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Saturday, June 6
 

7:00am EDT

Boardroom
Saturday June 6, 2026 7:00am - 10:00pm EDT
The HWA Boardroom. HWA Officers, Trustees, and StokerCon volunteers only.
Saturday June 6, 2026 7:00am - 10:00pm EDT
Crawford

8:00am EDT

Registration
Saturday June 6, 2026 8:00am - 5:00pm EDT
Check-in for StokerCon 2026! Receive your name badge and your swag bag.

This is also a good place to find someone who can answer your questions about the Con.
Saturday June 6, 2026 8:00am - 5:00pm EDT
Third Floor Coat Check

9:00am EDT

Author Readings
Saturday June 6, 2026 9:00am - 9:50am EDT

Speakers
avatar for Corey Farrenkopf

Corey Farrenkopf

Staff Librarian / Writer, Eastham Public Library

avatar for Mark Matthews

Mark Matthews

Mark Matthews is a Shirley Jackson Award Finalist, a graduate of the University of Michigan, and a licensed professional counselor. He is the author of On the Lips of Children, All Smoke Rises, Milk-Blood, and The Hobgoblin of Little Minds. He also edited, published, and contributed... Read More →
CP

Christoph Paul

CLASH Books

Saturday June 6, 2026 9:00am - 9:50am EDT
Armstrong

9:00am EDT

Author Readings
Saturday June 6, 2026 9:00am - 9:50am EDT

Speakers
avatar for Jonathan Fortin

Jonathan Fortin

Jonathan Fortin is the author of the LILITU series from Crystal Lake Publishing, specializing in Gothic Horror and Dark Fantasy. He attended the Clarion Writing Program in 2012, one year after graduating summa cum laude from San Francisco State University's Creative Writing program... Read More →
avatar for Robert Ottone

Robert Ottone

Robert P. Ottone is a two-time Bram Stoker Award winning author from Long Island. He is the author of the novels AMITYVILLE AWAKENS, THE VILE THING WE CREATED, THE TRIANGLE, THERE'S SOMETHING SINISTER IN CENTERFIELD and the collections TEAR ME OPEN: FEARS UNWRAPPED and HER INFERNAL... Read More →
avatar for Michael Allen Rose

Michael Allen Rose

Bizarro Writers Association President, RoShamBo Publishing

Saturday June 6, 2026 9:00am - 9:50am EDT
Lawrence

9:00am EDT

Author Readings
Saturday June 6, 2026 9:00am - 9:50am EDT

Speakers
avatar for Lawrence C. Connolly

Lawrence C. Connolly

Writer
Lawrence C. Connolly’s books include the collections This Way to Egress, whose titular tale of psychological horror was adapted for the Mick Garris film Nightmare Cinema; and the Bram-Stoker-nominated Voices, which features Connolly’s best stories from The Magazine of Fantasy... Read More →
avatar for larry hinkle

larry hinkle

The least famous author you've never heard of, Larry Hinkle writes cosmic horror, pulp, and horror comedy, tinged with a touch of weird. His short stories made the Preliminary Stoker Awards ballot in 2020 and 2022. Books include The Space Between (collection, 2024), The Eris Ridge... Read More →
avatar for Nicole Givens Kurtz

Nicole Givens Kurtz

Author, Award-winning publisher, Mocha Memoirs Press
Nicole Givens Kurtz has been called “a genre polymath who does crime, horror, and science fiction and fantasy (Book Riot).” They’ve named her as one of the 6 Black SFF Indie Writers You Should be Reading, 30 Must-Read SFF Books by Black Authors, and The Best of the West: 8 Alternative... Read More →
Saturday June 6, 2026 9:00am - 9:50am EDT
Fayette

9:00am EDT

Survival Guide for Horror Writers in an Age of Censorship and AI
Saturday June 6, 2026 9:00am - 9:50am EDT
With the rise of censorship of creative work and scholarship, as well as online harassment and now the infiltration of AI, how can creatives protect themselves and fight back? Panelists discuss how to find hope, take care of their mental health, as well as strategies for protection and self-preservation in the current political climate.
Moderators
avatar for Jack LaRoche

Jack LaRoche

QAA
Book reviewer. Wildlife/Exotic animal rehabber. Werewolf enthusiast.
Speakers
avatar for Scott Edelman

Scott Edelman

Author
SCOTT EDELMAN has published 135+ short stories in magazines such as Lightspeed, Analog, Apex, and The Twilight Zone, and in anthologies such as Why New Yorkers Smoke, Crossroads: Southern Tales of the Fantastic, and MetaHorror. He began his professional writing career in the comics... Read More →
avatar for Alma Katsu

Alma Katsu

Alma Katsu is the author of historical horror novels such asThe Hunger and The Fervor, as well as the Red Widow spy series. Her books have received starred reviews from Publishers Weekly, Booklist, and Library Journal, been featured in the NY Times and Washington Post, been nominated for multiple prestigious awards (and won a few), and appeared on numerous Best Books lists including NPR, the Observer, Barnes and Noble, Apple Books, Goodreads, and Amazon... Read More →
avatar for Brandon Ketchum

Brandon Ketchum

LCSW, Local Recovery Coordinator, VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System

avatar for David Simms

David Simms

Writer. Psychologist. Musician. Reviewer.
6 published novels (Crossroad Books)
A few dozen short story sales
Psychologist, therapist, musician (The Slushpile band was awful but played all over the country with other writers)
Reviewer for 3 magazines
Teacher
Ghost tour guide

(2nd submission) 5 published novels (6 or 7 by the ti... Read More →
avatar for Nicole M. Wolverton

Nicole M. Wolverton

Horror Writer, Editor, & Academic, Professionally Unsettling Fear Enthusiast
Nicole M. Wolverton is the author of A Misfortune of Lake Monsters (2024, CamCat Books/Marble Press) and the upcoming Meat Sweats (March 2027, Horrorsmith Publishing) and Mother Mort's Carnival Phantasmagoria (October 2027, Ethereal Visions Publishing). She served as Editor of th... Read More →
Saturday June 6, 2026 9:00am - 9:50am EDT
Butler

9:00am EDT

Uncanny Educators: Learning Horror, Writing Horror
Saturday June 6, 2026 9:00am - 9:50am EDT
Is it any wonder that the works of authors like Edgar Allan Poe and Shirley Jackson are popular with students and can catch the imagination of potential authors at an early age? This panel explores how horror fiction can help turn readers into writers--and how teachers and well-meaning family can encourage the process. Horror fiction helps introduce us to techniques of atmosphere, suspense, and world-building, additionally lending itself well to the creative joys of imitation and parody. Panelists will discuss reading approaches and teaching strategies that have helped them mentor students to become successful horror writers.
Moderators Speakers
avatar for Alice Garcia

Alice Garcia

2nd generation (at least) horror aficionado (Thanks,Mom!) with deep, gnarled roots in horror fiction/literature. I am especially interested in horror by or about underrepresented groups in the U.S. and am eager to see more growth in the Latinae horror community.
J

Jonathan

Author & Artist
Jonathan Kincade is a writer and photographer interested in mining the uncanny. His fiction and art appear or are forthcoming in FIYAH, Clarkesworld, and The Sun Magazine. When he's not investigating the hidden world, you'll find him gardening, playing guitar, or spending time with... Read More →
avatar for Cassandra O’Sullivan Sachar

Cassandra O’Sullivan Sachar

Professor of English/Author
Cassandra O’Sullivan Sachar is a Pennsylvania writer, editor, and English professor who teaches creative writing, composition, and composition theory classes. A former secondary English teacher in Delaware public schools , she received her Doctorate of Education with a Literacy... Read More →
Saturday June 6, 2026 9:00am - 9:50am EDT
Westmoreland

9:00am EDT

From Grimms to Goosebumps: Horror for Young People
Saturday June 6, 2026 9:00am - 9:50am EDT
Horror isn’t just for adults, but has long captivated young readers drawing them in with those first spine-chilling stories and keeps them coming back for more. Panelists will discuss the long history of horror stories for children, how they encourage literacy among young readers, and why kids continue to be entranced by the genre. Additional discussion will look at the struggle to ensure young horror fans continue to have access to their favorite books both in the bookstores and on library shelves.
Moderators
avatar for Melissa Bobe

Melissa Bobe

Author, Librarian
Melissa Bobe is the author of The Illustrated Woman, Season of the Witch, Sibyls, and the Millennial Witch Series, which includes Nascent Witch and its sequel Familiar Territory. Her collection Electric Trees won the 2023 New York Author Project, after which Melissa went on to win the Indie Author Project’s 2024 Indie Author of the Year Award. She has published shorter works with Flame Tree Fiction, Whisper House Press, Intrepidus Ink, Bards and Sages, Urhi Publishing, Wyldblood Pr... Read More →
Speakers
avatar for Clare Withers

Clare Withers

Curator, Liaison Librarian, University of Pittsburgh
I'm interested in horror, the macabre, and agency in children's and YA literature.  My background is in children's literature, storytelling, and librarianship (public and academic). In my Archives & Special Collections capacity, I'm also focused on book history, curating and collaborating... Read More →
avatar for Ally Malinenko

Ally Malinenko

Ally Malinenko is the author of several poetry collections as well as Ghost Girl and the Stoker nominated This Appearing House both from Katherine Tegen Books/Harper Collins
avatar for Justina Ireland

Justina Ireland

Author and Literary Agent, Handspun Literary Agency
Justina Ireland is the New York Times bestselling author of numerous short stories and books including Vengeance Bound, Promise of Shadows, Dread Nation and its sequel Deathless Divide, Rust in the Root, and the middle-grade novel Ophie's Ghosts, which won the Scott O'Dell award... Read More →
avatar for Natalie C. Parker

Natalie C. Parker

Natalie C. Parker is the acclaimed author and editor of several books for young readers including the award-winning Seafire series and the Indie Bestselling anthology Vampires Never Get Old. Her debut horror novel, Come Out, Come Out, is a finalist for the Bram Stoker Award for S... Read More →
Saturday June 6, 2026 9:00am - 9:50am EDT
Cambria

9:00am EDT

HWA Open Member Board Meeting
Saturday June 6, 2026 9:00am - 9:50am EDT
Annual HWA Board Meeting open to the public. Come meet members of the Executive Board and the Board of Trustees. There will be a Q&A section during the meeting.
Moderators
avatar for Becky Spratford

Becky Spratford

Readers' Advisory Specialist and Reviewer, RA for All

Speakers
avatar for Andrew Wolter

Andrew Wolter

Author/Columnist/HWA Trustee

avatar for Marc Abbott

Marc Abbott

Author/Teacher/Storyteller/Vice President Horror Writers Association
I’m the author of Sinister Ascension, the horror anthologies Hell at the Way Station (Winner of the African Literary award for Best Anthology)and Hell at Brooklyn Tea. My works have been featured in Blackened Roots, The Chaos Clock, Under Twin Suns, Even in the Grave, New York State... Read More →
avatar for Linda Addison

Linda Addison

Trustee, Horror Writers Association

avatar for Patrick Barb

Patrick Barb

Author & HWA Treasurer
Patrick Barb is the Bram Stoker Award-nominated author of weird, dark, and horrifying tales, currently living in the Twin Cities of Minnesota. His published works include the short-story collections The Children's Horror and Pre-Approved for Haunting; novellas The Big One, The Nu... Read More →
avatar for James Chambers

James Chambers

Trustee; Co-Chair, StokerCon Governing Committee; Chair, Horror University, Horror Writers Association
James Chambers is the Bram Stoker Award® and Scribe Award-winning editor and author of A Bright and Beautiful Eternal World, On the Night Border, On the Hierophant Road, the graphic novel, Kolchak the Night Stalker: The Forgotten Lore of Edgar Allan Poe, and editor of Under Twin... Read More →
avatar for Ellen Datlow

Ellen Datlow

Trustee, Editor of short fiction through novellas
Ellen Datlow has been editing sf/f/h, short fiction for more than forty years. She currently acquires short fiction and novellas for Tor.com. She’s edited more than one hundred anthologies, including the annual The Best Horror of the Year series and has won multiple awards for her work. Her most recent original anthology is Night and Day published by Saga Press. She has won the Karl Edward Wagner (special) award given by the British Fantasy Convention, and Life Achievement Awards given by the Horror Writers Association... Read More →
avatar for Sephera Giron

Sephera Giron

Writer/screenwriter/trustee
MI

Maxwell Ian Gold

Executive Director, Horror Writers Association

avatar for Lisa Kröger

Lisa Kröger

Trustee, Horror Writers Association
Horror writer. Author of MONSTER, SHE WROTE and TOIL AND TROUBLE. Cohost of the Know Fear Cast and The Monster, She Wrote podcast.
avatar for Brian Matthews

Brian Matthews

Trustee; Co-Chair, StokerCon Governing Committee; Bram Stoker Awards® Show Coordinator; Pitch Session Coordinator, Horror Writers Association
Author, financial planner, former psychologist, husband, and father. Trustee for the Horror Writers Association, as well a National Co-Chair for StokerCon. I also run the Pitch Sessions and act as the Bram Stoker Awards Show Coordinator. That pretty much sums it up.
avatar for Lisa Wood

Lisa Wood

President, Horror Writers Association
L. Marie Wood is an award-winning psychological horror author and screenwriter. She won the Golden Stake Award for her novel The Promise Keeper. Her screenplays have won Best Horror, Best Afrofuturism/Horror/Sci-Fi, and Best Short Screenplay awards at several film festivals. Wood... Read More →
Saturday June 6, 2026 9:00am - 9:50am EDT
Somerset

9:00am EDT

HU: Terror by Design: Building Setpieces that Haunt the Reader
Saturday June 6, 2026 9:00am - 10:50am EDT
Horror lives and dies in the scene. In this hands-on workshop, you’ll learn how to construct unforgettable horror setpieces—those iconic, slow-build moments that leave readers breathless. Using techniques drawn from classic and contemporary horror (like The Troop, The Only Good Indians, and The Cabin at the End of the World), we’ll examine how structure, detail, rhythm, and misdirection work together to craft unforgettable moments of dread.

