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<\/p>\nI am pleased to announce that KYLE DE WAAL is the winner of this year’s Miskatonic Scholarship to the Odyssey Writers Workshop in New Hampshire, given each year to a student working in the area of Lovecraftian cosmic horror.<\/p>\n
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Here’s the press release from Odyssey:\u00a0<\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n George R. R. Martin. . .<\/strong> created the Miskatonic Scholarship <\/strong>to provide financial support to a promising new writer of Lovecraftian cosmic horror attending the Odyssey Writing Workshop. \u00a0Martin said that, reading the works of H. P. Lovecraft as a boy, he “fell in love with monsters and scary stories.” \u00a0With the ongoing Miskatonic Scholarship, Martin would like to encourage a new generation of writers to explore Lovecraftian cosmic horror.\u00a0 He hopes the scholarship “will offer an opportunity to a worthy applicant who might not otherwise have been able to afford the Odyssey experience.”<\/p>\n Odyssey Director Jeanne Cavelos said, “We were thrilled at the number and quality of the applications for the Miskatonic Scholarship this year.\u00a0 The scholarship is definitely encouraging writers to explore the fascinating genre of cosmic horror.\u00a0 Of course, that made choosing a winner more difficult.\u00a0 But everyone on the judging panel was drawn to one story, which we found suspenseful, involving, intense, and frightening.”<\/p>\n Of de Waal’s winning story, “What We Took from the Old Country,” scholarship judge Carrie Vaughn, a New York Times<\/em> bestselling author, \u00a0said, \u201cA great urban fantasy\/horror set up.\u201d\u00a0 Scholarship judge Ti Mikkel shared this feedback with de Waal:\u00a0 \u201cBeautifully written.\u00a0 You\u2019re on solid footing with your craft and have great instincts for storytelling.\u201d<\/p>\n De Waal explained the genesis of his story: \u00a0“‘What We Took from the Old Country’\u00a0draws inspiration from the works of \u00a0\u00a0H. P. Lovecraft (because cults, monsters, and malevolent entities from beyond our world are cool) as well as my questions of family heritage and finding a place in the context of history.”<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n About Odyssey<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n The Odyssey Writing Workshop is widely considered one of the top programs for writers of fantasy, science fiction, and horror. Writers from all across the world apply to the six-week program held each summer in Manchester, New Hampshire. Fifteen are admitted.\u00a0 Top authors, agents, and editors serve as guest lecturers. Intensive instruction in advanced writing techniques, in-depth feedback on manuscripts, and one-on-one guidance help students to make major improvements. Graduates include New York Times<\/em> bestsellers, Amazon bestsellers, and award winners.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/georgerrmartin.com\/notablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Screenshot-2019-05-24-21.32.12.png\")
This year\u2019s winner is Kyle de Waal<\/strong>, who loves to write anything with a monster in it, especially cosmic horror with a bent towards YA-lit. He also enjoys tabletop games, mountain biking, and Greek and Roman history. He lives in Canada with his border collie who is named after a poetic device: Volta.<\/p>\n