By Mo Moshaty

I AM HORROR is a growing archive of creators of color shaping the horror genre across the global diaspora. Each volume gathers voices working across film, literature, scholarship, criticism, and art; creators whose work draws from folklore, migration, memory, and lived experience. The goal is simple: build a record, so the people shaping horror today are easier to find tomorrow.

INTRODUCING VOLUME TWO: 10 COHORTS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT

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LOCATION: US

WEBSITE: https://lmariewood.com/works/

I AM HORROR DECLARATION: As someone who started writing horror, specifically psychological horror, at the age of five, I can’t help but think that horror chose me rather than the other way around. While sometimes I feel like horror spaces operate outside of me and many of the facets of my life as a mother, an educator, and an African American female practitioner, the genre, I know I was born into it like family. I write it, read it, create it, crave it, embody it in my perspective, my voice, my being. I birth it and nurse it, water it and weed it, care for it like I would a child, a parent, an ancestor. That’s not because I am compelled by a darkness within, an entity that supersedes rational thought. Instead, it is because I can identify those stories just beneath the surface; I can sense the strange in the mundane inherently. Horror is me, and I am horror; we are inextricably linked. And that’s exactly the way it is supposed to be.

AREAS OF FOCUS: The work centers on psychological horror and supernatural suspense, crafting stories that live inside the mind and explore the fragile boundaries between perception, fear, and the unseen. Writing spans novels, novellas, short fiction, screenplays, essays, poetry, and comics, with speculative storytelling that often engages Afrofuturism, Black representation within horror and film, and the cultural biases embedded within genre media. Alongside creative output, there is deep involvement in the horror community through anthology editing, education, and mentorship, including teaching horror and creative writing at the post-secondary level and founding the Speculative Fiction Academy to support emerging writers in the field. Across these efforts, the focus remains on psychological storytelling, genre scholarship, and strengthening the broader speculative fiction community.

SELECTED WORKS:

COLLABORATION: OPEN TO (Depending on project) –

• film projects
• anthology writing
• podcast appearances
• documentaries

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LOCATION: Türkiye

WEBSITE: https://www.youtube.com/@zehrakkuyu/featured

I AM HORROR DECLARATION: I have loved horror since my childhood, but I can’t specify when it started as a passion. I see horror as a way of coping with my own anxiety and the real-world traumas. Horror, especially slasher films, makes me feel ready and prepared for what comes next. As a chronic anxiety person, I always find it fascinating that horror can lead to a catharsis without actually being in danger. Especially folkloric tales tell a lot about how we think and cope with pain when something unexpected happens in our lives. I started telling stories 2 years ago on YouTube, but before that, I was always fascinated by horror and read a lot about it. I was the person in my social environment who always told stories that people found horrific. I’ve always been a horror fan, and I think I’ve always looked like it. I don’t see myself as just a consumer, but as a final girl, because of my own life experiences. Other genres sometimes feel joyful but not real, and yes, I find ghost stories more “real” than love stories. Because it tells a lot about our inner psychology, and when you take the curtain up, you see the reality. Fear is the most powerful feeling. It makes you closer to other people, but sometimes it protects you from the ones want to harm you. There is a lot to say about the passion for horror. These are the things that come to my mind as of now. I can specialize more than this, but I do not want to bother anyone. Stay spooky and be that final girl – or final boy who beats the monster at the end!

AREAS OF FOCUS: I specialize in folklore, cryptids, and paranormal-mythological stories. Other than that, I sometimes dig into missing 411 phenomena and talk about some horror movies while in live sessions, I read my own detective scenarios and create an interactive environment by asking my audience questions, like: who might be the murderer?

SELECTED WORKS:

COLLABORATION: (depends on project)

• film projects
• anthology writing
• podcast appearances
• documentaries
• consulting and sensitivity reading
• Master of Ceremonies or panel host

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LOCATION: US

WEBSITE: horrorincolor.com

I AM HORROR DECLARATION: Horror has always been a space where I could process and test the extent of our reality and creativity. Before I even had the language for it, I was drawn to that tension and wonder. Too many experiences made it clear, directly and indirectly, that people like me were often overlooked and rarely reflected in these stories. That disconnect stayed with me, but also sharpened my perspective and pushed my interest in becoming what I wanted to exist. My work began in 2008 as the founder of HauntHorror, focusing on preserving the history of haunt and horror while shaping the future of it by creating new experiences that represented diverse experiences. Whether as an actor, producer, or community organizer, I continued to move through various parts of the industry and identified constantly repeated patterns. That insight reinforced that horror is not passive, but a collective experience that lives in every element and needs to be reimagined. My background in immersive entertainment and community organizing eventually led to the creation of Horror In Color, an intersectional community dedicated to amplifying marginalized voices in horror. Since 2019, we’ve created a space where creators and audiences engage horror as both art and advocacy. For me, horror has become a language. An inescapable expression that has inevitably become part of my identity.