This is a separately ticketed workshop.  For more information on Horror University and registration information see: https://www.stokercon.com/horror-university
Moderators
avatar for John Peragine

John Peragine

Ghostwriter/Author, Loste Vineyard Press

Saturday June 6, 2026 9:00am - 10:50am EDT
Washington

10:00am EDT

Author Readings
Saturday June 6, 2026 10:00am - 10:50am EDT

Speakers
JF

Jonathan Frater

Publisher, Desperate Measures Press
I'm a librarian, people should ask me any question they can think of...
avatar for Tim Waggoner

Tim Waggoner

Tim Waggoner’s first novel came out in 2001, and since then he’s published over sixty novels and eight collections of short stories. He writes original dark fantasy and horror, as well as media tie-ins. He’s written tie-in fiction based on Supernatural, Conan the Barbarian... Read More →
Saturday June 6, 2026 10:00am - 10:50am EDT
Fayette

10:00am EDT

Author Readings
Saturday June 6, 2026 10:00am - 10:50am EDT

Speakers
avatar for TJ Price

TJ Price

mask
TJ Price’s corporeal being is currently located in Raleigh, NC, where he lives with his handsome partner of many years, but his ghosts can be found in northeastern Connecticut, southern Maine, and north Brooklyn. He is the author of The Disappearance of Tom Nero, a mixed-media... Read More →
avatar for Jeff C. Carter

Jeff C. Carter

Host, We Bleed Orange & Black
Jeff C. Carter’s stories have been featured in dozens of anthologies, translated for international markets and adapted for podcasts.
His love of Halloween inspires his horror writing. He lives in New Mexico with a cat, a dog and a human.

He co-hosts We Bleed Orange & Black, the... Read More →
Saturday June 6, 2026 10:00am - 10:50am EDT
Armstrong

10:00am EDT

Author Readings
Saturday June 6, 2026 10:00am - 10:50am EDT

Speakers
avatar for James Chambers

James Chambers

Trustee; Co-Chair, StokerCon Governing Committee; Chair, Horror University, Horror Writers Association
James Chambers is the Bram Stoker Award® and Scribe Award-winning editor and author of A Bright and Beautiful Eternal World, On the Night Border, On the Hierophant Road, the graphic novel, Kolchak the Night Stalker: The Forgotten Lore of Edgar Allan Poe, and editor of Under Twin... Read More →
avatar for Keith Rosson

Keith Rosson

Keith Rosson is the author of the novels The Devil by Name, Fever House, Smoke City, Road Seven, and The Mercy of the Tide, as well as the Shirley Jackson Award–winning story collection Folk Songs for Trauma Surgeons. He lives in Portland, Oregon, with his partner and their two children. More can be found at keithrosson.com... Read More →
avatar for Hazel Zorn

Hazel Zorn

I'm an oil painter and SFF/ Horror writer-- REEF MIND is out now from Tenebrous Press!
Saturday June 6, 2026 10:00am - 10:50am EDT
Lawrence

10:00am EDT

Marketing Nightmares: Can Horror Become Too Commercial?
Saturday June 6, 2026 10:00am - 10:50am EDT
The rise of trendy terms like “sporror,” “weird girl lit,” “pink horror,” and others have taken over Booktok, Bookstagram, and endcap displays in bookstores. Do these descriptors help sell books? What are the benefits or drawbacks of falling into what is currently trending within horror? Is there a risk of horror becoming too commercial? Join panelists as they discuss marketing language for horror, the pros and cons of writing what’s trending, and more.
Moderators
avatar for Dacia M Arnold

Dacia M Arnold

AMS/ AMG Marketing Account Manager, Liquid Mind Marketing, Dacia M Arnold LLC

Speakers
avatar for Mary Berman

Mary Berman

Author, UNTIL DEATH (Little, Brown 2026)
Mary Berman is a Philadelphia-based novelist. Her debut, UNTIL DEATH, a horror novel about wedding planning, is coming May 19, 2026 from Little, Brown.
avatar for Ace Antonio-Hall

Ace Antonio-Hall

Omnium Gatherum

avatar for Christi Nogle

Christi Nogle

Author of BEULAH and three short fiction collections
Christi Nogle is the author of the Bram Stoker Award® winning and Shirley Jackson Award nominated novel Beulah (Cemetery Gates Media, 2022) and the Bram Stoker Award® nominated short story collection The Best of Our Past, the Worst of Our Future.

She is co-editor with Willow Daw... Read More →
avatar for Susan Russell

Susan Russell

Editor in Chief, Grendel Press
Susan Russell is the Editor-in-Chief and founder of Grendel Press, an independent publisher devoted to dark fantasy, horror, and dark romance. Guided by the belief that in the heart of every monster is a truth waiting to be told, she built Grendel Press to champion stories that explore... Read More →
avatar for Chelsea Conradt

Chelsea Conradt

Chelsea Conradt is the USA Today bestselling author of The Farmhouse and The Secret Attic. She writes twisty speculative thrillers and psychological horror. Her short fiction has been featured in The Sunday Morning Transport and the Fractured Reveries anthology. Her stories are packed with both murder and kindness because we can be more than one thing. When not writing stories that make you question what’s real, she is likely watching a baking show or a true-crime documentary. She is nothing if not on brand. Chelsea lives in... Read More →
Saturday June 6, 2026 10:00am - 10:50am EDT
Butler

10:00am EDT

Researching and Writing Horror Nonfiction
Saturday June 6, 2026 10:00am - 10:50am EDT
This panel explores techniques and practices for researching horror, interviewing, and resources for writing about horror. Join panelists to discuss the challenges of nonfiction, how it is similar and different from writing other modes, and markets and publications in which one can place nonfiction.
Moderators
avatar for Kevin Wetmore, Jr.

Kevin Wetmore, Jr.

Volunteer Coordinator, HWA LA

Speakers
avatar for Leanna Renee Hieber

Leanna Renee Hieber

Actress, Ghost Tour Guide and Author with, Kensington, Tor and Union Square Books
An actress, playwright, ghost tour guide and award-winning, bestselling author of ghost-filled fiction and non-fiction for Kensington, Tor, Sourcebooks and Union Square, Leanna’s A Haunted History of Invisible Women: True Stories of America’s Ghosts, co-authored with Andrea J... Read More →
avatar for John Kachuba

John Kachuba

Author
Shapeshifters! Ghosts! Middle Grade horror! Author of 15 books, including the historical fantasy trilogy, “The Bottle Conjuror,” and the middle/grade novel, “Haycorn Smith and the Castle Ghost.”Several of my nonfiction books are about ghosts and the paranormal and I am a... Read More →
avatar for Becky Spratford

Becky Spratford

Readers' Advisory Specialist and Reviewer, RA for All

Saturday June 6, 2026 10:00am - 10:50am EDT
Cambria

10:00am EDT

Guest of Honor Spotlight: Rachel Harrison's Character Driven Narratives
Saturday June 6, 2026 10:00am - 10:50am EDT
Join Rachel Harrison, Nat Cassidy, CJ Leede, and Agatha Andrews as they discuss Rachel’s craft of character driven narratives. They will deep dive into her voice, vulnerability, courage, and the appeal of her characters to fans from all genres, as well as the space she has carved for herself as a woman in Horror.
Moderators Speakers
avatar for Rachel Harrison

Rachel Harrison

Rachel Harrison is the New York Times Bestselling author of PLAY NICE, SO THIRSTY, BLACK SHEEP, SUCH SHARP TEETH, CACKLE, and THE RETURN. Her short fiction has appeared in numerous anthologies and in her debut story collection BAD DOLLS.

Her next novel, KISS SLAY REPLAY, is out this September from Berkley in the US and Titan in the UK... Read More →
avatar for Nat Cassidy

Nat Cassidy

Nat Cassidy is a bestselling and Bram Stoker Award-nominated author whose acclaimed works include Mary ("One of the Best Horror Novels of All Time" - Audible), Nestlings, and Rest Stop. Esquire described him as one "of the best horror writers of this generation" and among the writers "shaping horror's next golden age." His award-winning plays have been produced across the country, including Off-Broadway and the Kennedy Center. You've also maybe seen Nat guest-starring... Read More →
avatar for CJ Leede

CJ Leede

CJ Leede is a horror writer, hiker, and Trekkie. She has an MFA in Creative Writing from Columbia University, and a BA from NYU’s Gallatin School, where she studied Mythology and the Middle Ages. When she is not driving around the country, she can be found in LA with her boyfriend... Read More →
Saturday June 6, 2026 10:00am - 10:50am EDT
Westmoreland

10:00am EDT

The Legacy of Dell Abyss
Saturday June 6, 2026 10:00am - 10:50am EDT
The acclaimed Abyss Books line of the early-mid 1990s brought underground experimentalism and literary existentialism into mass market horror, generating a half-decade of award-winning books and influential stories. The publisher launched the careers of writers like Poppy Z. Brite, Kathe Koja, and Robert Devereaux, while expanding the canon of the genre by featuring women and LGBTQ authors, as well as other writers working from the fringes. This panel will mark the 35th anniversary of the imprint by reflecting on the line's history and impact and how it fit in with the broader mass market horror trends of the 1990s.
Moderators
avatar for Grady Hendrix

Grady Hendrix

I own too many paperbacks and write too many books. I apologize for both of these sins.
Speakers
avatar for Michael Arnzen

Michael Arnzen

Director, MFA in Writing Popular Fiction at SHU

Michael Arnzen holds four Bram Stoker Awards and an International Horror Guild Award for his disturbing (and often funny) fiction, poetry and literary experiments. He has been teaching as a Professor of English in the MFA program in Writing Popular Fiction at Seton Hill University sin... Read More →
avatar for Billy Martin

Billy Martin

Stephen King, John Kennedy Toole, cats, birds (wild ones, not pets), New Orleans, Jaws, Goodfellas, international food, travel, old music (mainly 1960s - 1980s)
avatar for Ben Rubin

Ben Rubin

Horror Studies Collection Coordinator; Co-Chair StokerCon Governing Committee, University of Pittsburgh Library System
Horror Studies Collection Coordinator for Archives & Special Collections at the University of Pittsburgh Library System - responsible for building, managing, and curating archival and rare book resources related to the horror genre and serving as subject area expert for reference... Read More →
Saturday June 6, 2026 10:00am - 10:50am EDT
Somerset

10:00am EDT

11:00am EDT

Author Readings
Saturday June 6, 2026 11:00am - 11:50am EDT

Speakers
avatar for Clay McLeod Chapman

Clay McLeod Chapman

Author of Devil Inside, Bodies of Work, Wake Up and Open Your Eyes, Acquired Taste, Shiny Happy People, Kill Your Darling, Stay on the Line, What Kind of Mother, Ghost Eaters, Whisper Down the Lane, The Remaking, and others.
avatar for Caitlin Starling

Caitlin Starling

Caitlin Starling is the nationally bestselling author of The Starving Saints, the Bram Stoker-nominated The Luminous Dead, and the upcoming Milkteeth, among others. Her work showcases her love of genre-hopping horror; her bibliography spans besieged castles, alien caves, and haunted... Read More →
Saturday June 6, 2026 11:00am - 11:50am EDT
Fayette

11:00am EDT

Author Readings
Saturday June 6, 2026 11:00am - 11:50am EDT

Speakers
avatar for Kevin Wetmore, Jr.

Kevin Wetmore, Jr.

