by women. There are many fine women writers being published in our genre but we also see potential for the percentage of horror fiction being published by women to increase. This Scholarship, named after the great female horror writer, aims to encourage more female writers to enter our genre and to aid in the development of those already working within it. At the same time the HWA exists to extend the horror genre in all its aspects, so we are also establishing Horror Writers Association Scholarship, which is open to all our members, regardless of gender.

The Diversity Grants will be 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.

Four grants will be awarded. 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.

The Dark Poetry Scholarship, first awarded in 2015, is designed to assist in the professional development of Horror and/or Dark Fantasy Poets. It is worth $1,250, which may be spent on approved writing education over the two years following the granting of the scholarship.

The Rocky Wood Memorial Scholarship Fund for Non-fiction Writing provides grants for research and writing nonfiction relating to horror and dark fantasy literature. The amount is flexible. Membership in HWA is not a requirement.

The Dennis Etchison Young Writers scholarship is open to students in grades 10-12 (or the equivalent, if home schooled), with an interest in writing horror/dark fiction. The winner may apply the $500 toward college tuition, course fees (on line or traditional), and/or materials pertaining to the enhancement of writing skills.

The Young Adults Write Now fund will provide up to five endowments of $250 each per year for selected libraries to establish new, or support ongoing, writing programs. The program is currently open to United States libraries, but will be expanded in the future to include other countries, as part of the HWA’s global presence. Membership in the HWA is not a requirement. Recipients receiving funding will be able to use the monies for anything relating to the proposed/active writing program, including but not limited to supplies, special events, publishing costs, guest speakers/instructors, and operating expense. Monies may not be used to fund other programs or expenses for the library.

2020 Horror Writers Association Scholarship Winners

The Horror Writers Association announced their 2020 Scholarship recipients on September 3.

The 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 Matthew Andrew.

Matthew Andrew is a retired U.S. Marine who served multiple tours in support of combat operations in Afghanistan and the Balkans.

He currently works in the finance sector in Dallas, TX. His short fiction can be found in Pantheon Magazine, Blight Digest, PMMP‘s Lost Signals anthology, & Thuglit, among others.

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 Abril Altamirano.

Abril Altamirano is a cultural journalist & horror writer from Quito, Ecuador. Her work has been published in Ecuadorian printed media such as Diario La Hora, Casapalabras, & MundoDiners, as well as in international magazines Visor (Spain) and Espora (Mexico). She coedited the book Despertar de la hydra, antología del nuevo cuento ecuatoriano (The hydra awakens, anthology of new Ecuadorian short stories). Her story, “Hands tied,” is included in the anthology Señorita Satán, nuevas narradoras ecuatorianas, (Miss Satan, new Ecuadorian female narrators; 2017) and her story, “Hatching,” was a finalist in the first PEN Center Ecuador Short Story Contest 2020.

The late Rocky Wood, then HWA President, explained why the scholarship was created in 2014.

It is very clear to the HWA that there are unseen, but real, barriers limiting the amount of horror fiction being published by women. There are many fine women writers being published in our genre but we also see potential for the percentage of horror fiction being published by women to increase. This Scholarship, named after the great female horror writer, aims to encourage more female writers to enter our genre and to aid in the development of those already working within it. At the same time the HWA exists to extend the horror genre in all its aspects, so we are also establishing Horror Writers Association Scholarship, which is open to all our members, regardless of gender.

The Dark Poetry Scholarship, first awarded in 2015, is designed to assist in the professional development of Horror and/or Dark Fantasy Poets. It is worth $1,250, which may be spent on approved writing education over the two years following the granting of the scholarship.

  • The winner is Manny Blacksher.

Manny Blacksher, a life-long enthusiast of ghost stories and horror, grew up in Mobile, Alabama, a city that novelist Eugene Walter epitomized as “sweet lunacy’s county seat.” He studied six years at McGill University in Montreal, then returned to teach English at one of Alabama’s venerable historically black state universities. He also he earned a master’s degree in history at Trinity College, Dublin. His works have appeared in numerous publications, including Poetry Ireland Review, Books Ireland, The Guardian’s Online Poetry Workshop, Measure, Unsplendid, Works & Days, and The Maynard. He was Poetry Editor of Light: A Journal of Photography and Poetry.

The Dennis Etchison Young Writers scholarship is open to students in grades 10-12 (or the equivalent, if home schooled), with an interest in writing horror/dark fiction. The winner may apply the $500 toward college tuition, course fees (on line or traditional), and/or materials pertaining to the enhancement of writing skills.

  • The winner was not named publicly —

We also had a winner for the Dennis Etchison Young Writers Award, but due to the winner being a minor, their name and likeness will be unreleased due to privacy laws.

