From the press release:
The Horror Writers Association (HWA) is proud to announce our centrepiece event for 2015 – the Bram Stoker Awards® Weekend & 25th Anniversary World Horror Convention. As in 2013, the HWA has been awarded hosting rights for the World Horror Convention (WHC). Combined with our biennial Bram Stoker Awards® Weekend, this will be the premier horror and dark fantasy convention of 2015.
The Convention will take place at the Atlanta Marriott Marquis Hotel from May 7-10, 2015, with the iconic Bram Stoker Awards® ceremony on Saturday evening, May 9. A website has been established at http://www.whc2015.org.
Initial guests are best-selling authors Lisa Tuttle, Chris Golden, John Farris and Kami Garcia. Best-selling author Jonathan Maberry will act as Toastmaster. Further guests will be announced shortly.
Registration will be available shortly. Don’t miss the early-bird discount, which expires on May 18.
Atlanta is a major airline hub, providing low cost transportation for attendees, both domestic and international – additionally, there is a MARTA station in the same complex as the hotel, offering one way transport to the airport for $2.50. Atlanta is also within comfortable driving distance of a significant portion of the U.S. population and is serviced by Amtrak.
We have negotiated an excellent room rate for a Deluxe Single or a Deluxe Double at $129/night plus applicable taxes (currently 16%) and spanning any nights in the period of 6-10 May inclusive. Hotel registration will open in May.
There will be a special celebration of the 25th Anniversary World Horror Convention, with specialized WHC programming throughout the weekend. Friday will be declared “Celebrate World Horror Convention’s 25th Anniversary
Day” and will feature a retrospective panel on the first 25 years of WHC. After the Mass Signing on Friday, we will hold the World Horror Convention 25th Anniversary Ball – there’ll be free entry to Convention members and partners (many people travel with partners who do not become Con members), cash bar and prizes for best costumes. The previous WHC guests in attendance will be called up to the stage and celebrated.
Other programming highlights include: Welcome Cocktails, the WHC Art Show, the Dealers Room, the traditional Mass Signing on the Friday evening, the Artists Wine & Cheese Reception, Kaffeeklatches, Readings, Panels and of course the Bram Stoker Awards Banquet on the Saturday evening.
For the first time, there will be a cash prize for the best piece of art (as voted by Convention members) in the Art Show. The Convention book will be themed to celebrate the WHC 25th Anniversary – as well as current guests we will seek stories from previous WHC guests/grandmasters.
In addition to the traditional WHC Grandmaster, we will hold a poll of convention members that will award a ‘Grandmaster of Grandmasters’ award. The poll will close 31 January 2015, providing time to invite that person to attend the Convention as a further WHC Guest, if available.
Media inquiries to: Rocky Wood via [email protected].
About the Horror Writers Association
The Horror Writers Association (www.horror.org), the peak group for horror writers, is also hosting World Horror Convention as part of our regular Weekend. The HWA is a worldwide organization promoting dark literature and its creators. Started in 1985, it has over 850 members writing professionally in fiction, nonfiction, videogames, film, poetry, comics and other media.
