Tag: Horror Writers Association

Horror Writers Association announces sixth annual Summer Scares reading list

The Summer Scares reading list includes titles selected by a panel of authors and library workers. Photo: Black Château.

In celebration of National Library Lover’s Day, the Horror Writers Association (HWA), in partnership with United for Libraries, Book Riot, Booklist, and NoveList®, a division of EBSCO Information Services (EBSCO), is delighted to announce the sixth annual Summer Scares reading list, which includes titles selected by a panel of authors and library workers and is designed to promote Horror as a great reading option for all ages, during any time of the year. This year, Summer Scares welcomes author Clay McLeod Chapman as the 2024 spokesperson. (Black Château, 2024)

“Our bookshelves are getting haunted this summer! Every last one of the books selected for this year’s Summer Scares is a beautiful little nightmare just waiting for the right reader to come along and crack it open. The outright honor of amassing this awesome roster of authors cannot be overstated. I love each and every last one of these books and I can’t wait to shout about how terrifying they are all summer long.” – Clay McLeod Chapman

Each year, three titles are selected in each of three categories: Adult, Young Adult, and Middle Grade.

For 2024 those selected titles are:

Adult Selections:
Jackal by Erin E. Adams (Bantam, 2022)
Such Sharp Teeth by Rachel Harrison (Berkley, 2022)
This Thing Between Us by Gus Moreno (MCD x FSG Originals, 2021)

Young Adult Selections:
All These Bodies by Kendare Blake (Quill Tree Books, 2021)
Dead Flip by Sara Farizan (Algonquin Young Readers, 2022)
#MurderTrending by Gretchen McNeil (Freeform, 2018)

Middle Grade Selections:
Ophie’s Ghosts by Justina Ireland (Balzer + Bray, 2021)
The Nest by Kenneth Oppel (Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2015)
My Aunt Is A Monster by Reimena Yee (Random House Graphic, 2022)

Photo: Black Château

The goal of Summer Scares is to introduce Horror titles to school and public library workers in order to help them start conversations with readers that will extend beyond the books from each list and promote reading for years to come.

In addition to the annual list of recommended titles, the Summer Scares Programming Guide, created each year by the Springfield-Greene County (MO) Library–and free for libraries anywhere to access, is back with the tools libraries need to connect with their patrons.

“The 2024 guide is packed with ideas that library workers can use to engage their communities with these great titles, whether they’re putting up book displays, hosting author events, or planning an entire Summer Scares program series,” states Konrad Stump, co-creator of the programming guide. The guide will be available beginning March 1, 2024 on the Summer Scares Resource page.

Along with the guide, the Summer Scares committee will work with both the recommended list authors and Horror authors from all over the country to provide free programming to libraries. 

Booklist is helping to kick off Summer Scares 2024 in March with a series of three, free webinars with this year’s featured authors in conversation with the committee members: 

  • Monday, March 11, 2024, at 4pm Eastern, featuring our Middle Grade authors and moderated by Sarah Hunter 
  • Thursday, March 21, 2024, at 2pm Eastern, featuring our Young Adult authors and moderated by Yaika Sabat 
  • Monday March 25, 2024, at 2pm Eastern, featuring our Adult authors and moderated by Clay McLeod Chapman 

Each webinar lasts one hour. Anyone may register to participate for free. Recordings will be available for on-demand viewing after the live events.

All are welcome to join the Summer Scares committee and featured authors at the HWA’s Librarians’ Day, taking place in person on May 31, 2024, in San Diego as part of StokerConⓇ.  

Horror Writers Association announces 5th annual Summer Scares reading list

The Horror Writers Association announced this year’s Summer Scares reading list. Photo: RA for All: Horror

The Horror Writers Association (HWA), in partnership with United for Libraries, Book Riot, and Booklist, is announcing the fifth annual Summer Scares reading list, which includes titles selected by a panel of authors and librarians and is designed to promote Horror as a great reading option for all ages, and for during any time of the year. (Horror Writers Association, 2023)

This year, Summer Scares welcomes New York Times Bestselling author Daniel Kraus as their 2023 spokesperson. “My love of reading began at a public library — but I had to hunt for the horror,” said Kraus. “I would have been giddy to have a slate like our 2023 choices presented to me when I walked in. In fact, I’m giddy about it right now. It’s a tremendously far-reaching group of titles that epitomizes the breadth of creativity going on in the genre.”

