CULTURE: Heartfelt Horror Coming to Williamsburg
‘Spirited Giving’ kicks off 'Scares That Care' AuthorCon Thursday, March 27 - Sunday, March 30.
(Editor’s Note: The Williamsburg Independent received no compensation for this article. We’re happy to support events with charitable causes.)
Hundreds of horror authors with big hearts will be haunting our town at a horror AuthorCon running Thursday, March 27, 2025 through Sunday, March 30, 2025 at the Doubletree Hotel near Kingsmill. The charitable event has visited Williamsburg since 2013 and its organizers, Scares That Care, donate all proceeds to people in need. See some of the stories of people they’ve helped. Tickets are still available for the four day event.
The con kicks off next Thursday night with Spirited Giving. The spooky evening of fun features a cocktail hour with custom-crafted horrific libations. After everyone has a chance to mingle and warm up a bit, four renowned horror writers will give readings of their work. That’s followed by the first ever live performance of a popular horror podcast.
I recently spoke with the organizer of Spirited Giving, James Sabata about his evening of fun as well as the rest of the convention. “Scares that Care is very well known in the horror community. They are the top notch horror fundraiser,” Sabata said about his collaboration with the main event organizer. He mentioned well-known author Brian Keene, who oversees the AuthorCon event, as a driving force behind working together. Sabata mentioned that Keene will do a rare public reading on Thursday night as well. Other readers include writer and actor Jamie Flanagan, dark fiction & poetry writer Rebecca Cuthbert, as well as horror-comedy writer DM Guay.
While some of the stories you may hear at the con are dark and brooding, Sabata pointed out that the atmosphere is meant to be fun and supportive. “When I hear amazing things about you being a good person, there’s a pretty good shot I’m going to want to pick you.” For example, one of the segments on Thursday night is the first live performance of a popular horror podcast called Midnight Pals, created by Bitter Karella. Along with Karella and Keene, other writers performing in Midnight Pals include Laurel Hightower, Todd Keisling, Wile E. Young and Stephen Kozeniewski.
Sabata pointed out that all the authors, as well as the event organizers, are volunteering their time to make the event happen. Turns out that a lot of horror writers are really nice people. It’s as if their ability to scare and their desire to care come from some of the same places. “We actually talk about that a lot,” Sabata said. “I feel like a lot of people in horror experienced a lot of trauma, or a lot of terrible things that happened to them … we explore it safely,” he said about the ability to step away from a frightening book or scary movie. “I think that’s a huge thing. I think we all want to tell people they’re not alone, and let them know others feel these things. I always say we deal in empathy and grief … horror is the worst thing that can happen to you, but horror is all about the humanity in those situations.”
He also noted that throughout the convention starting on Friday, there would be a large exhibition hall filled with over 150 authors selling their books. This is another reason the convention is a great event, as Sabata pointed out that people are coming from all over to attend, including overseas. He also said that as many as 500 attendees are possible for the con over the course of the weekend.
Other events as part of AuthorCon include seminars for writers on topics such as applying for grants, creating author websites, plus one-of-a-kind experiences like “An Evening With Psychic and Medium Dakota Lawrence.” (Note: some of these specialized sessions may require both a weekend pass and additional fees to attend.)
Spirited Giving will be a night of spooky fun and who knows what you might see the rest of the weekend. So take a day (or more) and visit this wonderfully horrific event to have a good time and help others in need. Tickets are still available for the four day event.
George Arbogust is Founder and Editor of the Williamsburg Independent. Consider buying him a cup of coffee.