Mike Collins wins 2nd Bram Stoker Award

On the weekend of Friday the thirteenth, Michael Knost (Mike Collins) won his second Bram Stoker Award in the non-fiction category for book, Writers Workshop of Horror 2 (Hydra Publication).

WVOW News

DENVER Local author and WVOW’s very own Michael Collins won his second Bram Stoker Award during the Horror Writers Association’s annual StokerCon earlier this month in Denver.

Collins, who writes under the name Michael Knost, accepted the international award in the non-fiction category for Writers Workshop of Horror 2. He was also honored as the organization’s Mentor of the Year for his work with several up-and-coming writers, editors, and artists.

"Michael Knost epitomizes what a mentor should be,” HWA Mentorship Program Manager, JG Faherty said. “He is always willing to help writers improve their craft, as both an HWA mentor and outside of the program, as both a teacher and an editor. Writers who have worked with him, or trained under him, universally praise Michael for his honesty, knowledge, and encouragement. This is probably recognition that is long overdue, but Michael's contributions to the HWA, and the horror genre's up-and-coming writers, has always been recognized and appreciated."

Collins won his first Bram Stoker Award in 2010 and has been a finalist five times through the years. He also received the organization’s Silver Hammer Award (2015) and the prestigious J.U.G. (Just Uncommonly Good) Award (2017) from West Virginia Writer’s Inc.

His bestselling novel Return of the Mothman is currently being filmed for a movie adaption, set in Logan, West Virginia. has taught writing classes and workshops at several colleges, conventions and online. He currently resides in Chapmanville with his wife, daughter, and a zombie goldfish.

Named in honor of the author of the seminal horror novel Dracula, the Bram Stoker Awards are presented annually for superior writing in eleven categories including traditional fiction of various lengths, poetry, screenplays, and non-fiction. Previous winners include: Jordan Peele, Anne Rice and Stephen King.

For more on the Horror Writers Association, please visit www.horror.org.