Volunteer Coordinator, HWA LA

avatar for Mo Moshaty

Mo Moshaty

Writer, Lecturer, Producer and Journalist, NightTide Magazine/Mourning Manor Media
Mo Moshaty is a multi-award-winning horror writer, producer, and international lecturer whose work explores trauma, folklore, and the boundaries of fear through a diverse and inclusive lens. She is the author of Maddalena – 206 Word Stories (2022), Henry – A Quaint and Curious... Read More →
avatar for Cassandra O’Sullivan Sachar

Cassandra O’Sullivan Sachar

Professor of English/Author
Cassandra O’Sullivan Sachar is a Pennsylvania writer, editor, and English professor who teaches creative writing, composition, and composition theory classes. A former secondary English teacher in Delaware public schools , she received her Doctorate of Education with a Literacy... Read More →
Saturday June 6, 2026 11:00am - 11:50am EDT
Lawrence

11:00am EDT

Author Readings
Saturday June 6, 2026 11:00am - 11:50am EDT

Speakers
avatar for Maria Alexander

Maria Alexander

Maria Alexander is a produced screenwriter, games writer, virtual world designer, award-winning copywriter, prolific fiction writer, and poet. Since 1999, her stories have appeared in acclaimed publications and anthologies.

Her debut novel, Mr. Wicker, won the 2014 Bram Stoker Awa... Read More →
Saturday June 6, 2026 11:00am - 11:50am EDT
Armstrong

11:00am EDT

Lifetime Achievement Award Spotlight: The Devil's in the Details: writing to a theme with Lisa Morton
Saturday June 6, 2026 11:00am - 11:50am EDT
Is it possible to write to the theme for a submission call, but maintain your own voice? In this panel, Lifetime Achievement Award winner Lisa Morton, Kate Maruyama, Jo Kaplan, and Rena Mason explore the art and nuance of crafting prose to a theme, whether in fiction or non-fiction, short story or essay, whether it be for a themed anthology or a full-length work-for-hire book.
Moderators Speakers
avatar for Lisa Morton

Lisa Morton

Co-Chair, StokerCon 2026
Author of four novels and over 200 short stories, screenwriter, Halloween and paranormal expert, past President of the Horror Writers Association, and 2026 Lifetime Achievement Award winner.
avatar for Jo Kaplan

Jo Kaplan

Author, HWA LA co-chair
Jo Kaplan is a Shirley Jackson Award nominated author whose work has been described as “immersive, chilling, and compelling” by Library Journal and “delightfully creepy” by Booklist. She is the author of It Will Just Be Us, When the Night Bells Ring, and The Midnight Muse... Read More →
Saturday June 6, 2026 11:00am - 11:50am EDT
Westmoreland

11:00am EDT

Fatal Foliage: Botanical and Ecological Horror
Saturday June 6, 2026 11:00am - 11:50am EDT
Ecological horror provides an outlet for writers to express their fear and admiration of the natural world. From predatory plants and strange insects to devastating weather events and more, there is endless horror inspiration to be found in nature’s varied settings. Join panelists as they offer insight into the evolution of botanical horror as it reacts to modern-day issues.
Moderators
avatar for Carina Bissett

Carina Bissett

The Storied Imaginarium

Speakers
avatar for Corey Farrenkopf

Corey Farrenkopf

Staff Librarian / Writer, Eastham Public Library

avatar for Erica Ferencik

Erica Ferencik

Author

I am the author of three survival thrillers published by Simon & Schuster. I'm diving deep into horror with my upcoming novel, THE BLOOMING: In order to save her child, herself and the world as we know it, a single mother must battle a sentient fungal entity that has come to possess... Read More →
avatar for Tanya Pell

Tanya Pell

author
Tanya Pell is a narcoleptic horror author who drinks bougie coffee and lives in the American South. She is the Bram Stoker nominated-author of Her Wicked Roots, Cicada, and the upcoming This B Just Won't Die! Her short fiction can be found in Fever Dreams, Mother Knows Best... Read More →
avatar for Sara Tantlinger

Sara Tantlinger

Sara Tantlinger is the author of the Bram Stoker Award-winning The Devil’s Dreamland: Poetry Inspired by H.H. Holmes, as well as other works like To Be Devoured, Cradleland of Parasites, and her recent fiction collection, Cyanide Constellations. She embraces all things macab... Read More →
Saturday June 6, 2026 11:00am - 11:50am EDT
Cambria

11:00am EDT

One of the Greats: the Folk Horror of Florence + the Machine
Saturday June 6, 2026 11:00am - 11:50am EDT
Werewolves and Witches, Krakens and Choreomania, with each new album, Florence + the Machine leans harder into horror. The marketing itself for the Everybody Scream album includes clips of horror classics such as Carrie and Rosemary's Baby. In her live performances, she is accompanied by a coven of witches singing back-up by her side. Her lyrics are filled with evocative imagery of beauty and darkness, with introspective storytelling, brought to life by a voice full of passion. This panel will explore themes of folk horror, cosmic horror, witchcraft, nature as divine, feminine power, and the duality of darkness and love, expressed within F+TM's body of work.
Moderators
avatar for Mark Matthews

Mark Matthews

Mark Matthews is a Shirley Jackson Award Finalist, a graduate of the University of Michigan, and a licensed professional counselor. He is the author of On the Lips of Children, All Smoke Rises, Milk-Blood, and The Hobgoblin of Little Minds. He also edited, published, and contributed... Read More →
Speakers
avatar for Christa Carmen

Christa Carmen

writer
Christa Carmen is the Bram Stoker Award-nominated author of The Daughters of Block Island and Beneath the Poet’s House, coming fall 2024 from Thomas & Mercer.
Additional work can be found in Vastarien, Nightmare, Orphans of Bliss, Year’s Best Hardcore Horror, and the Stoker... Read More →
avatar for Eric LaRocca

Eric LaRocca

Eric LaRocca (he/they) is a 3x Bram Stoker Award® finalist and Splatterpunk Award winner. He was named by Esquire as one of the “Writers Shaping Horror’s Next Golden Age” and praised by Locus as “one of the strongest and most unique voices in contemporary horror fict... Read More →
avatar for Dacia M Arnold

Dacia M Arnold

AMS/ AMG Marketing Account Manager, Liquid Mind Marketing, Dacia M Arnold LLC

avatar for Rae Wilde

Rae Wilde

Rae Wilde (she/her) is a queer woman and author of dark fiction who has published numerous works under the pen name Rae Knowles. Her collection, I Do Not Apologize for My Position on Men, will re-release in July 2026 from Shortwave Publishing and her commercial fiction debut, ... Read More →
Saturday June 6, 2026 11:00am - 11:50am EDT
Butler

11:00am EDT

The Black Gothic in America
Saturday June 6, 2026 11:00am - 11:50am EDT
With an eye towards the gothic as a literary genre, “The Black Gothic in America” will explore recent growth in popularity and readership for gothic works written by Black authors, particularly of the Black Southern gothic in the vein of Ryan Coogler’s Sinners, which smashed 2025 box office records. This panel will discuss both classic and contemporary Black gothic works, their importance in shaping the genre, and more.
Moderators
avatar for Rhonda Jackson Garcia AKA RJ Joseph

Rhonda Jackson Garcia AKA RJ Joseph

academic and creative writer/editor/professor, RJ Joseph, Writer/Speaker
Rhonda Jackson Garcia, AKA RJ Joseph, is a Stoker Award™ and Shirley Jackson Award nominated, Texas based academic and creative writer/professor whose writing regularly focuses on the intersections of gender and race in the horror and romance genres and popular culture. She has... Read More →
Speakers
avatar for Nicole Givens Kurtz

Nicole Givens Kurtz

Author, Award-winning publisher, Mocha Memoirs Press
Nicole Givens Kurtz has been called “a genre polymath who does crime, horror, and science fiction and fantasy (Book Riot).” They’ve named her as one of the 6 Black SFF Indie Writers You Should be Reading, 30 Must-Read SFF Books by Black Authors, and The Best of the West: 8 Alternative... Read More →
avatar for Denise Tapscott

Denise Tapscott

Enchanted Flower Productions
I'm the author of Gypsy Kisses and Voodoo Wishes as well as the sequel, Enlightening of the Damned. Not only do I play a spicy vampire named Tasha on the YouTube show The Vamps Next Door, I am proud to be a member of the podcast Beef, Wine, and Shenanigans
avatar for Steven Van Patten

Steven Van Patten

Writer/ Producer/ Stage Manager, Laughing Black Vampire Productions
Brooklyn native Steven Van Patten is the author of the critically acclaimed Brookwater’s Curse trilogy that features an 1860s Georgia plantation slave who becomes law enforcement within the vampire community. In contrast, the titular character in his Killer Genius series is a m... Read More →
avatar for Tamika Thompson

Tamika Thompson

Author
Tamika is author of THE CURSE OF HESTER GARDENS (Erewhon/Kensington, 2026) and Next Generation Indie Book Awards Horror WINNER, UNSHOD, CACKLING, and NAKED (Unnerving Books), which Publishers Weekly calls “powerful,” “unsettling,” and “terrifying.” She is also the author... Read More →
Saturday June 6, 2026 11:00am - 11:50am EDT
Somerset

11:00am EDT

HU: Pitch and Sell Your Work
Saturday June 6, 2026 11:00am - 12:50pm EDT
The publishing world changes constantly, and writers who want to make sales and make $$ need to change with it. Luckily, that process can be fun and very rewarding! This class will show you how to prep and pitch any kind of writing, and how to start racking up the sales that will bring in cash and build your career. We’ll cover a lot of ground, including the query letter, the verbal pitch, selling short stories, pitching tips and practice, talking points, Hollywood pitches, the market, and more.

This is a separately ticketed workshop.  For more information on Horror University and registration information see: https://www.stokercon.com/horror-university
Speakers
avatar for Jonathan Maberry

Jonathan Maberry

Author, Jonathan Maberry Productions
JONATHAN MABERRY is a NYTimes bestselling author, 5-time Bram Stoker Award-winner, 4-time Scribe Award winner, Inkpot Award winner, poet, and comic book writer. He writes in multiple genres including suspense, thriller, horror, science fiction, fantasy, and action, for adults, teens... Read More →
Saturday June 6, 2026 11:00am - 12:50pm EDT
Washington

12:00pm EDT

Author Readings
Saturday June 6, 2026 12:00pm - 12:50pm EDT

Speakers
avatar for Ally Malinenko

Ally Malinenko

Ally Malinenko is the author of several poetry collections as well as Ghost Girl and the Stoker nominated This Appearing House both from Katherine Tegen Books/Harper Collins
Saturday June 6, 2026 12:00pm - 12:50pm EDT
Lawrence

12:00pm EDT

Author Readings
Saturday June 6, 2026 12:00pm - 12:50pm EDT

Speakers
avatar for J.R. Blanes

J.R. Blanes

Author, Ruadan Books
J.R. Blanes is the author of the novel, Portraits of Decay, forthcoming October 21, 2025, from Ruadán Books. His short fiction has appeared in or is forthcoming from, Allegory, Tales to Terrify, The No Sleep Podcast, Creepy, among others. He lives in Chicago with his wife, their neurotic dog, and a three-legged cat. He plays bass guitar a... Read More →
avatar for Pauline Chow

Pauline Chow

Pauline Chow is a writer, coach, and ancestral magic practitioner, crafting alternative histories and optimistic futures. She is a Pushcart Prize nominated author with words in Cosmic Monthly Horror, Space and Time Magazine, Apocalypse Confidential, and more. Not your average data... Read More →
avatar for Gillian Daniels

Gillian Daniels

Gillian Daniels' poetry and short fiction have appeared in Nightmare Magazine, Strange Horizons, and Beneath Ceaseless Skies, among more than thirty other publications. She was born in Des Moines, Iowa, grew up in Greater Cleveland, Ohio, and she now writes, works, and haunts the... Read More →
Saturday June 6, 2026 12:00pm - 12:50pm EDT
Fayette

12:00pm EDT

Author Readings
Saturday June 6, 2026 12:00pm - 12:50pm EDT

Speakers
avatar for Patrick Barb

Patrick Barb

Author & HWA Treasurer
Patrick Barb is the Bram Stoker Award-nominated author of weird, dark, and horrifying tales, currently living in the Twin Cities of Minnesota. His published works include the short-story collections The Children's Horror and Pre-Approved for Haunting; novellas The Big One, The Nu... Read More →
avatar for Taylor Grothe

Taylor Grothe

Taylor Grothe (AKA T.G. Laine) is a writer of adult and young adult horror, horror romance, and dark fantasy. They hold a nonfiction MFA from Fairfield University, acted as the graduate Assistant Managing Editor of Brevity, and their short works can be found in esteemed publications... Read More →
avatar for Vaughn A. Jackson

Vaughn A. Jackson

Author
Vaughn A. Jackson is an Horror Writers Association affiliated author, editor, and sometimes poet of dark speculative fiction. His work generally focuses one one of three categories: Creatures, Kaiju, or Cosmic Horror. Often blending elements of fantasy, science fiction, and horror... Read More →
Saturday June 6, 2026 12:00pm - 12:50pm EDT
Armstrong

