Posted on 17 August 2015
The Twilight of the Gothic? Vampire Fiction and the Rise of the Paranormal Romance by Joseph Crawford has been announced as the winner of the Allan Lloyd Smith Memorial Prize - an international prize for gothic criticism.
Announced as part of the International Gothic Association’s (IGA) biannual conference in Vancouver, the book, which is published by the University of Wales Press (UWP), was one of four titles on the shortlist in the monograph category.
One of 22 titles in the Press’ critically acclaimed Gothic Literary Studies (GLS) series, edited by Dr Andrew Smith and Professor Benjamin F. Fisher, the prize builds on the achievements of the widely respected series, which enjoyed similar success when Isabella van Elferen’s Gothic Music: the Sounds of the Uncanny won the prize in 2013.
Speaking about the series and the achievements of those involved, Sarah Lewis, Commissioning Editor of the UWP said:
“Seeking to publish titles which are both academically rigorous and informed by the latest developments in critical theory, GLS provides an important focus for scholarly developments in Gothic studies, literary studies, cultural studies and critical theory. I would like to congratulate Joseph Crawford, and also thank the series editors for their support, vision and expert stewardship of this excellent series.”
Dr Andrew Smith, one of the series editors, added:
“The book makes an important contribution to our understanding of the Gothic tradition by exploring how certain popular Gothic forms, such as the Twilight series, can be connected to an earlier Gothic tradition. The book is impressive in its historical range and in its exploration of American popular culture from the 1970s onwards. GLS is committed to publishing innovative original research into the field and we are delighted that books in the series have won consecutive Allan Lloyd Smith prizes.”
The IGA unites teachers, scholars, students, artists, writers and performers from around the world who are interested in any aspect of gothic culture. The world's leading association dedicated to the study of the Gothic, it promotes the study and dissemination of information on gothic culture from the mid eighteenth century to the contemporary moment. Established in 2011 as a memorial to the founding President of the IGA, the Allan Lloyd Smith Memorial Prize is considered to be a prestigious and internationally recognised award.