We are delighted to announce that World Horror Convention 2010 has added two more Guests: Horror Writers Association Lifetime Achievement Award winner BRIAN LUMLEY, and HWA Special Guest DENNIS ETCHISON (standing in for other LAA Winner William F. Nolan, who is unfortunately unable to attend the event due to a prior commitment).
This year the Horror Writers Association has chosen two long-time icons of the genre to receive the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award. Given for an author's overall body of work, the award goes to Brian Lumley and to William F. Nolan. The Lifetime Achievement Award is the most prestigious of the Bram Stoker Awards, given by the HWA in acknowledgement of superior achievement not just in a single work but over an entire career.
Past Lifetime Achievement Award winners include such noted authors as Stephen King, Anne Rice, Joyce Carol Oates, Ray Bradbury, F. Paul Wilson, Chelsea Quinn Yarbro and Peter Straub. Winners must have exhibited a profound, positive impact on the fields of horror and dark fantasy, and be at least sixty years of age or have been published for a minimum of thirty-five years.
While serving with the Corps of Royal Military Police in Germany, BRIAN LUMLEY found a collection of stories by H.P. Lovecraft and he began searching for every available item of the author's work. This culminated in his contacting HPL's publisher August Derleth in Sauk City, Wisconsin. After Derleth had read various "extracts" from the NECRONOMICON and other fictional "Black Books" of the so-called Cthulhu Mythos, which Lumley had included in his letters, he asked if the young soldier had anything solid he could use in a book he was preparing for publication, to be entitled TALES OF THE CTHULHU MYTHOS. Thus Lumley began writing in earnest. And the rest, as they say, is history. Derleth included stories by Lumley in a number of Arkham House anthologies and went on to publish three of the young author's books. One was a short novel with the title BENEATH THE MOORS; the others were collections of short stories and novellas: THE CALLER OF THE BLACK and THE HORROR AT OAKDEENE. Having "retired" from the Army in December 1980, Lumley's breakthrough book came four years later with the ground-breaking horror novel NECROSCOPE. Numerous sequels and spin-offs have followed, and more than thirteen countries and counting have now published, or are in the process of publishing, these and others of Lumley's novels and short story collections, which in the USA alone have sold well over three million copies. As far back as 1990, the readers of FEAR magazine voted Lumley "Best Established Genre Author" for THE SOURCE, and his short story 'Necros' was adapted for Ridley Scott's THE HUNGER series on the Showtime Television Network. He has published dozens of short stories, including many in the Cthulhu Mythos begun by Lovecraft, and he is also the author of the popular "Titus Crow" and "Psychomech" novels. His books appeared in both mass market and small press limited editions, and his early titles command high prices in the collector's market. He is the subject of 2002's THE BRIAN LUMLEY COMPANION (co-written with Stanley Wiater), and his most recent releases include HARRY AND THE PIRATES AND OTHER TALES FROM THE LOST YEARS. Brian Lumley is a former President of the Horror Writers Association.
DENNIS ETCHISON has been called "the most original living horror writer in America" (THE VIKING-PENGUIN ENCYCLOPEDIA) and "the finest writer of psychological horror this genre has produced" (Karl Edward Wagner, YEAR'S BEST HORROR STORIES). His stories have appeared in numerous periodicals and anthologies since 1961. Some of the best-known are included in his collections THE DARK COUNTRY, RED DREAMS, THE BLOOD KISS, THE DEATH ARTIST, TALKING IN THE DARK and FINE CUTS. The title story of the first volume won the World Fantasy Award in 1982 (tied with Stephen King), as well as the British Fantasy Award that same year—the first time one writer received both major awards for a single work. He has also achieved fame as a novelist (THE FOG, DARKSIDE, SHADOWMAN, CALIFORNIA GOTHIC and DOUBLE EDGE) and editor (CUTTING EDGE, MASTERS OF DARKNESS I-III, METAHORROR, THE MUSEUM OF HORRORS and GATHERING THE BONES), winning two more British Fantasy Awards and two more World Fantasy Awards for his writing and editing. Other novels include the best-sellers HALLOWEEN II, HALLOWEEN III and VIDEODROME, all written under the pseudonym "Jack Martin". Etchison also writes magazine articles, film reviews and scripts, including screenplays for John Carpenter and Dario Argento, and was Supervising Editor for TAPPING THE VEIN, a graphic novel series based on the BOOKS OF BLOOD by Clive Barker. He served as staff writer for the HBO television series THE HITCHHIKER. Since 2002 he has adapted all 156 episodes of the original TWILIGHT ZONE TV series for broadcast world-wide on THE TWILIGHT ZONE RADIO DRAMAS. A new collection of his short fiction, GOT TO KILL THEM ALL & OTHER STORIES, was recently issued by Cemetery Dance Publications. Dennis Etchison is also a former President of the Horror Writers Association.
The Horror Writers Association's prestigious annual BRAM STOKER AWARDS for excellence in horror and fantasy fiction will be presented at a gala Fish & Chips Banquet on the evening of Saturday, March 27. This event will be one of the highlights of the convention, and will include past Stoker Award winners and our Guests of Honour as award presenters. Seating is limited and tickets are selling fast, so if you have not booked yet and still want to attend, please go to www.whc2010.org/banquet-tickets01.html and register now via the PayPal buttons.
Celebrating its 20th Anniversary, The World Horror Convention will be held over March 25-28, 2010, in the historic Regency seaside city of Brighton, on the picturesque south coast of England. This is the first time that the event will have been held off the North American continent.