12:00pm EDT

Bookhouse of Leaves: Authors and the Library
Saturday June 6, 2026 12:00pm - 12:50pm EDT
This author facing panel will discuss the connection between those who write and those who bring books to communities. It is no surprise the books librarians champion, receive greater traction and attract more readers. Lists like the New York Public Library’s Best of Horror have significant influence in the horror world. How can authors foster professional relationships with their library and how can this help elevate their careers? Most importantly, how can authors give back to both their lore-master accomplices as well as the greater communities they serve?
Moderators
avatar for Carina Stopenski

Carina Stopenski

Teen Librarian, Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh
academic HWA member | library advisory council member | pgh chapter co-chair | phd student of literature | author of STUFFED (unveiling nightmares) and THE THINGS WE DO FOR BLOOD (alien buddha press)
Speakers
avatar for Perla X. Caballero

Perla X. Caballero

HWA Seattle Chapter Member. Host and Curator of The Seattle Horror Book Club, Undertaker of the Morbidly Curious Book Club, West Seattle Chapter.
avatar for Jocelyn Codner

Jocelyn Codner

Reference & Outreach Librarian, Chatham University
avatar for Corey Farrenkopf

Corey Farrenkopf

Staff Librarian / Writer, Eastham Public Library

avatar for Grady Hendrix

Grady Hendrix

I own too many paperbacks and write too many books. I apologize for both of these sins.
avatar for Trevor Oakley

Trevor Oakley

Head of Access and Outreach Services, Saratoga Springs Public Library
Horror in libraries, including/featuring horror in book festivals/community reads, horror RA, horror programming
Saturday June 6, 2026 12:00pm - 12:50pm EDT
Cambria

12:00pm EDT

Lend Me Your Ears! (Not Literally): Horror Podcasting
Saturday June 6, 2026 12:00pm - 12:50pm EDT
Podcasts offer a unique way to network and connect, to promote the work of authors, and to generally strengthen bonds within the horror community. How does one grow their podcast and keep the momentum going? What are some of the dos and don’ts of podcasting that we should be more aware of? Join panelists as they share their expertise and guidance on what makes a horror podcast stand out, as well as advice for those who hope to be guests on podcasts.
Moderators Speakers
avatar for Tiffany Michelle Brown

Tiffany Michelle Brown

Author of How Lovely to Be a Woman: Stories and Poems. Co-host of the Horror in the Margins podcast.
avatar for Jeff C. Carter

Jeff C. Carter

Host, We Bleed Orange & Black
Jeff C. Carter’s stories have been featured in dozens of anthologies, translated for international markets and adapted for podcasts.
His love of Halloween inspires his horror writing. He lives in New Mexico with a cat, a dog and a human.

He co-hosts We Bleed Orange & Black, the... Read More →
avatar for N.J. Gallegos

N.J. Gallegos

ER Doc by day, horror author by night. She lives with her wife and two cats in the middle of tornado alley. She is a cohost of The Scream Kings Podcast. She has two novels, The Broken Heart and The Fatal Mind, with Winding Road Stories. Her short story collection, Time of Death: A... Read More →
avatar for Sean O'Connor

Sean O'Connor

Editor - PAPER CUTS Horror Literature Column, Macabredaily.com
Creator and Editor of the PAPER CUTS Horror Literature Column at Macabredaily.com. PAPER CUTS was created to amplify and support the horror literature community. From mainstream to indie authors, this column has provided a voice for creatives to expand their audience and discuss... Read More →
avatar for Steven Van Patten

Steven Van Patten

Writer/ Producer/ Stage Manager, Laughing Black Vampire Productions
Brooklyn native Steven Van Patten is the author of the critically acclaimed Brookwater’s Curse trilogy that features an 1860s Georgia plantation slave who becomes law enforcement within the vampire community. In contrast, the titular character in his Killer Genius series is a m... Read More →
Saturday June 6, 2026 12:00pm - 12:50pm EDT
Butler

12:00pm EDT

Guest of Honor Spotlight: From Sexual Decadence to Dire Loneliness: A Range of Relationship-Driven Horror with Billy Martin (Poppy Z. Brite)
Saturday June 6, 2026 12:00pm - 12:50pm EDT
Join Guest of Honor Billy Martin, Eric Larocca, Victoria Dalpe, and moderator Eric J. Guignard as they discuss the range of relationships in emotionally-resonant horror fiction—particularly in Billy’s own work—of longing, sexual exploration, intense romantic connections, tragic trysts, and abject loneliness in absence of it all.
Moderators
avatar for Eric J. Guignard

Eric J. Guignard

Gentleman Extraordinaire, Dark Moon Books

Speakers
avatar for Billy Martin

Billy Martin

Stephen King, John Kennedy Toole, cats, birds (wild ones, not pets), New Orleans, Jaws, Goodfellas, international food, travel, old music (mainly 1960s - 1980s)
avatar for Eric LaRocca

Eric LaRocca

Eric LaRocca (he/they) is a 3x Bram Stoker Award® finalist and Splatterpunk Award winner. He was named by Esquire as one of the “Writers Shaping Horror’s Next Golden Age” and praised by Locus as “one of the strongest and most unique voices in contemporary horror fict... Read More →
avatar for Victoria Dalpe

Victoria Dalpe

Victoria Dalpe is a Providence-based horror writer and painter. To date, her short fiction has appeared in over sixty anthologies. She has put out the collection Les Femmes Grotesques and the horror fantasy trilogy Selene Shade: Resurrectionist for Hire with CLASH Books. Book 2 Selene... Read More →
Saturday June 6, 2026 12:00pm - 12:50pm EDT
Westmoreland

12:00pm EDT

The Roots of Dark Poetry
Saturday June 6, 2026 12:00pm - 12:50pm EDT
This panel will explore the history of dark poetry and pay homage to the macabre voices who conjured and wrote some of our favorite verses today. From the political turmoil of Dante Alighieri to the mystical visions of W.B. Yeats, to the confessional trauma of Sylvia Plath and the surreal nightmares of Alejandra Pizarnik, panelists will discuss theme, style, and voice while comparing/contrasting them against their contemporaries to see what horrors still plague us and what new terrors are beginning to rear their heads.
Moderators Speakers
avatar for Grace R. Reynolds

Grace R. Reynolds

Author
GRACE R. REYNOLDS is an American speculative fiction writer. She was raised in New Jersey and graduated from Rutgers University. Having lived in seven states, she currently calls Maryland “home,” where she writes dark fiction and poetry. In addition to her short fiction, she is... Read More →
avatar for Linda Addison

Linda Addison

Trustee, Horror Writers Association

avatar for Cynthia Pelayo

Cynthia Pelayo

Cynthia Pelayo is an International Latino Book Award winning poet and author.

She is the author of Loteria, Santa Muerte, The Missing, Poems of My Night, Into the Forest and All the Way Through, Children of Chicago, Crime Scene, The Shoemaker’s Magician, as well as dozens of sta... Read More →
avatar for Leticia A Urieta

Leticia A Urieta


Leticia Urieta (she/her/hers) is a Tejana writer from Austin, TX. She works as a teaching artist and freelance writer and editor. She is the author of Las Criaturas, published in 2021 by Flowersong Press and was a finalist for the Sergio Troncoso Award for Best First Book of Fic... Read More →
avatar for John Shirley

John Shirley

Decades of experience in horror, television, science fiction,thriller writing, movie scripting. Strong opinions on AI, the future of our civilization,  esoteric spirituality. Weird poetry.The book I won the Bram Stoker for: Black Butterflies. My new horror novel (written with Ma... Read More →
Saturday June 6, 2026 12:00pm - 12:50pm EDT
Somerset

12:00pm EDT

Pitch Sessions
Saturday June 6, 2026 12:00pm - 2:00pm EDT
The StokerCon 2026 pitch sessions! 

You must have an appointment scheduled in advance to attend the pitch sessions. Please arrive fifteen minutes before your pitch session is to start.

Moderators
avatar for Brian Matthews

Brian Matthews

Trustee; Co-Chair, StokerCon Governing Committee; Bram Stoker Awards® Show Coordinator; Pitch Session Coordinator, Horror Writers Association
Author, financial planner, former psychologist, husband, and father. Trustee for the Horror Writers Association, as well a National Co-Chair for StokerCon. I also run the Pitch Sessions and act as the Bram Stoker Awards Show Coordinator. That pretty much sums it up.
Speakers
Saturday June 6, 2026 12:00pm - 2:00pm EDT
Allegheny Ballroom II-III

1:00pm EDT

Author Readings
Saturday June 6, 2026 1:00pm - 1:50pm EDT

Speakers
avatar for Casey Masterson

Casey Masterson

Hello!

I am the author of numerous short stories, such as "Shock," "Portrait of an Artist," and "Project Lazarus." I am also the author of Revelations of the Raven Master, which is a collection of 18 short horror stories!
avatar for Tanya Pell

Tanya Pell

author
Tanya Pell is a narcoleptic horror author who drinks bougie coffee and lives in the American South. She is the Bram Stoker nominated-author of Her Wicked Roots, Cicada, and the upcoming This B Just Won't Die! Her short fiction can be found in Fever Dreams, Mother Knows Best... Read More →
Saturday June 6, 2026 1:00pm - 1:50pm EDT
Fayette

1:00pm EDT

Author Readings
Saturday June 6, 2026 1:00pm - 1:50pm EDT

Speakers
avatar for RICHARD KADREY

RICHARD KADREY

I do stuff
Richard Kadrey is the New York Times bestselling author of the Sandman Slim supernatural noir series. Sandman Slim was included in Amazon’s “100 Science Fiction & Fantasy Books to Read in a Lifetime,” and is in development as a feature film. Some of Kadrey’s other books include The Flesh King, The Grand Dark, and The Dead Take the A Train (with Cassandra Khaw). His work has been nomin... Read More →
avatar for Emily Ruth Verona

Emily Ruth Verona

Author
Emily Ruth Verona is the author of the novel Midnight on Beacon Street, published by Harper Perennial in 2024 and the novella Shiva
Saturday June 6, 2026 1:00pm - 1:50pm EDT
Lawrence

1:00pm EDT

Author Readings
Saturday June 6, 2026 1:00pm - 1:50pm EDT

Speakers
avatar for Elizabeth Broadbent

Elizabeth Broadbent

Elizabeth Broadbent (she/her) left the South Carolina swamps for the Commonwealth of Virginia, where she lives with her three sons and husband. She’s the
author of Ink Vine (Undertaker Books, 2024), Ninety-Eight Sabers (Undertaker Books, 2024), Blood Cypress (Raw Dog Screaming P... Read More →
avatar for Nat Cassidy

Nat Cassidy

Nat Cassidy is a bestselling and Bram Stoker Award-nominated author whose acclaimed works include Mary ("One of the Best Horror Novels of All Time" - Audible), Nestlings, and Rest Stop. Esquire described him as one "of the best horror writers of this generation" and among the writers "shaping horror's next golden age." His award-winning plays have been produced across the country, including Off-Broadway and the Kennedy Center. You've also maybe seen Nat guest-starring... Read More →
Saturday June 6, 2026 1:00pm - 1:50pm EDT
Armstrong

1:00pm EDT

Be a Dear: Trad Wife Horror
Saturday June 6, 2026 1:00pm - 1:50pm EDT
The push to maintain gendered roles in and outside of the home is nothing new; however, in the era where Roe v. Wade has been overturned, "trad wives" are trending on TikTok, and women's roles in the traditional workforce are shrinking, we are seeing a resurgence of suburban nightmares in the Horror genre. How do current events shape these stories? How have modern narratives destabilized or reinforced the mad housewife archetype? What can we learn from these works of fiction that seem all too real?
Moderators
avatar for Grace R. Reynolds

Grace R. Reynolds

Author
GRACE R. REYNOLDS is an American speculative fiction writer. She was raised in New Jersey and graduated from Rutgers University. Having lived in seven states, she currently calls Maryland “home,” where she writes dark fiction and poetry. In addition to her short fiction, she is... Read More →
Speakers
avatar for Chloe Spencer

Chloe Spencer

Minnesota native Chloe Spencer is an award winning writer, indie gamedev, and filmmaker. She is the author of multiple sapphic horror novellas, novels, and short stories. In her spare time she enjoys playing video games, trying her best at Pilates, and cuddling with her cats. She... Read More →
avatar for Sarah Langan

Sarah Langan

Sarah Langan is the three-time Bram Stoker Award Winning author of the novels Trad Wife (2026) A Better World (2024), Good Neighbors (2021), Audrey's Door (2009), The Missing (2007), and The Keeper (2006). She works in prose and film and lives in Los Angeles.
avatar for Catlyn Ladd

