A Horror Book Con is set to take place in Liverpool this April in celebration of horror fans.
The event will take place on 11th April as the next instalment of a series of events ran by the Indie Horror Chapter.
Founded only two years ago, the non-profit organisation has expanded across the UK, with Liverpool set to be their fourth convention.
The event will be the first held in the North-West, with the previous conventions taking place in Dudley, Canterbury and Weston-Super-Mare.
Event organiser and Chair of the Indie Horror Chapter Trish Wilson says their main goal as an organisation is to celebrate horror fans and come together through literature:
“The horror genre is often underrepresented and misunderstood, and horror reading in particular is often an isolated interest.
“So what we do is we bring people together who know each other online through their love of horror literature and we provide support for those with neurodivergences or people that just need that little bit of encouragement.
“Our motto is you may come to an indie horror chapter event alone, but you’ll never be lonely.”
They host in different locations in the UK in the hopes of reaching fans far and wide, as well as catering to any fans who can’t afford to travel.
Trish has also hinted at a big special guest appearing at the convention.
The event is set to be their biggest to date, with authors flying in from the Netherlands, Spain, Portugal and Belgium.
The convention will act as a means for fans to interact with authors at their stalls, as well as listen to authors do readings on a main stage.
There will be a private bar, face painting and the sale of books, posters and pens for fans to get autographs from their favourite authors.
Designated quiet spaces will also be available to create safe environments for neurodiverse people.
The organisation aims to promote independent authors who aren’t supported by big publishing companies and instead have to self-fund.
Leigh Kenny, an independent horror author flying in from Ireland to attend the convention said: “I would encourage any Liverpool horror fans and readers to come out and check it out.
“It’s always great to meet with readers new and familiar, and the more interest and support there is for grassroots initiatives like this, the bigger and better they can become.”
The daytime event will take pace between 11-4pm at The Liner Hotel on Lord Nelson Street and is free to attend.
Attendees will have the option to donate to UK charity The Reader, a charity whose volunteers to care homes, hospitals and prisons to read aloud to lonely people.
Authors attending the event are also putting together an Anthology, and all proceeds from this will go to the same charity.
A review left by a fan who attended the last convention said ‘I had the best time. Everyone was just so lovely and made me feel at home’.
Organisers hope this sense of community can continue to grow in Liverpool next year.
(Featured image by Richard Cooke)