HWA Scholarship Applications Accepted Through 8/1

The Horror Writers Association (HWA) is accepting applications for five scholarships offered to those pursuing careers as writers of horror fiction, nonfiction, or poetry, and also an endowment program for libraries.

The window to apply opens today, and closes August 1.

The 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.

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 late Rocky Wood, then HWA President, explained why the scholarship was created in 2014.

It is very clear to the HWA that there are unseen, but real, barriers limiting the amount of horror fiction being published by women. There are many fine women writers being published in our genre but we also see potential for the percentage of horror fiction being published by women to increase. This Scholarship, named after the great female horror writer, aims to encourage more female writers to enter our genre and to aid in the development of those already working within it. At the same time the HWA exists to extend the horror genre in all its aspects, so we are also establishing Horror Writers Association Scholarship, which is open to all our members, regardless of gender.

The Dark Poetry Scholarship, first awarded in 2015, is designed to assist in the professional development of Horror and/or Dark Fantasy Poets. It is worth $1,250, which may be spent on approved writing education over the two years following the granting of the scholarship.

The Rocky Wood Memorial Scholarship Fund for Non-fiction Writing provides grants for research and writing nonfiction relating to horror and dark fantasy literature. The amount is flexible. Membership in HWA is not a requirement.

The Dennis Etchison Young Writers scholarship is open to students in grades 10-12 (or the equivalent, if home schooled), with an interest in writing horror/dark fiction. The winner may apply the $500 toward college tuition, course fees (on line or traditional), and/or materials pertaining to the enhancement of writing skills.

The Young Adults Write Now fund will provide up to five endowments of $250 each per year for selected libraries to establish new, or support ongoing, writing programs. The program is currently open to United States libraries, but will be expanded in the future to include other countries, as part of the HWA’s global presence. Membership in the HWA is not a requirement. Recipients receiving funding will be able to use the monies for anything relating to the proposed/active writing program, including but not limited to supplies, special events, publishing costs, guest speakers/instructors, and operating expense. Monies may not be used to fund other programs or expenses for the library.

2019 Horror Writers Association Scholarships

The Horror Writers Association has named its 2019 scholarship winners.

The 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 2019 winner is:

Sar Adams

Sara Adams was born and raised in Massachusetts and has been writing horror since the fourth grade, when she was given an assignment to finish a story about black cats and took it just a little too far. She grew up with a deep love of the genre, writing stories about everything from fluid minds to what lives in the shadows. Sara lives in Haverhill with her two roommates, crafting new nightmares every day. Her work has appeared in the anthology In Delirium Bloom.

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 2019 winner is:

Theresa Derwin

HWA member Theresa Derwin writes Dark Urban Fantasy & Horror and has over forty-five anthology acceptances, one of which is her story “Trapped” in Below the Stairs with Clive Barker. She’s had three collections published: Monsters Anonymous, Season’s Creepings and Wolf at The Door.  She has edited nine anthologies, including Dark Voices: a Women in Horror and Dark Fiction Book, with proceeds to Breast Cancer charities, published by Lycan Valley Publications. She is currently working on a novella, God’s Vengeance, from Crystal Lake Publishing, and her witchcraft and demonic horror Mercy, which she will complete as part of her MA Creative Writing at BCU this September, to be studied part time due to her disabilities. She blogs at www.theresaderwin.co.uk

Twitter @BarbarellaFem

The Dark Poetry Scholarship, first awarded in 2015, is designed to assist in the professional development of Horror and/or Dark Fantasy Poets. It is worth $1,250, which may be spent on approved writing education over the two years following the granting of the scholarship.

The 2019 winner is:

Alexander P. Garza

Alexander P. Garza is a writer, actor, and educator from Houston, TX. His work can be seen in Veil: Journal of Darker Musings, Thirteen Myna Birds, Black Poppy Review, Ekphrastic Review, and others. He has worked on and offstage at The Alley Theatre, Houston Grand Opera, Main Street Theater, and Mildred’s Umbrella Theatre Company. Visit him on Instagram/Twitter, @alexanderpgarza, and on his website http://www.alexanderpgarza.com.

The Rocky Wood Memorial Scholarship Fund for Non-fiction Writing provides grants for research and writing nonfiction relating to horror and dark fantasy literature. The amount is flexible. Membership in HWA is not a requirement.

The judges chose to not award the fund for 2019.

[Via Locus Online.]

2017 Horror Writers Association Scholarships

The Horror Writers Association has named its 2017 scholarship winners.