Catlyn Ladd

Writer
Catlyn Ladd loves alliteration, the poetic slip of similar sounds through throat and tongue. She blends metaphors and archetypes from the shadow self, illuminating the monsters, beautiful and horrifying, that gestate there. Her speculative fiction has been published in over a dozen... Read More →
avatar for Saratoga Schaefer

Saratoga Schaefer

author of SERIAL KILLER SUPPORT GROUP and TRAD WIFE
(they/them) author of SERIAL KILLER SUPPORT GROUP and TRAD WIFE, as well as the upcoming THE LAST TIME WE DROWNED and A THOUSAND MONSTROUS FORMS.
avatar for Wendy Dalrymple

Wendy Dalrymple

Wendy Dalrymple loves to explore the beauty in horrific things. Wendy is a Florida-based author of feminist #pinkhorror, gothic and romance novels published both independently and with small presses. She is the author of Birthday Party Demon, a nostalgic YA novella and Credenza, a... Read More →
Saturday June 6, 2026 1:00pm - 1:50pm EDT
Butler

1:00pm EDT

The Library Eats You Last: Why (Dark) Academia Makes the Perfect Monster
Saturday June 6, 2026 1:00pm - 1:50pm EDT
In dark academia, the institution itself is often the villain. This panel examines how schools, libraries, secret societies, and research labs become sentient forces in horror fiction--devouring students literally, or metaphorically. We’ll explore how power structures in academia map perfectly onto horror tropes, how intellectual obsession mirrors possession, and how the campus becomes a labyrinth the protagonist may never escape. This panel is perfect for fans of house-horror, cosmic dread, and the creeping suspicion that your thesis advisor might actually be an eldritch entity.
Moderators Speakers
avatar for Taylor Grothe

Taylor Grothe

Taylor Grothe (AKA T.G. Laine) is a writer of adult and young adult horror, horror romance, and dark fantasy. They hold a nonfiction MFA from Fairfield University, acted as the graduate Assistant Managing Editor of Brevity, and their short works can be found in esteemed publications... Read More →
avatar for Marc Abbott

Marc Abbott

Author/Teacher/Storyteller/Vice President Horror Writers Association
I’m the author of Sinister Ascension, the horror anthologies Hell at the Way Station (Winner of the African Literary award for Best Anthology)and Hell at Brooklyn Tea. My works have been featured in Blackened Roots, The Chaos Clock, Under Twin Suns, Even in the Grave, New York State... Read More →
avatar for Ai Jiang

Ai Jiang

Ai Jiang is a Chinese-Canadian writer, Ignyte, Bram Stoker, and Nebula Award winner, and Hugo, Astounding, Locus, Aurora, and BFSA Award finalist from Changle, Fujian currently residing in Toronto, Ontario. Her work can be found in F&SF, The Dark, The Masters Review, among others... Read More →
avatar for Piper White

Piper White

Author
Piper L. White is an author from North Carolina. She holds her BFA in creative writing from UNC Wilmington, where she also got her certificate in publishing. Her other work can be found in literary magazines such as Atlantis, Full House Literary, Carolina Muse Arts, amongst other... Read More →
Saturday June 6, 2026 1:00pm - 1:50pm EDT
Cambria

1:00pm EDT

When Horror Crosses the Line: the Rise of Genre-Blending Fear
Saturday June 6, 2026 1:00pm - 1:50pm EDT
Horror is increasingly colliding with neighboring genres—thriller, romance, fantasy, and literary fiction—to create stories that are as emotionally intimate as they are terrifying. This panel explores why horror hybrids are dominating the current market, how writers balance multiple genre expectations, and what blending genres unlocks in terms of theme, audience, and tension. Panelists will discuss craft techniques, publishing trends, and how horror can amplify love stories, mysteries, and high-stakes suspense.
Moderators Speakers
AW

A.C. Wise

A.C. Wise's fiction has appeared in Clarkesworld, Apex, and several Year's Best anthologies, among other places. Her work has won the Sunburst Award for Excellence in Canadian Literature of the Fantastic, as well as twice being a finalist for the Sunburst Award, twice being a finalist... Read More →
avatar for Keith Rosson

Keith Rosson

Keith Rosson is the author of the novels The Devil by Name, Fever House, Smoke City, Road Seven, and The Mercy of the Tide, as well as the Shirley Jackson Award–winning story collection Folk Songs for Trauma Surgeons. He lives in Portland, Oregon, with his partner and their two children. More can be found at keithrosson.com... Read More →
avatar for Caitlin Starling

Caitlin Starling

Caitlin Starling is the nationally bestselling author of The Starving Saints, the Bram Stoker-nominated The Luminous Dead, and the upcoming Milkteeth, among others. Her work showcases her love of genre-hopping horror; her bibliography spans besieged castles, alien caves, and haunted... Read More →
avatar for Rachel Harrison

Rachel Harrison

Rachel Harrison is the New York Times Bestselling author of PLAY NICE, SO THIRSTY, BLACK SHEEP, SUCH SHARP TEETH, CACKLE, and THE RETURN. Her short fiction has appeared in numerous anthologies and in her debut story collection BAD DOLLS.

Her next novel, KISS SLAY REPLAY, is out this September from Berkley in the US and Titan in the UK... Read More →
avatar for Denise Tapscott

Denise Tapscott

Enchanted Flower Productions
I'm the author of Gypsy Kisses and Voodoo Wishes as well as the sequel, Enlightening of the Damned. Not only do I play a spicy vampire named Tasha on the YouTube show The Vamps Next Door, I am proud to be a member of the podcast Beef, Wine, and Shenanigans
Saturday June 6, 2026 1:00pm - 1:50pm EDT
Westmoreland

1:00pm EDT

Mary Shelley's Monster: the Legacy of Frankenstein
Saturday June 6, 2026 1:00pm - 1:50pm EDT
When Mary Shelley published Frankenstein in 1818, she unleashed a monster onto the world that is still making its mark. The first dramatic adaptation of Frankenstein was staged only six years later in 1824. Today, with hundreds of adaptations in film, graphic novels, music, and the stage, plus many novels and short stories adding to the Monster’s legend, the story remains one of the most fascinating creations in all of dark literature. This panel will discuss what makes the Monster so enduring and compelling, the best and worst offspring of the novel, and why the ideas and themes remain relevant today.
Moderators Speakers
avatar for Lawrence C. Connolly

Lawrence C. Connolly

Writer
Lawrence C. Connolly’s books include the collections This Way to Egress, whose titular tale of psychological horror was adapted for the Mick Garris film Nightmare Cinema; and the Bram-Stoker-nominated Voices, which features Connolly’s best stories from The Magazine of Fantasy... Read More →
avatar for Teel James Glenn

Teel James Glenn

writer
Teel James Glenn has killed hundreds and been killed more times-- on stage and screen as he has traveled the world for forty plus years as a stuntman, fight choreographer, swordmaster, jouster, illustrator, storyteller, bodyguard, actor and haunted house barker.
His stories have... Read More →
avatar for Lisa Kröger

Lisa Kröger

Trustee, Horror Writers Association
Horror writer. Author of MONSTER, SHE WROTE and TOIL AND TROUBLE. Cohost of the Know Fear Cast and The Monster, She Wrote podcast.
avatar for John Langan

John Langan

Author, THE FISHERMAN
John Langan is the author of two novels and five collections of stories.  For his fiction, he has received the Bram Stoker and the This Is Horror awards.  With Paul Tremblay, he co-edited Creatures: Thirty Years of Monsters (2011).  He is one of the founders of the Shirley Jac... Read More →
Saturday June 6, 2026 1:00pm - 1:50pm EDT
Somerset

1:00pm EDT

HU: The Spine of a Story: East Meets West in Structure
Saturday June 6, 2026 1:00pm - 2:50pm EDT
What do you do when the well-used Western narrative structures don’t quite fit your premise? Have you ever read or watched an Asian narrative and wondered why it feels unpredictable yet satisfying? Want a glimpse at the bones that made Ryan Coogler’s film, Sinners so powerful? Join Geneve Flynn and L. E. Daniels to explore Eastern and Western storytelling conventions across structure, character focus, and narrative goals, and expand your writing toolbox. Learning outcomes include recognizing the growth of Eastern narratives in Western spaces, understanding the differences between Eastern/Western narratives, and learning Kishontenketsu: the four-act structure, the three-act structure, and the heroine’s and hero’s journey.

This is a separately ticketed workshop.  For more information on Horror University and registration information see: https://www.stokercon.com/horror-university
Speakers
avatar for Lauren Elise (L. E.) Daniels

Lauren Elise (L. E.) Daniels

Author/Editor, HWA Mental Health Committee, Brisbane Writers Workshop

avatar for Geneve Flynn

Geneve Flynn

Author, editor, poet. HWA Diverse Works Inclusion Committee

Saturday June 6, 2026 1:00pm - 2:50pm EDT
Washington

2:00pm EDT

Author Readings
Saturday June 6, 2026 2:00pm - 2:50pm EDT

Speakers
avatar for Rachel Bolton

Rachel Bolton

Rachel Bolton is a Bram Stoker Award nominated writer working on more projects than she has time for. Her stories and essays have appeared in or are forthcoming from Cosmic Horror Monthly, Apex Magazine, Women Write About Comics, Strange Girls, and more.  Rachel lives with her partner... Read More →
avatar for Carlyn Greenwald

Carlyn Greenwald

Author
I’m a YA and Adult horror and thriller author and screenwriter, most famous for MURDER LAND, out with Sourcebooks Fire. I have another YA horror-thriller coming out in summer 2026 called WHAT HAPPENED TO THOSE GIRLS with more YA and adult titles to be announced. I’m an LA native... Read More →
avatar for Carol Gyzander

Carol Gyzander

I love quiet horror, weird fiction, and cosmic horror!
More about me:
Bram Stoker Award® recipient and World Fantasy Award finalist Carol Gyzander writes and edits horror, weird fiction, and science fiction—with strong women in twisted tales that touch your heart. She has a stor... Read More →
Saturday June 6, 2026 2:00pm - 2:50pm EDT
Armstrong

2:00pm EDT

Author Readings
Saturday June 6, 2026 2:00pm - 2:50pm EDT

Speakers
avatar for Linda Addison

Linda Addison

Trustee, Horror Writers Association

avatar for Billy Martin

Billy Martin

Stephen King, John Kennedy Toole, cats, birds (wild ones, not pets), New Orleans, Jaws, Goodfellas, international food, travel, old music (mainly 1960s - 1980s)
Saturday June 6, 2026 2:00pm - 2:50pm EDT
Fayette

2:00pm EDT

Author Readings
Saturday June 6, 2026 2:00pm - 2:50pm EDT

Speakers
avatar for Leanna Renee Hieber

Leanna Renee Hieber

Actress, Ghost Tour Guide and Author with, Kensington, Tor and Union Square Books
An actress, playwright, ghost tour guide and award-winning, bestselling author of ghost-filled fiction and non-fiction for Kensington, Tor, Sourcebooks and Union Square, Leanna’s A Haunted History of Invisible Women: True Stories of America’s Ghosts, co-authored with Andrea J... Read More →
avatar for Liz Kerin

Liz Kerin

LIZ KERIN is the author of the critically acclaimed NIGHT’S EDGE duology, YA horror THE PHANTOM FOREST, and the forthcoming HOW TO DISAPPEAR COMPLETELY from Sourcebooks in February 2027. She’s also a playwright and screenwriter, who graduated from NYU Tisch, where she majored... Read More →
avatar for CJ Leede

CJ Leede

CJ Leede is a horror writer, hiker, and Trekkie. She has an MFA in Creative Writing from Columbia University, and a BA from NYU’s Gallatin School, where she studied Mythology and the Middle Ages. When she is not driving around the country, she can be found in LA with her boyfriend... Read More →
Saturday June 6, 2026 2:00pm - 2:50pm EDT
Lawrence

2:00pm EDT

Adaptable Terrors: writing for page and screen
Saturday June 6, 2026 2:00pm - 2:50pm EDT
In today's constantly evolving multimedia landscape, a writer must learn how to adapt across both classical and emerging storytelling platforms. This panel brings together fiction writers and screenwriters to delve into the processes that got their work published and produced in various mediums. How does a writer decide which medium is the most appropriate outlet for their original story idea? How can a writer adapt an existing IP into a different medium? We'll discuss the differences and similarities in approaches to craft when writing short stories, novels, screenplays, television series, and more..
Moderators Speakers
avatar for Jamie Flanagan

Jamie Flanagan

Writer, Editor, Actor, Freelance
Jamie Flanagan (they/them) is a WGA East screenwriter, SAG actor, HWA author, and editor. Screenwriting credits include Netflix's The Haunting of Bly Manor, Midnight Mass, The Midnight Club, The Fall of the House of Usher, AMC Shudder's CREEPSHOW, Peacock's HYSTERIA!, and Amazon's... Read More →
avatar for Lisa Morton

Lisa Morton

Co-Chair, StokerCon 2026
Author of four novels and over 200 short stories, screenwriter, Halloween and paranormal expert, past President of the Horror Writers Association, and 2026 Lifetime Achievement Award winner.
avatar for Mo Moshaty

Mo Moshaty

Writer, Lecturer, Producer and Journalist, NightTide Magazine/Mourning Manor Media
Mo Moshaty is a multi-award-winning horror writer, producer, and international lecturer whose work explores trauma, folklore, and the boundaries of fear through a diverse and inclusive lens. She is the author of Maddalena – 206 Word Stories (2022), Henry – A Quaint and Curious... Read More →
avatar for John Shirley

John Shirley

Decades of experience in horror, television, science fiction,thriller writing, movie scripting. Strong opinions on AI, the future of our civilization,  esoteric spirituality. Weird poetry.The book I won the Bram Stoker for: Black Butterflies. My new horror novel (written with Ma... Read More →
avatar for Diane Sismour

Diane Sismour

Producer/Screenwriter/Author, Author / Screenwriter
Diane Sismour keeps her fans up at night with grounded horror, thrillers, and psychological suspense. Her characters and audiences never know what perils await them or the predicaments they must resolve. She’s a member of national and local writing and screenplay groups.