AREAS OF FOCUS: I specialize in creating and curating horror that engages identity and community. I focus on narrative and experiential horror that reflect how fear operates within real systems of power, and can empower culture and expression. This includes independent film production, live immersive experiences, and community spaces that showcase and amplify creators of diverse backgrounds.

SELECTED WORKS:

COLLABORATION: (OPEN TO)

• film projects
• podcast appearances
• documentaries
• visual art/illustration
• Master of Ceremonies or panel host

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LOCATION: US

WEBSITE: https://latrellrmorris.com↗

I AM HORROR DECLARATION: When I was younger, we used to sit at my aunt’s house and watch horror movies at night. That’s when I fell in love with the genre. I saw horror as a world completely opposite to my own. From creatures to ghosts. It felt like the ultimate imagination come to life. As I got older, I realized horrors can also be very much like real life. Horror allows me to blend both real-world horrors with the “creatures that live under your bed”. It’s always a shock to people when I tell them my favorite genre is horror. But when I get into the nitty-gritty of why, they slowly understand. In my written horrors, I like to take social dilemmas and turn them on their heads. I’ve written about racism, homophobia, and fat-phobia. I want to make people reexamine how they treat others and the out-of-this-world consequences of their actions, as well as to think, “What if we lived in a world where these consequences truly happened?” Creatures/monsters, ghosts, and supernatural beings are also prevalent in my stories. Horror just feels like no holds barred, and nothing is off the table when creating it.

AREAS OF FOCUS: I specialize in psychological/social horror with supernatural workings.

SELECTED WORKS: https://latrellrmorris.com/shortstories

COLLABORATION: (OPEN TO)

• film projects
• anthology writing
• podcast appearances
• documentaries
• consulting and sensitivity reading

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LOCATION: US

WEBSITE: https://msha.ke/thehorroradvocate/

I AM HORROR DECLARATION: Horror has always been everything to me: protector, anchor, best friend. For a long time, being a horror fan felt like an identity that was forced to wade in secret, but I was never good at hiding. As a Black woman in horror circles, there’s often an expectation that you must prove yourself on others’ terms, but my work and passion precede me. By the time I enter a room, what I know—and how deeply I know it—is already screaming. I loved horror when people said I was weird; I loved them through every blank stare I got from worshiping my passion out loud. I loved them when people questioned my commitment to the liberation of bodies and identities that are constantly being put in the crossfire – but I knew the truth. I loved horror when it wasn’t cool–unafraid to confront what’s lurking in the hearts and minds of other human beings – but instead of leaving you broken, horror always offers a map, a way through, a path to the other side of pain. Horrors’ power is the same power it’s begging us all to take on in our own lives. It doesn’t seek approval, soften its edges, or look away. Instead, it asks us to sit with fear, grief, and suffering and teaches us the value of witnessing another person’s pain without judgment or rejection. Loving horror has given me repeated, real-time encounters with empathy, a muscle strengthened through use. And in a world that often rewards detachment, that practice is what helps keep us human. The genre calls us to confront who we really are, or we’ll never see the forest through the trees. My work is about guiding people through that forest, translating terror into clarity and survival.

AREAS OF FOCUS: I’m an expert in slasher films from 1926-date, with a keen eye for the 1980 through 1983, Women in horror/slashers, Pre-code and silent-era horror films, Body horror, Canadian Horror films, Horror anthologies, The history of horror and social reform, How to read a horror film/Horror film literacy, Myth maps of final girls and black bodies in horror, From real life to screen: 1970s horror and the true face of american culture, Home invasion horror. B Horror, Third installment horror, and underrated/forgotten horror. To learn more about my work, you can review the original resources section of my website, which details my information-sharing philosophy, areas of concentration/expertise, and my original formula for reading horror films with depth and intention.

SELECTED WORKS: https://apthorroroutline.my.canva.site/the-horror-advocate-fund-2026

COLLABORATION: (OPEN TO)

• film projects
• anthology writing
• podcast appearances
• documentaries
• consulting and sensitivity reading

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LOCATION: US

WEBSITE: https://www.wanostudios.com/↗

I AM HORROR DECLARATION: What I really love about Horror is that it forces viewers to experience something with an even playing field: fear. We’re all scared together in fear of a greater threat. Whether it’s a slasher villain, a jump-scare moment, or a psychological reset, everyone in a theater or at home has the goal of surviving. Films like the ‘Insidious‘ Chapters really impacted me. It was the first film that I had seen where it left me questioning if I was actually awake or not. It gave me the fear of astral projecting and not knowing whether or not I could ever differentiate between ‘The Further’ and the real world. I credit the series as being one of the pivotal moments where I recognized my love of horror. I feel the most seen when horror is culturally influenced, like in ‘Lovecraft Country’, ‘His House’, ‘Sinners’, ‘Eve’s Bayou’, and ‘We All Can’t Die At Once’. When the threat is something that is culturally shared, the layers of fear feel even more grounded. Seeing Black women’s strength and perseverance in the midst of horror is both empowering and influential to my writing.

AREAS OF FOCUS: I specialize in Afro-Gothic psychological horror that engages Black American history through ancestral memory, historical references, and character-driven narratives.

