The Oxford Companion to English Literature describes Ramsey Campbell as “Britain’s most respected living horror writer”. He has been given more awards than any other writer in the field, including the Lifetime Achievement Award of the Horror Writers Association (HWA), the Grand Master Award of the World Horror Convention and the Living Legend Award of the International Horror Guild.

The Horror Writers Association has announced Ramsey Campbell as their first Guest of Honor for the Bram Stoker Awards™ Weekend 2013, to be held in New Orleans from 13-16 June 2013. HWA President Rocky Wood said, “Ramsey is a truly a legend in horror. As one of our Lifetime Achievement Award winners we couldn’t be more pleased to confirm him as our first Guest of Honor for the Weekend. He has kindly agreed to participate in all aspects of the Convention, including a one-on-one in-depth interview; panels; our mass signing and presenting during the iconic Bram Stoker Awards Banquet. It is also pleasing that we continue our expanding international focus with a major British Guest, building on such innovations as hold the Awards Banquet in England in 2010, Canada in 2007 and significant membership growth in countries such as Italy and Australia.”

Among Ramsey Campbell’s novels are The Face That Must Die, Incarnate, Midnight Sun, The Count of Eleven, Silent Children, The Darkest Part of the Woods, The Overnight, Secret Story, The Grin of the Dark, Thieving Fear, Creatures of the Pool, The Seven Days of Cain and Ghosts Know. Forthcoming is The Kind Folk. His collections include Waking Nightmares, Alone with the Horrors, Ghosts and Grisly Things, Told by the Dead and Just Behind You, and his non-fiction is collected as Ramsey Campbell, Probably. His novels The Nameless and Pact of the Fathers have been filmed in Spain. His regular columns appear in Prism, All Hallows, Dead Reckonings and Video Watchdog. He is the President of the British Fantasy Society and of the Society of Fantastic Films.

Ramsey Campbell lives on Merseyside in the UK with his wife Jenny. His pleasures include classical music, good food and wine, and whatever’s in that pipe.

The Bram Stoker Awards Weekend incorporating the World Horror Convention 2013 will be held at the Hotel Monteleone in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Horror Writers Association, the peak group for horror writers, is also hosting World Horror Convention as part of their regular Weekend. Further Guests will be announced as the year progresses, including those dedicated to the World Horror Convention component. The HWA is a worldwide organization promoting dark literature and its creators. Started in 1985, it has over 700 members writing professionally in fiction, nonfiction, videogames, film, poetry, comics, and other media.

The Horror Writers Association (HWA) and World Horror Society (WHS) are pleased to announce that the World Horror Convention 2013 will be hosted by the HWA. WHC2013 will be part of the stand-alone Bram Stoker Awards™ Weekend in New Orleans from June 13-16, 2013.

Both WHS and HWA are very pleased to be able to combine this event. Currently, HWA holds its iconic Bram Stoker Awards Banquet in conjunction with WHC in even numbered years and stages its own stand-alone Convention in odd numbered years, so combining the event in 2013 is seen as beneficial to the whole horror community.

The event will be billed as the Bram Stoker Awards Weekend incorporating World Horror Convention 2013. The World Horror Convention (WHC) programming will primarily be held on Friday June 14, with the normal WHC components including the Art Show, Artists’ Reception, Dealers’ Room, Mass Autographing (which is also a feature of HWA Weekends) and Grandmaster Award featuring over the weekend. The Convention membership fee covers both HWA and WHC events, excepting the Banquet and any special events such as writers’ workshops, which are charged separately.

HWA programming will concentrate on Saturday June 15 and will culminate with the Bram Stoker Awards Banquet that evening. Other HWA programming will feature on the Thursday and the Sunday. Guests of Honor will be announced as they are confirmed. The Convention will be held at the recently renovated and historic Hotel Monteleone in the French Quarter. Greg Herren is Chair of the Organizing Committee for the Weekend and HWA will also shortly announce a Chair for the WHC component.

Membership sales will begin in the second half of 2012, as will voting for the WHC Grandmaster Award. Hotel bookings will be available shortly, and the Organizers have negotiated rates for extended dates before and after the Convention, so that attendees can enjoy some of the many benefits New Orleans has to offer.

HWA President Rocky Wood commented, “This is the first time that HWA has hosted a World Horror Convention and we are pleased that we are able to do so within our own convention, the Bram Stoker Awards Weekend, which we hold every odd numbered year. And of course in 2013 we are in the historic, haunted and literary city of New Orleans, Louisiana, affectionately known as NOLA. This is a win-win for the horror community if ever there was one.”