Her scr... Read More →
Saturday June 6, 2026 2:00pm - 2:50pm EDT
Butler

2:00pm EDT

Guest of Honor Spotlight: Herding Three-Eyed Cats: editing weird fiction with Ann Vandermeer
Saturday June 6, 2026 2:00pm - 2:50pm EDT
Join Guest of Honor Ann VanderMeer, Lifetime Achievement Award winner Ellen Datlow, and Weird Tales editor and Lifetime Achievement Award winner, Jonathan Maberry, for a deep dive into the weird and what goes into editing and publishing weird fiction.
Moderators
avatar for John Langan

John Langan

Author, THE FISHERMAN
John Langan is the author of two novels and five collections of stories.  For his fiction, he has received the Bram Stoker and the This Is Horror awards.  With Paul Tremblay, he co-edited Creatures: Thirty Years of Monsters (2011).  He is one of the founders of the Shirley Jac... Read More →
Speakers
avatar for Ann VanderMeer

Ann VanderMeer

editor/anthologist/writer, VanderMeer Creative, Inc.
Ann VanderMeer is an award-winning editor & anthologist. She currently serves as an acquiring editor for Reactormag.com. She was the editor-in-chief for Weird Tales, during which time she won the Hugo Award. Along with multiple other nominations, she has won a World Fantasy Award... Read More →
avatar for Jonathan Maberry

Jonathan Maberry

Author, Jonathan Maberry Productions
JONATHAN MABERRY is a NYTimes bestselling author, 5-time Bram Stoker Award-winner, 4-time Scribe Award winner, Inkpot Award winner, poet, and comic book writer. He writes in multiple genres including suspense, thriller, horror, science fiction, fantasy, and action, for adults, teens... Read More →
avatar for Ellen Datlow

Ellen Datlow

Trustee, Editor of short fiction through novellas
Ellen Datlow has been editing sf/f/h, short fiction for more than forty years. She currently acquires short fiction and novellas for Tor.com. She’s edited more than one hundred anthologies, including the annual The Best Horror of the Year series and has won multiple awards for her work. Her most recent original anthology is Night and Day published by Saga Press. She has won the Karl Edward Wagner (special) award given by the British Fantasy Convention, and Life Achievement Awards given by the Horror Writers Association... Read More →
Saturday June 6, 2026 2:00pm - 2:50pm EDT
Westmoreland

2:00pm EDT

Horror Writing as Resistance
Saturday June 6, 2026 2:00pm - 2:50pm EDT
Works of horror have historically brought truth to power, taking on inequality and unjust systems while also giving a good scare or two. And in recent years, readers have been offered brilliant socio-political takedowns within the genre. How are writers currently taking on fascism, isolationism, weaponized nationalism, and authoritarianism? How do we balance the social and political with the speculative and terrifying? What can readers learn from these texts? And are words enough?
Moderators
avatar for Meg Ripley

Meg Ripley

Writer of horror and dark fantasy, designer, and drawer. Her debut novel, NECROLOGY, (Book #1 of the Dirty) is a Foreword INDIES Bronze Medalist in Fantasy (2024).

Book 2 of the Dirty, WOODFEAST, due Fall 2026, Creature Publishing.
Speakers
avatar for Elizabeth Broadbent

Elizabeth Broadbent

Elizabeth Broadbent (she/her) left the South Carolina swamps for the Commonwealth of Virginia, where she lives with her three sons and husband. She’s the
author of Ink Vine (Undertaker Books, 2024), Ninety-Eight Sabers (Undertaker Books, 2024), Blood Cypress (Raw Dog Screaming P... Read More →
avatar for Victoria Nations

Victoria Nations

Victoria Nations (she/her) writes Gothic and weird horror about creatures with emotional baggage. Her work is often set in Florida and other wild, liminal places.

Victoria’s work appears in Dark Matter Magazine, "Nightmarish,” "Dark Spores," and “Fish Gather to Listen," among other venues. Her poetry has been nominated for an SFPA Dwarf Stars Award and appears in Magpie Messenger, two HWA Poetry Showcases, and the Bram Stoker Award-nominated... Read More →
avatar for Tamika Thompson

Tamika Thompson

Author
Tamika is author of THE CURSE OF HESTER GARDENS (Erewhon/Kensington, 2026) and Next Generation Indie Book Awards Horror WINNER, UNSHOD, CACKLING, and NAKED (Unnerving Books), which Publishers Weekly calls “powerful,” “unsettling,” and “terrifying.” She is also the author... Read More →
Saturday June 6, 2026 2:00pm - 2:50pm EDT
Cambria

2:00pm EDT

We are all Sinners: Southern Horror from the Mississippi Delta and Beyond
Saturday June 6, 2026 2:00pm - 2:50pm EDT
Using Ryan Coogler’s Oscar-winning film SINNERS as a spring board, this panel will explore themes of race, poverty, and religion. Moderated by a Delta native of mixed heritage who grew up four counties above the setting of the film, and featuring authors forged by the South and its landscapes, together they will explore the universal truths of a “post-colonial” society within stories entirely unique to the Deep South. We gather here for the ancestors.
Moderators Speakers
avatar for Rhonda Jackson Garcia AKA RJ Joseph

Rhonda Jackson Garcia AKA RJ Joseph

academic and creative writer/editor/professor, RJ Joseph, Writer/Speaker
Rhonda Jackson Garcia, AKA RJ Joseph, is a Stoker Award™ and Shirley Jackson Award nominated, Texas based academic and creative writer/professor whose writing regularly focuses on the intersections of gender and race in the horror and romance genres and popular culture. She has... Read More →
avatar for P.M. Raymond

P.M. Raymond

Author
P.M. Raymond is a principal consultant on the East Coast with 27 cookbooks and an imaginary dog named Walter. As a native of New Orleans, mystical undertones are the roux in her crime and horror writing. She was named to the 160 Black Women in Horror and is a 2024 Killer Shorts Horror... Read More →
Saturday June 6, 2026 2:00pm - 2:50pm EDT
Somerset

3:00pm EDT

Author Readings
Saturday June 6, 2026 3:00pm - 3:50pm EDT

Speakers
avatar for Jess Hagemann

Jess Hagemann

Jess Hagemann’s recent work has appeared or is forthcoming in Beneath the Bluebonnets: Tales of Terror from Texas Women, Three Seasons of Winter, and Last Girls Club, among others. Her debut novel Headcheese (2018) won an IPPY Award in Horror. Paste Magazine named her sophomor... Read More →
avatar for Emily Hughes

Emily Hughes

Author, critic, listmaker, Darker Times

avatar for Rhonda Jackson Garcia AKA RJ Joseph

Rhonda Jackson Garcia AKA RJ Joseph

academic and creative writer/editor/professor, RJ Joseph, Writer/Speaker
Rhonda Jackson Garcia, AKA RJ Joseph, is a Stoker Award™ and Shirley Jackson Award nominated, Texas based academic and creative writer/professor whose writing regularly focuses on the intersections of gender and race in the horror and romance genres and popular culture. She has... Read More →
Saturday June 6, 2026 3:00pm - 3:50pm EDT
Armstrong

3:00pm EDT

Author Readings
Saturday June 6, 2026 3:00pm - 3:50pm EDT

Speakers
avatar for Rachel Harrison

Rachel Harrison

Rachel Harrison is the New York Times Bestselling author of PLAY NICE, SO THIRSTY, BLACK SHEEP, SUCH SHARP TEETH, CACKLE, and THE RETURN. Her short fiction has appeared in numerous anthologies and in her debut story collection BAD DOLLS.

Her next novel, KISS SLAY REPLAY, is out this September from Berkley in the US and Titan in the UK... Read More →
avatar for John Shirley

John Shirley

Decades of experience in horror, television, science fiction,thriller writing, movie scripting. Strong opinions on AI, the future of our civilization,  esoteric spirituality. Weird poetry.The book I won the Bram Stoker for: Black Butterflies. My new horror novel (written with Ma... Read More →
Saturday June 6, 2026 3:00pm - 3:50pm EDT
Fayette

3:00pm EDT

Author Readings
Saturday June 6, 2026 3:00pm - 3:50pm EDT

Speakers
avatar for Nicole M. Wolverton

Nicole M. Wolverton

Horror Writer, Editor, & Academic, Professionally Unsettling Fear Enthusiast
Nicole M. Wolverton is the author of A Misfortune of Lake Monsters (2024, CamCat Books/Marble Press) and the upcoming Meat Sweats (March 2027, Horrorsmith Publishing) and Mother Mort's Carnival Phantasmagoria (October 2027, Ethereal Visions Publishing). She served as Editor of th... Read More →
Saturday June 6, 2026 3:00pm - 3:50pm EDT
Lawrence

3:00pm EDT

Author to Editor and Back Again
Saturday June 6, 2026 3:00pm - 3:50pm EDT
Many authors dream of editing their own anthology, but what does it actually take to cross the line from author to editor? What unique challenges arise from blurring these boundaries and wearing both hats? Join panelists as they discuss navigating the potential obstacles and social barriers of being both authors and editors.
Moderators
avatar for Douglas Gwilym

Douglas Gwilym

Bram Stoker Award nominated short story author, querying novelist, editor of NOVUS MONSTRUM

Speakers
avatar for Shane Hawk

Shane Hawk

Writer-Editor, PRH-Counterpoint
Shane Hawk (Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes of Oklahoma) is a horror writer and editor. As a contributing editor at Counterpoint Press, he exclusively works with North American Indigenous writers. In 2020, he released his debut short story collection ANOKA. Hawk is the coeditor of the... Read More →
avatar for Rebecca Rowland

Rebecca Rowland

Author, Editor
Rebecca Rowland is a Shirley Jackson and Bram Stoker Award-nominated author and editor; Cemetery Dance states that her work “reeks of The Twilight Zone in all the best ways.” Her cosmic horror novel Eminence Front (Clash Books) and third short fiction collection Unsettled Score... Read More →
avatar for Geneve Flynn

Geneve Flynn

Author, editor, poet. HWA Diverse Works Inclusion Committee

avatar for Cynthia Pelayo

Cynthia Pelayo

Cynthia Pelayo is an International Latino Book Award winning poet and author.