The 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 2017 winner is:

John C. Mannone

John C. Mannone has work in Blue Fifth Review, New England Journal of Medicine, Peacock Journal, Gyroscope ReviewBaltimore Review, Pedestal, Pirene’s Fountain, Event Horizon, Eye To The Telescope and others. He’s the winner of the 2017 Jean Ritchie Fellowship in Appalachian literature and the recipient of two Weymouth writing residencies. He has three poetry collections: Apocalypse (Alban Lake Publishing), nominated for the 2017 Elgin Book Award; Disabled Monsters (The Linnet’s Wings Press) featured at the 2016 Southern Festival of Books; and Flux Lines (Celtic Cat Publishing). He’s been awarded two Joy Margrave Awards for Nonfiction and nominated for several Pushcart, Rhysling, and Best of the Net awards. He edits poetry for Abyss & Apex, Silver Blade, and Liquid Imagination. He’s professor of physics near Knoxville, TN. http://jcmannone.wordpress.com

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 late Rocky Wood, then HWA President, explained why the scholarship was created in 2014.

It is very clear to the HWA that there are unseen, but real, barriers limiting the amount of horror fiction being published by women. There are many fine women writers being published in our genre but we also see potential for the percentage of horror fiction being published by women to increase. This Scholarship, named after the great female horror writer, aims to encourage more female writers to enter our genre and to aid in the development of those already working within it. At the same time the HWA exists to extend the horror genre in all its aspects, so we are also establishing Horror Writers Association Scholarship, which is open to all our members, regardless of gender.

The 2017 winner is:

A.E. Siraki writes horror and dark fantasy novels and short stories.

The Dark Poetry Scholarship, first awarded in 2015, is designed to assist in the professional development of Horror and/or Dark Fantasy Poets. It is worth $1,250, which may be spent on approved writing education over the two years following the granting of the scholarship.

The 2017 winner is:

Ashley Dioses

Ashley Dioses is a writer of dark fantasy, horror, and weird poetry from southern California.  Her debut collection of dark traditional poetry, Diary of a Sorceress, is forthcoming from Hippocampus Press in October.  Her poetry has appeared in Weird Fiction Review, Spectral Realms, Weirdbook Magazine, and elsewhere.  Her poem “Carathis,” published in Spectral Realms 1, appeared in Ellen Datlow’s full recommended Best Horror of the Year Volume Seven list. She has also appeared in the Horror Writers Association Poetry Showcase 2016 for her poem “Ghoul Mistress.”  She is an Active member in the HWA and a member of the SFPA.  She blogs at fiendlover.blogspot.com.

The Rocky Wood Memorial Scholarship Fund for Non-fiction Writing provides grants for research and writing nonfiction relating to horror and dark fantasy literature. The amount is flexible. Membership in HWA is not a requirement.

The 2017 winners are:

  • Kelly Robinson is a freelance writer and researcher with a particular interest in silent horror films. Her bylines appear in magazines such as Rue Morgue, Smithsonian, History, and Mental Floss. Her feature story on lost horror films was nominated for a Rondo Hatton Award for excellence in classic horror research. She has produced and hosted eclectic events from underground theatre to an international conference on Jack the Ripper, and is the founder and host of Knoxferatu, a silent horror film event in Knoxville, TN. She is currently researching and writing a book on lost horror films from the silent era and beyond, and recently gave a presentation on lost horror silents at the Library of Congress’ Mostly Lost film workshop. Her essay “Where the Wild Roses Grow: The Strange Allure of Murder Ballads” will appear in the upcoming book Under My Thumb: Songs That Hate Women and the Women Who Love Them (Repeater Books, 2017).
  • Stephanie M. Wytovich is an American poet, novelist, and essayist. Her work has been showcased in numerous anthologies such as Gutted: Beautiful Horror Stories, Shadows Over Main Street: An Anthology of Small-Town Lovecraftian Terror, Year’s Best Hardcore Horror: Volume 2, The Best Horror of the Year: Volume 8, as well as many others.

Wytovich is the Poetry Editor for Raw Dog Screaming Press, an adjunct at Point Park University, and a mentor with Crystal Lake Publishing. She is a member of the Science Fiction Poetry Association, an active member of the Horror Writers Association, and a graduate of Seton Hill University’s MFA program for Writing Popular Fiction. Her Bram Stoker Award-winning poetry collection, Brothel, earned a home with Raw Dog Screaming Press alongside Hysteria: A Collection of Madness, Mourning Jewelry, and An Exorcism of Angels. Her debut novel, The Eighth, is published with Dark Regions Press.

Her next poetry collection, Sheet Music to My Acoustic Nightmare, is scheduled to be released October 2017 from Raw Dog Screaming Press.