The 2009 Bram Stoker Award winners were announced by the Horror Writer’s Association at World Horror Convention in Brighton, England, last weekend. I read almost all of these titles and I can vouch that they are superlative reads. (In fact, I lauded Lucy Snyder’s poetry-winning book here in The Goreletter). See the HWA’s announcement for a complete list…congratulations to all the winners!

I contributed work to two of the books (though the editors, not me, rightfully get the awards!). These are pretty amazing books to be a part of, so I want to celebrate them here (and share some breaking news along the way as well):

The winner in this year’s “Fiction Anthology” category was He Is Legend: An Anthology Celebrating Richard Matheson. It includes stories by myself, Gary Braunbeck, Nancy A. Collins, William F. Nolan (who also received a Lifetime Acheivement Award at this year’s Stokers), Joe R. Lansdale, and, okay, too many great writers to list. This hardcover book is notable among horror collectors because it features the first published collaboration between Stephen King and his son Joe Hill, who have since released it as a part of an audiobook package of novellas with Matheson called ‘Road Rage’. He Is Legend is a great anthology, and — here’s the news I promised: I’m pleased to share that the book has recently been picked up for a trade hardcover by Tor Books releasing this September, and will also soon appear in Italian and Japanese editions! [You can see the illustration Harry O. Morris did for my tale, "She Screech Like Me," in the gorelets.com gallery, by the way.] Congratulations to editor Christopher Conlon and publisher Gauntlet Press!

The winner in the “Non-Fiction” category was a fantastic instructional book called Writer’s Workshop of Horror, which includes essays on the craft by a long roster of today’s best horror writers. A coterie of us who teach in the MFA program in Writing Popular Fiction at Seton Hill University — myself, Gary Braunbeck, Tim Waggoner, and Lucy A. Snyder — all contribute work. (This book also won a “Black Quill” award earlier this year for Best Dark Non-Fiction). If you write, you need to get a copy! CONGRATULATIONS to editor Michael Knost and publisher Woodland Press!

The Bram Stoker Awards are given by the Horror Writers Association. A complete list of this year’s Bram Stoker Award winners appears on their weblog, Dark Whispers.