SELECTED WORKS:

COLLABORATION: (OPEN TO)

• film projects

• podcast appearances

• documentaries

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LOCATION: US

WEBSITE: https://www.pmraymond.com/↗

I AM HORROR DECLARATION: As a native New Orleanian, my family ties in the Crescent City influence my writing. I create stories that incorporate Louisiana folklore. The horror genre is the perfect vehicle for telling stories that are meaningful to me and honor my history. I feel most connected to my Southern roots, no matter where I live. Writing against the unique backdrop of root work, spiritual traditions, and the distinct energy that is a hallmark of New Orleans adds a specific patina to all of my work. The themes I choose to showcase address intergenerational and societal issues, but my work is meant to be approachable and resonate with any reader. I don’t put boundaries around the final form my art might take. I am a short story writer, a novelist, and a screenwriter. I incorporate a bit of all the dark genres into my horror work. Crime noir, thriller, and suspense season my prose. Horror is a malleable craft that welcomes all ranges of expression. I thrive in spaces that allow me to grow and commit to words that serve the narrative, not a trend. Horror encourages me to explore other artistic forms. I credit it with my ability to shift into screenwriting with confidence, a medium that can also tell the stories I care about.

AREAS OF FOCUS: I specialize in dark genre blends with an emphasis on Southern gothic, crime noir, and psychological horror that incorporates Louisiana folklore.

SELECTED WORKS:

THINGS ARE AS THEY SHOULD BE And Other Words To Die For is an interconnected Southern Gothic noir journey from Reconstruction New Orleans to a present-day landscape of terror. Each story invests the reader in a setting and characters that traverse the fringes of the Louisiana swamps, pool halls in New Orleans, and attics filled with boxes of cherished memories, each tale patinaed with desperation and death.

COLLABORATION:

• film projects
• anthology writing
• podcast appearances
• academic collaboration
• documentaries

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LOCATION: US

WEBSITE: kaileakes.com

I AM HORROR DECLARATION: My relationship with horror is like a happenstance. Because I enjoy dark fantasy, sometimes the stories shape themselves in ways that lead me into the horror lane. This is shaped heavily by my rearing and love of reading folklore, myths, and my cinephile/TV love of some horror things…especially creepy kids and all things vampires. I was told my pararomance series, which I thought was strictly dark romance, was horror as well, and I thought, you know…it is. So horror reached out to me in my works. I didn’t reach out to it. This is why I don’t look like a horror fan, but once you read my works…you see it.

AREAS OF FOCUS: I work in the medium of Dark Fantasy, specifically with a focus on pararomance, and a mixture of urban fantasy, mythical, dark folklore, and dark tales that center on the Black American experience and our culture.

SELECTED WORKS:

COLLABORATION: (DEPENDS ON THE PROJECT)

• film projects
• anthology writing
• podcast appearances
• academic collaboration
• documentaries
• consulting and sensitivity reading
• visual art/illustration

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LOCATION: US

WEBSITE: https://www.kenyawrites.com

I AM HORROR DECLARATION: I decided as a teen that I wanted to write stories to empower young Black women like myself, and show us doing powerful and magical things. Such as fighting the monsters that I’d grown up hearing about, imagining, and in some form, seen around me. Writing horror stories allowed me to explore my imagination in a way that other genres didn’t, and it’s difficult to explain just WHY these types of stories were always so appealing to me. In the same way, I imagine one can’t explain why they might prefer to read about love and being swept off their feet by Prince Charming. The actual horrors that I’ve lived through are what feed my writing, and examining those – then writing them out – helps me face them and hopefully, help others face their monsters too.

AREAS OF FOCUS: My stories are around Black women challenging and confronting the dangers around us, more directly, love. One of my tag lines is, “What’s more terrifying than love?”

SELECTED WORKS:

COLLABORATION: (OPEN TO)

• anthology writing

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LOCATION: US

WEBSITE: https://www.tnaewilcox.net

I AM HORROR DECLARATION: I’ve always been a fan of ‘weird’ stories, and horror developed from there. As a child, I had lots of nightmares. I had to learn that being afraid was part of life and necessary for growing a thick skin. Horror is important. Horror with black characters is important. In my early years of writing, my feelings about writing black characters were conflicted. Black people were killed off early in the scary movies I’d seen, so I had a hard time casting them in my book. It wasn’t until I saw Get Out by Jordan Peele that my eyes were opened to how important it is to have characters who looked like me, my family, my friends…in the stories I told.

AREAS OF FOCUS: I frequently lean more towards supernatural storytelling, but there is a range. I’m more focused on the themes and topics that I want to touch on, then I decide how to frame it—what approach (haunted house, creature feature, etc) feels right to me.

SELECTED WORKS:

COLLABORATION: (DEPENDS ON THE PROJECT)

• film projects
• anthology writing
• podcast appearances
• academic collaboration
• documentaries
• consulting and sensitivity reading
• visual art/illustration
• Master of Ceremonies or panel host

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