WHS spokesman, Mike Willmoth said: “The World Horror Society is pleased to be working with HWA on WHC2013 next year in New Orleans during the Bram Stoker Awards Weekend. We look forward to a fabulous combined event.”

About HWA: The Horror Writers Association is the world’s premier organization for professionals and fans interested in horror and dark fantasy. With over 700 members worldwide, HWA provides networking and book marketing via such outlets as its popular “Dark Whispers” blog, sponsors a mentor program and other educational opportunities, promotes the genre at such events as the yearly BookExpo, and bestows the prestigious Bram Stoker Awards™ each year in eleven categories. At its annual gathering in 2012, HWA celebrated its 25th anniversary with co-founders Joe Lansdale, Karen Lansdale, and Robert McCammon.

About WHS/World Horror Convention: The World Horror Society was formed in 1991 by Maureen Dorris who was the Chair of WHC1991 and WHC1992 in Nashville, Tennessee, USA. Since then WHC has been held annually in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom.

Comikaze Entertainment Inc., the operator behind the largest multimedia pop culture, comic book, horror, anime and gaming convention in Greater Los Angeles, has announced a strategic partnership with world renowned pop culture icon Stan Lee and his company POW! Entertainment. With a staggering 40,000 attendee turnout and over 300 exhibitors during its 2011 debut, this one-of-a-kind-expo was promptly recognized and embraced by attendees, the comic convention industry, and the greater LA area. In fact, LA Weekly named Comikaze Expo the “Best New Convention.”

Hosted at the Los Angeles Convention Center on September 15-16th 2012, ‘Stan Lee’s Comikaze Expo presented by POW! Entertainment,’ promises a larger premier experience for attendees this year with an amazing line-up of attractions from vendors, exciting interactive contests, tons of celebrity autograph signings, the addition of movie screenings, incredible panel sessions and all new gaming tournaments. Comikaze Expo will also join other major Stan Lee and POW! Entertainment endeavors such as the release of Lee’s dedicated digital hub “TheRealStanLee.com” with EQAL, 1821′s Romeo & Juliet: The War and Stan Lee’s Kids Universe, A2 & Archie Comics’ Stan Lee’s Mighty Seven, and Stan Lee’s World of Heroes YouTube channel with Vuguru.

“The inauguration of Comikaze Expo demonstrated the mighty appetite and eager response from fans to experience a Los Angeles-based event that provides a variety of comic book and pop culture entertainment,” said Stan Lee, Founder and Chief Creative Officer of POW! Entertainment. “We saw an opportunity to creatively take this event to new heights through our partnership and we seized it!”

Regina Carpinelli, Founder and CEO of Comikaze Entertainment Inc. commented: “Stan is one of the greatest entertainment icons of our generation and the godfather of modern comics. We expect him to be instrumental in developing the Los Angeles Comikaze Convention. We have partnered with one of pop cultures most celebrated figures and we plan to wow not only LA but also the world. Audiences can anticipate a highly interactive experience at Stan Lee’s Comikaze Expo, unlike any other show. We want to change the way conventions are created and make an ultimate fan experience year round. Besides, it’s about damn time Stan had his own convention!”

Gill Champion, CEO of POW! Entertainment, said: “Live events are an important element supporting POW!’s brand extension. Where else to better start this program then in our own back yard here in LA and with a proven venue and association.”

Further announcements around Stan Lee’s Comikaze Expo 2012 will be revealed leading up to the convention. Tickets are now available through pre-sale at $12 in honor of their inaugural 2011 show prices. Stan Lee’s Comikaze Expo presented by POW! is also offering a unique ticket that enlists fans into the Stan Lee’s Comikaze Army. This interactive ticket includes a weekend pass, armband, dog tag, military id for discounts on merchandise and select vendors as well as collector’s edition posters(children under 12 enter for free) through.

Infect Scranton has announced that Sharon Ceccatti (Hill) will be attending the 9/21-9/22 event in Scranton. Sharon Ceccatti (Hill) began her career in show business singing and dancing on stage in the Pittsburgh area, performing mostly in operettas. When she wasn’t working, she made a living as a hospital nurse for a downtown Pittsburgh hospital. She is best known for playing the “lead zombie nurse” in the horror movie, Dawn of the Dead (1978). She has become a horror zombie legend all across Europe especially and her face as the zombie nurse is featured as such on posters and many books.

