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Dark Fantasy v Horror: SFFH fans are no strangers to genre bending, or arguments about what defines a genre. In this panel, we walk the line between dark fantasy and horror – asking what are the key components of each? Is it setting? Is it tone? Is it the big bad?
Join moderator Lauren McMenemy and panellists Suyi Davies Okungbowa, Marko Hautala, and Lorraine Wilson as they debate the borders of dark fantasy and horror.
Suyi Davies Okungbowa (he/him): Suyi Davies Okungbowa is an award-winning author of fantasy, science fiction and general speculative work. His latest books include the science fiction novella Lost Ark Dreaming (2024 Nebula Award finalist); Warrior of the Wind and Son of the Storm (both in the Nameless Republic epic fantasy trilogy); and The Intergalactic Empire of Wakanda, a Black Panther novel. His debut novel, David Mogo, Godhunter, won the 2020 Nommo Award for Best Novel. His shorter works have appeared in various periodicals and anthologies and have been nominated for various awards. He earned his MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Arizona, and lives in Ontario, where he is a professor of creative writing at the University of Ottawa. You can find him on Instagram or more information on his website. Get Suyi’s books here.
Marko Hautala (he/him): Marko Hautala is a Finnish horror writer whose work has been translated into eight languages. Hautala’s story “Pale Toes” was nominated for the 2020 Shirley Jackson Award. In his native Finland he has received the Tiiliskivi Prize, Kalevi Jäntti Literary Prize and was nominated for the Young Aleksis Kivi Prize in 2013. Hautala’s novel Pimeän arkkitehti (The Dark Architect) is being developed into film by Matila Rohr Productions. Connect with Marko on Instagram or check out his website.
Lorraine Wilson (she/her): A conservation scientist and third-culture Scot, Lorraine lives by the sea writing speculative fiction influenced by folklore and the wilderness. She is the multi-award winning author of several books, most recently the science fantasy, We Are All Ghosts In The Forest, and the upcoming The Salt Oracle. Find out more on Lorraine’s website. Or connect with her on Bluesky and Instagram. You can also read her blog on Substack. Grab her books here.
Lauren McMenemy (she/her): Lauren McMenemy wears many hats: Editor-in-Chief at Trembling With Fear for horrortree.com; PR and marketing for the British Fantasy Society; founder of the Society of Ink Slingers; curator of the Writing the Occult virtual events. With 25+ years as a professional writer across journalism, marketing, and communications, Lauren also works as a coach and mentor to writers looking to achieve goals, get accountability, or get support with their marketing efforts. She writes gothic and folk horror stories for her own amusement, and is currently working on a novel set in the world of the Victorian occult. You’ll find Lauren haunting south London, where she lives with her Doctor Who-obsessed husband, the ghost of their aged black house rabbit, and the entity that lives in the walls. Learn more about Lauren on her website. Or this website. She’s also a social media queen. Find her on Twitter, Instagram, Instagram (Society of Ink Slingers), Bluesky, Threads or Mastodon. Whatever your social media pleasure, Lauren has you covered.
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