The goal of Summer Scares is to introduce Horror titles to school and public library workers in order to help them start conversations with readers that will extend beyond the books from each list and promote reading for years to come. In addition to the annual list of recommended titles, the Summer Scares committee will release themed lists of even more “read-alike” titles libraries can suggest to readers. In order to help libraries forge stronger connections between books and readers, the Summer Scares committee will be working with both the recommended list authors and Horror authors from all over the country to provide free programming to libraries.

Every year, three titles are selected in each of three categories: Adult, Young Adult, and Middle Grade.

For 2023, those selected titles are:

Adult Selections:

  • “Ring Shout” by Djèlí Clark (Tordotcom, 2020)
  • “Catherine House” by Elisabeth Thomas (Custom House, 2020)
  • “The Merry Spinster: Tales of Everyday Horror” by Daniel M. Lavery (Holt Paperbacks, 2018)

Young Adult Selections:

  • “In The Shadow of Blackbirds” by Cat Winters (Amulet Books, 2013)
  • “Squad” by Maggie Tokuda-Hall and Lisa Sterle (illustrator) (Greenwillow Books, 2021)
  • “Mooncakes” by Suzanne Walker and Wendy Xu (illustrator) (Oni Press, 2019)

Middle Grade Selections:

  • “Small Spaces” by Katharine Arden (P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers, 2018)
  • “Living Ghosts and Mischievous Monsters: Chilling American Indian Stories” by Dan SaSuWeh Jones, Weshoyot Alvitre (Illustrator) (Scholastic Nonfiction, 2021)
  • “A Small Zombie Problem” by K.G. Campbell (Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers, 2019)

The Summer Scares Programming Guide, created each year by the Springfield-Greene County (MO) Library and free for libraries anywhere to access, is back with the tools libraries need to connect with their communities. It will be available beginning March 15, 2023 on the Summer Scares Resource page.

Horror Writers Association releases its ninth Poetry Showcase

The ninth Poetry Showcase, featuring the best original dark poetry, will be released on November 7, 2022. Photo: Amazon

On November 7, 2022, Horror Writers Association (HWA) will be releasing its ninth annual Poetry Showcase, featuring the best original dark poetry from the past year. This year’s showcase includes poets such as Stephanie M. Wytovich, Geneve Glynn, Naomi Simone Borwein, and dozens of poems from the talented members of the Horror Writers Association. (Horror Writers Association, 2022)

Angela Yuriko Smith edited this year’s Poetry Showcase. Along with judges Lee Murray, Maxwell I. Gold, and Frances Lu-Pai Ippolito, Angela chose the 50 poems that make up the table of contents. Kyra Starr created the cover artwork and pays tribute to Peter Adam Salomon, the founder of both the HWA Showcase and National Dark Poetry Day.

“This year’s Poetry Showcase contains dark verse that would make poetry lovers everywhere proud.” – Angela Yuriko Smith

The poets featured in the 2022 Showcase are: Mary A. Turzillo, Christina Sng, Alessandro Manzetti, Victoria Nations, K. H. Vaughan, Cassondra Windwalker, Jacqueline West, Carina Bissett, Hillary Dodge, Lucy A. Snyder, Colleen Anderson, E. F. Schraeder, Sara Tantlinger, Ann K. Schwader, Corinne Hughes, Monica S. Kuebler, Janine Cross, Kathryn Ptacek, Holly Lyn Walrath, Gary Robbe, Marge Simon, Stephanie Ellis, R. Leigh Hennig, Austin Gragg, M. Lopes da Silva, Denise Dumars, Gordon Linzner, Saytchyn Maddux-Creech, Ross E. Lockhart, Teel James Glenn, Bruce Boston, John Claude Smith, Roni Stinger, Dan B. Fierce, Madison McSweeney, Steven Clapp, Rook Riley, Timothy P. Flynn, Dianthe West, Lori R. Lopez, Terrie Leigh Relf, Lisa Becker, Donna K. Fitch, Ai Jiang, J.E. Erickson, and Gerri Leen.

The Horror Writers Association is a nonprofit organization of writers and publishing professionals around the world. The HWA is dedicated to promoting dark literature and the interests of those who write it. This organization was founded in 1980, and currently has over 1,400 members across numerous countries, including Australia, Denmark, Costa Rica, India, and many more. It is the oldest, most professional organization for writers who have a deep appreciation for the horror genre.

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‘Poetry Showcase’ release date