She usually appeared as uncredited extras in movies some of which include, Hellraiser III, Knightriders (1981), Maria’s Lovers, Death Penalty, Silent Witness, Kid Brother, and many more. Sharon has had a long career for over 20 years as a movie and location casting director in casting principles, day players and extras. She has cast such films as, Dominick and Eugene, starring Jamie Lee Curtis and Ray Liotta; Lady Beware, starring Diane Lane and Michael Woods; Gung Ho, starring Michael Keaton; Mrs. Soffell, starring Diane Keaton and Mel Gibson; and All The Right Moves (1983) starring Tom Cruise, Leah Thompson and Craig T. Nelson. She has worked with directors such as Ron Howard, George A. Romero, Michael Chapman, Andrei Konchalovsky, and many more.

From there she became Assistant Director of Operations for eight years at a 26,000 seat amphitheatre where she had an office backstage where she could keep a handle on all theatre activities. During the season she had approximately 450 people working for her during the shows. Some of the acts that came thru were Billy Joel, Phil Collins, Janet Jackson, Van Halen, Jimmy Buffett, AC DC, Rod Stewart, Ozzy Osbourne, Brooks & Dunn, Steve Miller, Neil Young, Reba McIntyre, and many more. Moving on and joining the David Copperfield Tour, the world’s greatest magician as his personal assistant and appeared on stage with him traveling all over the world to Hungary, Czech Republic, Chile, Argentina, Venezuela, Spain, Mexico, Canada, Switzerland and 11 cities in Germany, putting on 500 shows a year, as well as playing at Caesar Palace in Las Vegas, Atlantic City and Lake Tahoe.

Since then, Sharon has been scouting locations for movies. The most interesting scouting was for a month in Spain and some days in Morocco looking primarily for bullrings. Occasionally being sent movie scripts, breaking down parts to see who is best suited to appear in the movie.

Learn more about this event here: Infect Scranton

The Alt.Fiction Festival of sci-fi, fantasy and horror writing has announced bestselling author James Swallow as their second Guest of Honor, alongside Ken MacLeod. The festival, run by Writing East Midlands, is in its sixth year and takes place on 14 & 15 April at The Phoenix in Leicester.

Author of over thirty books and numerous scripts for videogames and radio, James Swallow is an award-winning, New York Times bestselling writer, whose publications encompass original genre works and tie-in fiction. James’s credits include Deus Ex: Human Revolution, Enslaved: Odyssey to the West, Killzone 2, Battlestar Galactica, Star Trek: Invasion and the forthcoming Fable: The Journey.

The festival provides an opportunity for writers to hear from their favorite authors, find out more about the world of publishing and learn more about the writing process, while networking with agents, publishers and other writers.

Highlights of the weekend include multi-award winning science fiction author and Guest of Honor Ken MacLeod; the horror writers Ramsey Campbell and Pete Crowther hosting a discussion of favorite horror tropes; Dragon’s Pen, demonstrating how not to pitch to agents and editors; and Open Mic Flash Fiction with writers stepping up to the mic.

James Swallow says: “I’m delighted to be appearing at Alt.Fiction this year; I’ve heard a lot of great things about the festival and I think it’s a great forum to talk about games writing and the future it has in our industry.”

Buy your weekend ticket for just £35, including workshops and cinema tickets at Alt.Fiction Festival

In keeping with their primary theme of “The Next Generation,” World Fantasy Convention 2013 has welcomed living legend Richard Matheson and his son Richard Christian Matheson as their first author Guests of Honour to World Fantasy Convention 2013, October 31-November 3.

Richard Matheson is a master of modern science fiction, fantasy and horror, and Stephen King credits him with single-handedly regenerating a stagnant genre. His best known novels include the influential I Am Legend, The Shrinking Man, A Stir of Echoes, Hell House, The World Fantasy Award-winning Bid Time Return and What Dreams May Come, all of which have been turned into movies. His latest novel, Other Kingdoms (2011), is about witchcraft and fairies in a rural English village.

Not only did Richard Matheson script fourteen episodes of Rod Serling’s iconic The Twilight Zone TV series (including the classic ‘Nightmare at 20,000 Feet’), but his produced movie scripts include The Fall of the House of Usher, Pit and the Pendulum, Tales of Terror, The Raven, The Comedy of Terrors, The Devil Rides Out (aka The Devil’s Bride), Duel, The Legend of Hell House, Somewhere in Time, Jaws 3-D and the two Kolchak TV movies, The Night Stalker and The Night Strangler, amongst many other credits

Richard Matheson was awarded the World Fantasy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1984 and the World Horror Convention’s Living Legend Award in 2000. In 2006 he was presented with The Legend Award by Ray Bradbury in Los Angeles.

Richard Christian Matheson began his career in the late 1970s. At twenty, he became the youngest writer ever signed to an overall deal with Universal Studios and he wrote scripts for a number on network TV shows. He moved quickly into feature film writing, working with Steven Spielberg on Harry and the Hendersons and Three O’Clock High. To date, he has written, co-written and sold over twelve spec screenplays – considered a record.