She is the author of Loteria, Santa Muerte, The Missing, Poems of My Night, Into the Forest and All the Way Through, Children of Chicago, Crime Scene, The Shoemaker’s Magician, as well as dozens of sta... Read More →
avatar for Becky Spratford

Becky Spratford

Readers' Advisory Specialist and Reviewer, RA for All

Saturday June 6, 2026 3:00pm - 3:50pm EDT
Cambria

3:00pm EDT

Hopeful Nihilism: How Cosmic Horror Can Inspire
Saturday June 6, 2026 3:00pm - 3:50pm EDT
Cosmic horror is often thought of as the darkest sub-genre, of deep, existential, looming doom. However, the most dread-filled stories can serve as a vehicle for themes of love, hope, and joy. This panel will spotlight the fullest possibilities of the booming sub-genre.
Moderators Speakers
avatar for James Chambers

James Chambers

Trustee; Co-Chair, StokerCon Governing Committee; Chair, Horror University, Horror Writers Association
James Chambers is the Bram Stoker Award® and Scribe Award-winning editor and author of A Bright and Beautiful Eternal World, On the Night Border, On the Hierophant Road, the graphic novel, Kolchak the Night Stalker: The Forgotten Lore of Edgar Allan Poe, and editor of Under Twin... Read More →
avatar for Carol Gyzander

Carol Gyzander

I love quiet horror, weird fiction, and cosmic horror!
More about me:
Bram Stoker Award® recipient and World Fantasy Award finalist Carol Gyzander writes and edits horror, weird fiction, and science fiction—with strong women in twisted tales that touch your heart. She has a stor... Read More →
avatar for Vaughn A. Jackson

Vaughn A. Jackson

Author
Vaughn A. Jackson is an Horror Writers Association affiliated author, editor, and sometimes poet of dark speculative fiction. His work generally focuses one one of three categories: Creatures, Kaiju, or Cosmic Horror. Often blending elements of fantasy, science fiction, and horror... Read More →
avatar for Hailey Piper

Hailey Piper

Hailey Piper is the Bram Stoker Award-winning author of Queen of Teeth, A Game in Yellow, A Light Most Hateful, Teenage Girls Can Be Demons, The Worm and His Kings, ​and other books of horror. She is also the author of over 120 short stories appearing in Weird Tales, Pseudopod... Read More →
avatar for Ann VanderMeer

Ann VanderMeer

editor/anthologist/writer, VanderMeer Creative, Inc.
Ann VanderMeer is an award-winning editor & anthologist. She currently serves as an acquiring editor for Reactormag.com. She was the editor-in-chief for Weird Tales, during which time she won the Hugo Award. Along with multiple other nominations, she has won a World Fantasy Award... Read More →
Saturday June 6, 2026 3:00pm - 3:50pm EDT
Westmoreland

3:00pm EDT

Nonbinary Authors in Horror
Saturday June 6, 2026 3:00pm - 3:50pm EDT
Nonbinary identities have a nuanced and complex history, especially within the world of horror where characters who don't fit into the binary are often mistreated. It's important to make space for an often marginalized and looked over corner of horror, and to discuss why nonbinary characters belong in horror. After all, horror is the best space to push boundaries and definitions. Join panelists as they discuss if/how gender roles play into their work, themes they like to explore within horror, how nonbinary characters in horror can engage readers in unique ways, and more.
Moderators
avatar for Carina Stopenski

Carina Stopenski

Teen Librarian, Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh
academic HWA member | library advisory council member | pgh chapter co-chair | phd student of literature | author of STUFFED (unveiling nightmares) and THE THINGS WE DO FOR BLOOD (alien buddha press)
Speakers
avatar for Eric LaRocca

Eric LaRocca

Eric LaRocca (he/they) is a 3x Bram Stoker Award® finalist and Splatterpunk Award winner. He was named by Esquire as one of the “Writers Shaping Horror’s Next Golden Age” and praised by Locus as “one of the strongest and most unique voices in contemporary horror fict... Read More →
avatar for Jes Malitoris

Jes Malitoris

I am a trans-nonbinary horror and dark fantasy author from North Carolina with a PhD in history and a day job in books marketing. My work has been featured in horror magazines and speculative fiction anthologies, shortlisted for Brave New Weird: Volume 3, and included on the Stoker award reading list... Read More →
avatar for Rook Riley

Rook Riley

Rook Riley (she/they) is a horror author, game writer, voice actor, middle school teacher, and former Army linguist who occasionally participates in the Good Morning Evildoers podcast. Their work on Edge Games' Arkham Horror RPG solidified a lifelong aversion to Lovecraft's part... Read More →
avatar for Saratoga Schaefer

Saratoga Schaefer

author of SERIAL KILLER SUPPORT GROUP and TRAD WIFE
(they/them) author of SERIAL KILLER SUPPORT GROUP and TRAD WIFE, as well as the upcoming THE LAST TIME WE DROWNED and A THOUSAND MONSTROUS FORMS.
Saturday June 6, 2026 3:00pm - 3:50pm EDT
Somerset

3:00pm EDT

The Politics of Pink Horror
Saturday June 6, 2026 3:00pm - 3:50pm EDT
Why are there so many wildly popular books by male authors with female protagonists, and why can’t female authors get quite the same traction for the same subject matter? Where does “Pink Horror” fit into this and how does it challenge these ideas? Our panelists will discuss how the label "Pink Horror" emerged, what it means to them, and the impact on the intersections of horror.
Moderators
avatar for Erika T. Wurth

Erika T. Wurth

Writer/Professor, Flatiron/Macmillan

Speakers
avatar for Zoje Stage

Zoje Stage

Author
Zoje Stage is both an international and a USA Today bestselling author whose books have been named “Best of the Year” by Library Journal, Forbes, PopSugar, Bloody Disgusting, and more. Her debut novel, Baby Teeth, was a finalist for the Bram Stoker Award. Other critically-acc... Read More →
avatar for Angela Sylvaine

Angela Sylvaine

Angela Sylvaine is a Bram Stoker Award nominated author and self-proclaimed cheerful goth who writes speculative fiction and poetry. Her novel, Frost Bite, a ‘90s sci-fi horror comedy, and her retro ‘80s YA mall slasher novella, Chopping Spree, embody her cheerful side. Her s... Read More →
avatar for Mikayla Randolph

Mikayla Randolph

writer
Mikayla Randolph (she/her) is the author of Not Your Final Girl. Her short fiction has been published in The Chamber Magazine, Watershed Review, and Coffin Bell. She lives in Monterey, California with her husband, two dogs, and an overwhelming pile of books to be read.


... Read More →
avatar for Tanya Pell

Tanya Pell

author
Tanya Pell is a narcoleptic horror author who drinks bougie coffee and lives in the American South. She is the Bram Stoker nominated-author of Her Wicked Roots, Cicada, and the upcoming This B Just Won't Die! Her short fiction can be found in Fever Dreams, Mother Knows Best... Read More →
avatar for Alyssa Alessi

Alyssa Alessi

Author•Spooktastic Book Fair creator/host
Alyssa Alessi is a writer of young adult and short fiction all inspired by the unsettling macabre aesthetic of New England. You can find her hiking any trail in the Northeast said to be haunted, roaming the oldest cemeteries with a camera in hand or thrift shopping anywhere antiques... Read More →
avatar for Celina Thompson

Celina Thompson

Celina Thompson is basically a vampire. She is a disabled author with multiple invisible illnesses which cause sunlight to be painful, require blood transfusions, and even make garlic off limits. This served as inspiration for her debut novel, Sanctuary (a #1 Amazon Best Seller in... Read More →
Saturday June 6, 2026 3:00pm - 3:50pm EDT
Butler

3:00pm EDT

HU: Reading What You Wrote!
Saturday June 6, 2026 3:00pm - 4:50pm EDT
This workshop designed for writers to create an engaging and exciting experience for their audience. Through a series of short, interactive exercises and discussions, writers will learn to build confidence, shed anxiety, be loud and proud, and pick the perfect piece for that special event. There will also be a segment on MCing a literary event. A few participants will be able to read a small passage at the end of the workshop to showcase the tools they've learned.

This is a separately ticketed workshop.  For more information on Horror University and registration information see: https://www.stokercon.com/horror-university
Speakers
avatar for Sephera Giron

Sephera Giron

Writer/screenwriter/trustee
avatar for Andrew Robertson

Andrew Robertson

Founder, Great Lakes Horror Company

Saturday June 6, 2026 3:00pm - 4:50pm EDT
Washington

4:00pm EDT

The HWA Diversity Grant Raffle Drawing
Saturday June 6, 2026 4:00pm - 4:30pm EDT
Each year, StokerCon has a raffle to support the HWA’s Diversity Grants.
What are the Diversity Grants?
The Horror Writers Association (HWA) believes barriers—often unseen but very real—exist which limit the amount of horror fiction being published by diverse voices. The goal of the Diversity Grants is to help remove some of the barriers and let those voices be heard.
The Diversity Grant Raffle will be held at 4pm on June 6th, 2026 in the Dealer Room.
**100% of the raffle’s proceeds go to the Diversity Grants.**
How do I purchase tickets?
There are two ways to purchase tickets for the HWA Diversity Grant Raffle:
1. Presale tickets are on sale now via Eventbrite
*Once you have completed your ticket purchase, your paper tickets will be included with your name badge.
*You are responsible for putting your tickets into the box associated with the item/s you are interested in.
*No one from the StokerCon planning committee or registration desk will be adding your tickets to the boxes.
2. At StokerCon2026 in Pittsburgh
*Tickets can be purchased at the registration desk.
*Although a credit card is preferred, cash is accepted.
  • Credit card purchases are made through PayPal via [email protected]
  • Do NOT send payment via PayPal before the event.
Other FAQs:
  • Presale ticket sales begin May 1st, 2026 and end May 31st, 2026.
  • The last possible time to buy a ticket at the venue is June 5th, 2026.
  • The raffle items will be displayed in the Dealers Room
  • A box will be in front of each item.
  • Place your ticket/s into the box associated with the item/s you are interested in.
  • Tickets will be drawn at 4 pm on June 6th.
  • You must be available to claim your items at the time the winners are called.
  • Raffle tickets are non-refundable. Please see the general StokerCon cancellation policy for more details.


This year, we have many amazing items to be raffled off kindly donated by friends and colleagues of the HWA, including:
Disclaimer: some items may change by the time of the convention
  • Sudden Acts of Horror – the official board game of the HWA
  • Signed copy of Futility by Nuzo Onoh:
  • Signed copy of Crota by Owl Goingback (out of print edition)
  • Signed copy of Breed by Owl Goingback
  • Signed copy of The Daughter of Dr. Moreau by Silvia Moreno Garcia
  • Signed copy of the anthology Cut: Horror Writers on Horror Film (all contributors signed, ed. Christopher Golden).
  • Meghan Arcuri: 
  • two pounds horror-themed coffee (Lovecraft and Halloween)
  • two ghost mugs
  • Why I Love Horror, ed. Becky Spratford (with signatures of many of contributors)
  • Copy of King Sorrow by Joe Hill
  • Signed copies of two books from Ellen Datlow
  • Signed copy of Everything Endless (2025) by Linda D. Addison and Jamal Hodge (Raw Dog Screaming Press)
  • Signed copy of An Illegal Feast (2025) by Linda D. Addison, Consuelo G. Flores, Andrea Goyan, Elizabeth Eve King & Elizabeth Wong (Broadstone Books)
  • Signed copy of Friends and Foes of Zenobia by Denise N. Tapscott with Linda D. Addison, Marc L. Abbott, Kirk A. Johnson, John Palisano, Robin Reed, Steven Van Patten (Enchanted Flower Productions, 10/10/2025)
  • A print from Artist Greg Chapman (Dark-Designs.co)
  • Lisa Morton Halloween Package:
  • Signed copy of Trick or Treat: A History of Halloween
  • Signed copy of Halloween Beyond: Piercing the Veil
  • DVD: The Real History of Halloween       
  • Ben Rubin: 
  • Custom bookmarks made from a 19th century printing presses from the University of Pittsburgh Library Printing Press. To be added to each item (or group of items) up for raffle.
  • HWA Book Sampler including:
  • The Phantom of the Opera
  • HWA Poetry Showcase Volume XII
  • Scaring and Daring: Terrifying Takes on 15 Classic Tales
  • A copy of the limited-edition Marvel comic, White Tiger Reborn from Cythnia Pelayo
  • A copy of a limited-edition chapbook, We Came From An Island (published by Thunderstorm Books; out of print) by Cynthia Pelayo.