The theme is "BRIGHTON SHOCK!—A CELEBRATION OF THE EUROPEAN HORROR TRADITION FROM VICTORIAN TIMES TO THE PRESENT DAY", and the convention will host numerous panels, talks, presentations, readings, workshops and displays devoted to horror, macabre, mystery and thriller fiction and art in all its varied and fearsome forms.
The venue will be the historic Royal Albion Hotel, which dates back more than 180 years and is situated directly opposite the iconic Brighton Pier and a stone's throw from the beach. There are plenty of alternative hotels and Bed & Breakfasts in the immediate surroundings, catering for all budgets, and Brighton is filled with restaurants, wine bars and clubs. Antiquarian shopping precinct The Lanes, the Sea Life= 0Centre and the world-famous Royal Pavilion are also within easy walking distance.
Brighton has direct transport links from Gatwick International Airport and the centre of London, and is easily accessible for overseas visitors, especially those from mainland Europe. And if you want to extend your stay, then Britain's annual National Science Fiction Convention, Odyssey 2010, is being organised near to Heathrow airport the following weekend. Come for World Horror and stay for Eastercon!
Author Guests of Honour are TANITH LEE and DAVID CASE, Artist Guests of Honour are LES EDWARDS and DAVE CARSON, and Editor Guest of Honour is HUGH LAMB. Best-selling author JAMES HER BERT is the Special Guest of Honour, INGRID PITT is Special Media Guest, and Mistress of Ceremonies is JO FLETCHER.
Other writers, artists, agents, editors and publishers already registered as attending World Horror Convention 2010 include: ABADDON BOOKS (UK), John Joseph Adams, ANGRY ROBOT BOOKS (UK), Kelley Armstrong, ASH-TREE PRESS (Canada), ATOMIC FEZ PUBLISHING (Canada), Anne Billson, Randy Broecker, Edward W. Bryant Jr., BURNING EFFIGY PRESS (Canada), Pat Cadigan, Ramsey Campbell, CENTIPEDE PRESS (USA), Mort Castle, CHIZINE PUBLICATIONS (Canada), Vincent Chong, Simon Clark, Lawrence C. Connolly, Storm Constantine, Basil Copper, Paul Cornell, Peter Crowther, DARK ARTS BOOKS (USA), Ellen Datlow, Scott Edelman, Bob Eggleton, Gemma Files, Paul Finch, Christopher Fowler, Jane Frank, Gary Fry, W. Paul Ganley, GOLLANCZ/ORION PUBLISHING GROUP (UK), GRAY FRIAR PRESS (UK), Simon R. Green, Heather Graham, IMMANION PRESS (UK), John Jarrold, JEMMA PRESS (Greece), Stephen Jones, Graham Joyce, Paul Kane, Nancy Kilpatrick, Robert S. Knowlton (Bob Hadji), Allen Koszowski, Joel Lane, Tim Lebbon, Samantha Lee, D.F. Lewis, John Ajvide Lindqvist, LITTLE, BROWN (UK), Brian Lumley, Dorothy Lumley, Kristina Lloyd, Patrick Marcel (France), L.H. Maynard & M.P.N. Sims, Gary McMahon, Farah Mendlesohn, MORRIGAN BOOKS (Sweden), MORTBURY PRESS (UK), Mark Morris, Lisa Morton, Yvonne Navarro, Adam L.G. Nevill, NEWCON PRESS (UK), Kim Newman, NIGHT SHADE BOOKS (USA), Reggie Oliver, Weston Ochse, Michel Parry, Stephen W. Parsons, PENDRAGON PRESS (UK), Sarah Pinborough, David Pirie, John L. Probert, PS PUBLISHING (UK), QUERCUS BOOKS (UK), Tina Rath, REBEL E PUBLISHERS (South Africa), Tony Richards, David A. Riley, Barbara & Christopher Roden, Nicholas Royle, Lynda E. Rucker, Mark Samuels, SCI FI WIRE, SCREAMING DREAMS (UK), Steven Savile, Robert Shearman, Douglas Smith, Michael Marshall Smith, SNOWBOOKS (UK), Alexandra Sokoloff, David A. Sutton, TARTARUS PRESS (UK), TELOS PUBLISHING (UK), Melanie Tem, Steve Rasnic Tem, TRANSWORLD (UK), Lisa Tuttle, Stephen Volk, Ian Watson, Conrad Williams, F. Paul Wilson and Chelsea Quinn Yarbro, amongst many others.
You can also sign up for three different Writing Workshops held over the Saturday and Sunday of the convention. These will be tutored by MORT CASTLE ("Creative Writing"), NANCY KILPATRICK ("Vampire Fiction") and JO FLETCHER ("Publishing & Editing"), who will also be holding manuscript critiques. More details can be found on the website.
The Horror Writers Association's prestigious annual Bram Stoker Awards for excellence in horror and fantasy fiction will be presented at a gala Fish & Chips Banquet on the evening of Saturday, March 27. This event will be one of the highlights of the convention, and will include past Stoker Award winners and our Guests of Honour as award presenters.
All information about the convention, hotel and location is available on our website: www.whch2010.org, including an easy to use PayPal Registration Form (which will automatically convert your payment at the current exchange rate). Or you can print off the form and send it with a cheque (sterling only) to: World Horror Convention, PO Box 64317, London NW6 9LL, England.
With numerous writers, artists, editors, publishers and booksellers expected to attend from all over the world, this is the one event that the dedicated horror fan, professional, collector or dealer cannot afford to miss!
Wish you were here? Well, now you can be . . .
WORLD HORROR CONVENTION.
MARCH 25-28, 2010.
BRIGHTON, ENGLAND.
www.whc2010.org
(January 23, 2010)