We’re concluding our special series of blogs presenting the 2008 Stoker Award Nominations.
With the International Horror Guild recently disbanded and the IHG Award now inactive, the Stoker Award is all the more important.
The awards are not a contest so much as a reward for superior achievement in the field of horror — an incentive for writers to stretch themselves and their craft to the utmost limits. Only be doing so will the genre remain vital and healthy.
Awards are also a way to signal excellent work that the public –the new comer to horror as well as the aficionado — can use as a guide.
Today we’ll look at The Bram Stoker Award for Lifetime Achievement.
The Bram Stoker Award for Lifetime Achievement
The Bram Stoker Award for Lifetime Achievement is a special award. Unlike the other awards where the active members of the HWA vote, the recipient of this award is selected by a special committee appointed by the HWA president. The committee reviews suggestions made by the HWA members but they can also choose someone else or no one else.
This award is given for the person’s entire body of work. It cannot be awarded posthumously. Nor can it be given to anyone under the age of sixty. Candidates must have put in thirty-five years or more to the horror field in some way to be selected. Up to two awards can be given in a particular year.
Winners of this award are usually writers but its been given out to an actor, a film director and an illustrator — all of whom contributed mightily to the horror genre.
Winners of the award are announce many months before the awards ceremony.
Thus I am able to give you the winners — yes, not one but two winners — of the 2008 Bram Stoker Award for Lifetime Achievement.
Thw winners are:
1.) Chelsea Quinn Yarbro
2.) F. Paul Wilson
You can read more about this award and the winners selected for this year at the Horror Writers Association website.
The HWA Specialty Press Award
Another trustee selected award is the HWA Specialty Press Award. This is awarded only in a year where a publisher has made significant contributions to the horror genre. One was not awarded last year. So far no one has been announced a winner for this year and, like the Lifetime Achievement Award, they tend to be announced early.
HWA Volunteer Service Awards
There are two awards in this category. They are awarded only when somebody merits them. They’re internal awards to reward significant volunteer effort. The awards are The Hammer Award and The Richard Laymon President’s Award for Service. You can read about these two awards here.
HWA Librarian of the Year Award
This award has, to my knowledge, never been awarded although it’s been around for several years. It may be that no one has ever nominated a librarian for recognition. If you are interested in nominating someone, read about the award carefully and then click on the sentence “Just click here” under the HOW CAN YOU RECOMMEND A CANDIDATE header. It will take you to a form where you can fill out the information. Who knows, maybe this year some lucky librarian will get an award.
That tops off my rundown of the Stoker Award nominations. Stop by again in June to see who won.
The 2008 Stoker Nominations Series:
Part 1 — Superior Achievement in a Novel and First Novel
Part 2 — Superior Achievement in Long Fiction and Short Fiction
Part 3 — Superior Achievement in an Anthology and a Collection
Part 4 — Superior Achievement in Nonfiction and Poetry
Part 5 — Bram Stoker Award for Lifetime Achievement and other awards
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