Moderators
avatar for Brian Matthews

Brian Matthews

Trustee; Co-Chair, StokerCon Governing Committee; Bram Stoker Awards® Show Coordinator; Pitch Session Coordinator, Horror Writers Association
Author, financial planner, former psychologist, husband, and father. Trustee for the Horror Writers Association, as well a National Co-Chair for StokerCon. I also run the Pitch Sessions and act as the Bram Stoker Awards Show Coordinator. That pretty much sums it up.
Saturday June 6, 2026 4:00pm - 4:30pm EDT
Allegheny Ballroom Foyer I

4:00pm EDT

Author Readings
Saturday June 6, 2026 4:00pm - 4:50pm EDT

Speakers
avatar for N.J. Gallegos

N.J. Gallegos

ER Doc by day, horror author by night. She lives with her wife and two cats in the middle of tornado alley. She is a cohost of The Scream Kings Podcast. She has two novels, The Broken Heart and The Fatal Mind, with Winding Road Stories. Her short story collection, Time of Death: A... Read More →
avatar for Lisa Kröger

Lisa Kröger

Trustee, Horror Writers Association
Horror writer. Author of MONSTER, SHE WROTE and TOIL AND TROUBLE. Cohost of the Know Fear Cast and The Monster, She Wrote podcast.
RU

Rami Ungar

I am a novelist from Columbus, Ohio specializing in horror and dark fantasy. I have published six books and several short stories.
Saturday June 6, 2026 4:00pm - 4:50pm EDT
Fayette

4:00pm EDT

Author Readings
Saturday June 6, 2026 4:00pm - 4:50pm EDT

Speakers
avatar for LC Allingham

LC Allingham

Author / Editor / Artist / Publisher, Speculation Publications


avatar for KC (Kristina) Grifant

KC (Kristina) Grifant

Author, Editor, San Diego HWA co-chair
A previous StokerCon chair, KC Grifant is an award-winning writer based in Southern California who creates internationally published horror, fantasy, science fiction, and weird west stories. Dozens of her short stories have appeared in podcasts, magazines, games, and Stoker-nominated... Read More →
avatar for Jamie Flanagan

Jamie Flanagan

Writer, Editor, Actor, Freelance
Jamie Flanagan (they/them) is a WGA East screenwriter, SAG actor, HWA author, and editor. Screenwriting credits include Netflix's The Haunting of Bly Manor, Midnight Mass, The Midnight Club, The Fall of the House of Usher, AMC Shudder's CREEPSHOW, Peacock's HYSTERIA!, and Amazon's... Read More →
Saturday June 6, 2026 4:00pm - 4:50pm EDT
Lawrence

4:00pm EDT

Author Readings
Saturday June 6, 2026 4:00pm - 4:50pm EDT

Speakers
avatar for Carina Bissett

Carina Bissett

The Storied Imaginarium

avatar for Angela Sylvaine

Angela Sylvaine

Angela Sylvaine is a Bram Stoker Award nominated author and self-proclaimed cheerful goth who writes speculative fiction and poetry. Her novel, Frost Bite, a ‘90s sci-fi horror comedy, and her retro ‘80s YA mall slasher novella, Chopping Spree, embody her cheerful side. Her s... Read More →
avatar for Tamika Thompson

Tamika Thompson

Author
Tamika is author of THE CURSE OF HESTER GARDENS (Erewhon/Kensington, 2026) and Next Generation Indie Book Awards Horror WINNER, UNSHOD, CACKLING, and NAKED (Unnerving Books), which Publishers Weekly calls “powerful,” “unsettling,” and “terrifying.” She is also the author... Read More →
Saturday June 6, 2026 4:00pm - 4:50pm EDT
Armstrong

4:00pm EDT

The Calls Are Coming from Inside the Spaceship! When Horror and Science Fiction Meet
Saturday June 6, 2026 4:00pm - 4:50pm EDT
Frankenstein. The Color Out of Space. The Body Snatchers. The Day of the Triffids. Alien. The Thing. Event Horizon. Cell. When horror and science fiction join forces the limits of fear seem infinite. Join our panelists for a discussion of the classics that have defined this popular blend of genres and why it is such an effective combination. How do the elements of these distinct genres complement each other? What must writers keep in mind when bringing them together? What are some of the best examples of sci-fi/horror from the 21st century?
Moderators Speakers
avatar for Deanna Sjolander

Deanna Sjolander

Editor, Rook Creek Press

AW

A.C. Wise

A.C. Wise's fiction has appeared in Clarkesworld, Apex, and several Year's Best anthologies, among other places. Her work has won the Sunburst Award for Excellence in Canadian Literature of the Fantastic, as well as twice being a finalist for the Sunburst Award, twice being a finalist... Read More →
avatar for Darius Jones

Darius Jones

Darius Jones’s stories and poems have appeared in Strange Horizons, The No Sleep Podcast, Space and Time Magazine, and Star*Line Magazine. His first book, The Books of Hours, a collection of 24 Dark Cosmic poems, was published in 2025.

Darius is a member of the HWA, the SFWA, t... Read More →
avatar for Caitlin Starling

Caitlin Starling

Caitlin Starling is the nationally bestselling author of The Starving Saints, the Bram Stoker-nominated The Luminous Dead, and the upcoming Milkteeth, among others. Her work showcases her love of genre-hopping horror; her bibliography spans besieged castles, alien caves, and haunted... Read More →
Saturday June 6, 2026 4:00pm - 4:50pm EDT
Butler

4:00pm EDT

The Hounds of Hell: Dogs in Horror
Saturday June 6, 2026 4:00pm - 4:50pm EDT
Whether a terrifying threat or man’s best friend, dogs in horror elicit strong emotions. Let’s talk about how dogs have been used in past horror works, evolving from dying early in the story, to modern evolutions of richer story arcs. This panel will celebrate some of the best loved (and terrifying) instances of dogs in horror and how these canines can be used in effective storytelling.
Moderators
avatar for Emily Smiley

Emily Smiley

Emily Smiley is a horror and dark fantasy author who encourages her readers to discover deeper truths within themselves through the exploration of fear, grief, and trauma, with a splash of dark humor and (sometimes) a little spice. She was a panelist at World Con 2025 and is slated... Read More →
Speakers
avatar for Nick Cutter

Nick Cutter

Real name: Craig Davidson. I write horror under the name Nick Cutter.
avatar for Jess Hagemann

Jess Hagemann

Jess Hagemann’s recent work has appeared or is forthcoming in Beneath the Bluebonnets: Tales of Terror from Texas Women, Three Seasons of Winter, and Last Girls Club, among others. Her debut novel Headcheese (2018) won an IPPY Award in Horror. Paste Magazine named her sophomor... Read More →
avatar for larry hinkle

larry hinkle

The least famous author you've never heard of, Larry Hinkle writes cosmic horror, pulp, and horror comedy, tinged with a touch of weird. His short stories made the Preliminary Stoker Awards ballot in 2020 and 2022. Books include The Space Between (collection, 2024), The Eris Ridge... Read More →
avatar for Emily Ruth Verona

Emily Ruth Verona

Author
Emily Ruth Verona is the author of the novel Midnight on Beacon Street, published by Harper Perennial in 2024 and the novella Shiva
Saturday June 6, 2026 4:00pm - 4:50pm EDT
Cambria

4:00pm EDT

The Past is Now: Modern Folk and Gothic Horror
Saturday June 6, 2026 4:00pm - 4:50pm EDT
How do today’s writers engage with folk and gothic traditions we grew up loving, while forging our own paths? From conventional tales to transcendent modern expressions, these subgenres have created frameworks for discourse from many perspectives and experiences, including worldwide storytelling that predate categorizations. This panel will explore how these subgenres have been understood, how they have evolved, and how modern authors continue to enrich and redefine these traditions.
Moderators Speakers
avatar for Cynthia Gómez

Cynthia Gómez

Attendee
Cynthia Gómez writes horror and other types of speculative fiction. She has a particular love for themes of revenge, retribution, and resistance to oppression. The Nightmare Box and Other Stories, her first collection, was released from Cursed Morsels Press in July 2024. Her novella... Read More →
avatar for Pauline Chow

Pauline Chow

Pauline Chow is a writer, coach, and ancestral magic practitioner, crafting alternative histories and optimistic futures. She is a Pushcart Prize nominated author with words in Cosmic Monthly Horror, Space and Time Magazine, Apocalypse Confidential, and more. Not your average data... Read More →
avatar for Mo Moshaty

Mo Moshaty

Writer, Lecturer, Producer and Journalist, NightTide Magazine/Mourning Manor Media
Mo Moshaty is a multi-award-winning horror writer, producer, and international lecturer whose work explores trauma, folklore, and the boundaries of fear through a diverse and inclusive lens. She is the author of Maddalena – 206 Word Stories (2022), Henry – A Quaint and Curious... Read More →
avatar for Ted Van Alst

Ted Van Alst

Writer, Vintage/PRH
Theodore C. Van Alst Jr. is the author of Chicago-set award-winning story collections Sacred Smokes, Sacred City; and Sacred Folks as well as Pour One for the Devil. He is the co-editor of the bestselling Never Whistle at Night from Vintage/Penguin Random House. His debut novel... Read More →
Saturday June 6, 2026 4:00pm - 4:50pm EDT
Westmoreland

4:00pm EDT

Why Graphic Horror Matters: Horror Comics from E.C. Comics to Something is Killing the Children
Saturday June 6, 2026 4:00pm - 4:50pm EDT
No other mainstream genre of comic books has been as widely banned and panned than horror comics during the 100+ year history of the medium. From the infamous pre-code horror comics that led to a shocking incident of industry self-censorship to the boundary-pushing horror magazines of the 70s and 80s to to contemporary horror series that make horror one of the most popular comic book genres today, our panelists will discuss the history of sequential art scares and why these comics matter, from E.C. Comics to Something Is Killing the Children and beyond. Why do horror comics invite so much controversy and why do they persist in popularity against all odds?
Moderators
avatar for Scott Edelman

Scott Edelman

Author
SCOTT EDELMAN has published 135+ short stories in magazines such as Lightspeed, Analog, Apex, and The Twilight Zone, and in anthologies such as Why New Yorkers Smoke, Crossroads: Southern Tales of the Fantastic, and MetaHorror. He began his professional writing career in the comics... Read More →
Speakers
avatar for Christopher Golden

Christopher Golden

CHRISTOPHER GOLDEN is the New York Times bestselling author of the novels Carry Me to My GraveThe House of Last Resort, All HallowsRoad of Bones, and Ararat, among many others. He has also written and cowritten screenplays, comic books, and audio dramas. His work has won the Bram Stoker Award, the Shirley Jackson Award, and the Audie Award, and been nominated for the British Fantasy and Eisner Awards, among others... Read More →
avatar for Justina Ireland

Justina Ireland

Author and Literary Agent, Handspun Literary Agency
Justina Ireland is the New York Times bestselling author of numerous short stories and books including Vengeance Bound, Promise of Shadows, Dread Nation and its sequel Deathless Divide, Rust in the Root, and the middle-grade novel Ophie's Ghosts, which won the Scott O'Dell award... Read More →
avatar for Jonathan Maberry

Jonathan Maberry

Author, Jonathan Maberry Productions
JONATHAN MABERRY is a NYTimes bestselling author, 5-time Bram Stoker Award-winner, 4-time Scribe Award winner, Inkpot Award winner, poet, and comic book writer. He writes in multiple genres including suspense, thriller, horror, science fiction, fantasy, and action, for adults, teens... Read More →
avatar for James Tynion IV

James Tynion IV

James Tynion IV is the writer of the New York Times Best-Selling BATMAN/TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES cross-over for DC Comics and IDW Publishing, as well as the bi-weekly DETECTIVE COMICS, a key title in DC Comics' Rebirth initiative.He is best known for his work on the Batman titles... Read More →
Saturday June 6, 2026 4:00pm - 4:50pm EDT
Somerset

6:00pm EDT

Bram Stoker Awards Cocktail Reception
Saturday June 6, 2026 6:00pm - 6:45pm EDT
Have a drink or two and mingle with fellow attendees before the Bram Stoker Awards Banquet!

This event has a cash bar. The bar accepts credit/debit cards, or, if you are staying at the Westin, you can charge drinks to your room. No cash accepted.
Saturday June 6, 2026 6:00pm - 6:45pm EDT
Allegheny Ballroom Foyer II

7:00pm EDT

Bram Stoker Awards Banquet
Saturday June 6, 2026 7:00pm - 8:00pm EDT
Enjoy a specially prepared banquet meal before the Bram Stoker Awards Ceremony begins.

You must purchase a banquet ticket to attend the event.

This event has a cash bar. The bar accepts credit/debit cards, or, if you are staying at the Westin, you can charge drinks to your room. No cash accepted.
Saturday June 6, 2026 7:00pm - 8:00pm EDT
Allegheny Ballroom II-III

8:00pm EDT

Bram Stoker Awards Ceremony
Saturday June 6, 2026 8:00pm - 10:00pm EDT
The presentation of the annual Bram Stoker Awards, emceed by by Kevin Wetmore, with the keynote speech about the 10th Anniversary of StokerCon by James Chambers.

This event is open to all attendees. A separate ticket is not required.

This event has a cash bar. The bar accepts credit/debit cards, or, if you are staying at the Westin, you can charge drinks to your room. No cash accepted.
Moderators
avatar for Kevin Wetmore, Jr.

Kevin Wetmore, Jr.

Volunteer Coordinator, HWA LA

Speakers
avatar for James Chambers

James Chambers

Trustee; Co-Chair, StokerCon Governing Committee; Chair, Horror University, Horror Writers Association
James Chambers is the Bram Stoker Award® and Scribe Award-winning editor and author of A Bright and Beautiful Eternal World, On the Night Border, On the Hierophant Road, the graphic novel, Kolchak the Night Stalker: The Forgotten Lore of Edgar Allan Poe, and editor of Under Twin... Read More →
Saturday June 6, 2026 8:00pm - 10:00pm EDT
Allegheny Ballroom II-III

10:00pm EDT

Bram Stoker Awards Afterparty
Saturday June 6, 2026 10:00pm - 11:50pm EDT
Join us for the celebration and congratulate our new Bram Stoker Award winners!

This event is catered with a cash bar. The bar accepts credit/debit cards, or, if you are staying at the Westin, you can charge drinks to your room. No cash accepted.
Saturday June 6, 2026 10:00pm - 11:50pm EDT
Allegheny Ballrooms 1-2-3 Foyers
 
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