He has scripted three mini-series, including Sole Survivor for the Fox network, based on Dean Koontz’s best-selling novel; The Chronicles of Amber, for the Syfy Channel based on Roger Zelazny’s best-selling fantasy series, and the original Dragons, a six-hour for Matheson’s producing partner Bryan Singer and the Syfy Channel.

Richard Christian Matheson is considered a master of the short-short story and has published more than seventy stories of psychological horror in magazines and major anthologies. Thirty of his critically acclaimed stories are collected in Scars and Other Distinguishing Marks with a Foreword by Stephen King and an Introduction by Dennis Etchison. His second collection, Dystopia, gathers sixty stories with an Introduction by Richard Matheson and an Afterword by Peter Straub. The volume also includes tributes about RC’s writing from Clive Barker, Ellen Datlow, Stephen King, Dean Koontz, Ray Bradbury, Stephen Jones, Ramsey Campbell and many others. Matheson’s debut novel, Created By, was a Bram Stoker Award nominee and his magic-realism novella, The Ritual of Illusion, will soon be available from PS Publishing.

“My dad loves your theme of the writing torch passed from father to son,” explains Richard Christian Matheson, “and confessed he sees it that way between us … which is very moving to me. Given this, the World Fantasy Convention 2013 will be greatly meaningful to us and the perfect chance to catch-up with missed friends and colleagues we haven’t seen forever.”

Other authors, editors and artists already registered include Joe Abercrombie, Peter Atkins, James Barclay, James P. Blaylock, Ramsey Campbell, Vincent Chong, Peter Crowther, Hal Duncan, Les Edwards, Jo Fletcher, Stephen Gallagher, Christopher Golden, Jon Courtenay Grimwood, Joe Haldeman, Nina Kiriki Hoffman, Stephen Jones, Nancy Kilpatrick, Jay Lake, Tim Lebbon, Brian Lumley, Thomas F. Monteleone, Kim Newman, Garth Nix, Sarah Pinborough, Mark Samuels, Darrell Schweitzer, Robert Silverberg, Angela Slatter, Michael Marshall Smith, S.M. Stirling, F. Paul Wilson and many others…

Although the convention is still almost two years away, they are already heading towards 400 registered memberships! Please be aware that there is a firm limit on the number of Attending Members, so once the convention is sold out there will be no more memberships available. Remember, this year’s World Fantasy Convention in San Diego sold out eight months prior to the event, so the sooner you join, the sooner you are guaranteed a place. Plus the membership rate will increase at regular intervals as we get closer to the dates of the convention.

All the information can be found on the website under HOW TO JOIN on the left-hand menu. You can easily register by following the instructions on the page and paying via the PayPal buttons. The membership fee will be automatically converted into your local currency at the time of the transaction. Please also remember to complete and submit the details of your registration for the World Fantasy Convention files. You will not be considered to have registered for the convention until they have received BOTH your payment and the registration form.

ThrillerFest, the International Thriller Writers conference held from July 11-14 2012 in NYC, is a four-day extravaganza where you can meet bestselling authors, industry professionals, and prominent literary agents.

They have an incredible line-up of events this year, including:

CraftFest: This section of ThrillerFest offers classes on the craft of writing, helping you hone your skills. This year, they’ll have NYT Bestsellers Lee Child, Steve Berry, Lisa Gardner, Catherine Coulter, Gayle Lynds, David Morrell, Joan Johnston, Heather Graham, Grant Blackwood, and many others teaching classes. Jon Land and Kathie Antrim will be back with their popular “How to Pitch” class to help you create a compelling pitch for your book, and MJ Rose and Doug Clegg will return with their phenomenal “Buzz Your Book” talk to help you promote your novel. New this year, they’ll have former marine and martial arts expert Jack Hoban teaching a workshop on “How to Write Dynamic Fight Scenes.”

AgentFest: This event gives you the opportunity to pitch your novel to over 50 top literary agents. Six attendees from last year’s AgentFest have already signed with prominent agents. Why not pitch your book this year, taking the next step towards making your dream of publication a reality?

ThrillerFest: The special guests this year include 2012 ThrillerMaster Jack Higgins, 2011 ThrillerMaster R.L. Stine, as well as spotlight guests Lee Child, John Sandford, Catherine Coulter, Richard North Patterson, Ann Rule, Karin Slaughter, and more. There will also be counterterrorism expert David Major joining the conference to share his experiences at The White House.

If you would like more details on this conference: ThrillerFest