Oh, yes – we realize this page is woefully stale and hope to update with the myriad coverage we’ve received over the past near-decade since 2013. So much has transpired since, but we only have so much time on our hands — anyone feeling the itch to help us gather our media from prior years, please message us!
2022
The 2022 NecronomiCon Providence convention received some superb press from paper, web, and radio, and both locally and globally. Here are a few of the best pieces.
A Festival That Conjures the Magic of H.P. Lovecraft and Beyond (New York Times, 08/28/2022)
“At the Rhode Island event, revelers danced to murder ballads and celebrated all things weird. They even found time to reckon with the writer’s racism.”
“The volume and variety of the programming was enough to make your head spin like Regan MacNeil’s. There were also film screenings, readings, concerts, live podcasts, walking tours of Lovecraft’s Providence, an art exhibit and theatrical performances. There was even a mushroom jaunt in a nearby park, in tribute to the recurrence of things fungal in Lovecraft’s fiction.” – by Elizabeth Vincentelli
Wodehouse, Lovecraft and yes, Gary Larson: This summer, I read widely (Washington Post, 09/07/2022)
“The stars were right for a quick visit to Providence, R.I., to attend NecronomiCon, that nonpareil celebration of weird fiction. With roughly 2,000 attendees, it’s far more intimate than Washington’s National Book Festival or the comics-focused Awesome Con. There were tours of H.P. Lovecraft’s haunts, B-movie horror films, author readings, a room for gamers, a dealer’s hall (where I bought a medallion inscribed ‘Cthulhu Waits’), and scores of panels on, for example, the work of Shirley Jackson and Clive Barker and the preservation of pulp magazines.” – by Michael Dirda
The NecronomiCon Unites the Weird in Providence (Providence Monthly, 09/30/2022)
“The biannual NecronomiCon Providence, inspired in part by horror writer and native son H.P. Lovecraft, once again brought together authors and artists from around the world to celebrate the ‘weird’ genre – an offshoot of supernatural horror fiction. The four-day festival explores the past and future of the genre via talks, panel discussions, readings, and workshops.” – by Hugh Minor
2013
COVER STORIES IN
NecronomiCon Providence 2013 received much exciting press coverage across the Internet and in print around the world. An Associated Press article about the convention appeared in dozens of national and international publications, including the Daily Mail of the U.K., the Japan Times, and the Huffington Post, to name a few.
Closer to home, the Providence Phoenix and Motif Magazine devoted issues to the topic of H.P. Lovecraft and featured the convention on their covers, while Providence Monthly included NecronomiCon organizers in its annual “Superlatives” issue. The Providence Journal, Rhode Island Monthly, and East Side Monthly each covered the convention in several articles. Additional coverage included two nationally broadcast radio interviews on NPR and appearances on WPRI’s The Rhode Show.
Providence Kindles Love Of Horror Writer H.P. Lovecraft (National Public Radio, 10/31/2013)
“Pulp-fiction writer Howard Phillips “H.P.” Lovecraft has for decades terrified an underground following of readers with horror stories about monsters and aliens. He’s known to some as a bad writer, and to many as a racist. Even during the author’s lifetime, his readership was limited. But now, thanks mostly to social media, this old name in sci-fi horror is getting new attention from a growing fan base. Lovecraft’s hometown of Providence, R.I., is trying to capitalize on this rising star.”
Artscape: Providence Loves HP Lovecraft (National Public Radio, 10/31/2013)
“… People from New Zealand, Europe, and Central America came to the conference, which pumped some $600,000 into the economy. Now Providence is catering to Lovecraft fans: there’s an official HP Lovecraft Memorial Square, the historical society is working on markers for walking tours, and conference organizer Niels Hobbs said, if you want a virtual tour of H.P. Lovecraft’s Providence – there’s an app for that.” https://soundcloud.com/necronomicon-pvd/artscape-providence-loves-hp-lovecraft
The Lovecraft Lovefest (East Side Monthly, 10/1/2013)
“…It excited the attendees. It certainly provided both a creative and economic stimulus to the city. And best of all, it has the makings of a replicable event for Lovecraftians in the future. Kudos to all concerned for creating a wonderful week’s worth of events and demonstrating what can happen when our city, tourism and the arts communities get together and are allowed to do their thing.”
Ocean Statement (Providence Phoenix, 9/5/2013) “The recent NecronomiCon fest in honor of the late locally sourced horror, fantasy, and sci-fi author H.P. Lovecraft has wrapped up, but a lingering echo is ‘Ars Necronomica,’ at Brown University’s Granoff Center (154 Angell St., Providence, through September 13). It showcases deliciously creepy paintings and drawings …”
Waking the Old Ones: NecronomiCon Providence 2013 (Fangoria, 9/3/2013)
“Over a long, humid weekend, the fourth edition of the H.P. Lovecraft convention known as NecronomiCon Providence welcomed hundreds of guests, some which came from such faraway places as the U.K., California, Toronto, and Abu Dhabi. Organized by the Lovecraft Arts & Sciences Council with support from the City of Providence and Dark Dunes Productions, the event spanned four days, two hotels, two theaters, the Providence Athenaeum, two art galleries, a restaurant, a rock club, and not one, but two hotels.”
Lovecraft Fans and Scholars Gather for NecronomiCon Providence 2013 (Publishers Weekly, 8/29/13)
“August 22 marked the official start of the largest convention ever devoted to horror writer H.P. Lovecraft (1890-1937). Some 1,200 of his acolytes started arriving that day in his hometown of Providence, R.I., according to Niels-Viggo Hobbs, arch-director of the Lovecraft Arts & Sciences Council and the convention’s host. That afternoon S.T. Joshi, the world’s leading Lovecraft scholar and one of the guests of honor, gave the keynote address at the First Baptist Church, where Lovecraft briefly went to Sunday school …”
H.P. Lovecraft Returns to Providence (Providence Journal, 8/29/2013)
“The Lovecraft phenomenon that has returned to Providence is far larger, and perhaps even more eerie, than most of Rhode Island could imagine before last week’s celebration of the renowned horror writer’s life and work — called the NecronomiCon, after Lovecraft’s fictitious bible. At last Thursday’s convocation in the First Baptist Church (whose teachings Lovecraft renounced as a boy of 8), speakers vaunted his fame, which may be eerie above all because it is so little recognized in his home state.”
I Am Providence, And I Am Weird: A Dispatch from NecronomiCon 2013 (East Side Monthly, 8/26/2013)
“I moved to Providence eight years ago, and unfortunately I still know nothing about nor have read anything written by one of this city’s cultural icons, HP Lovecraft, the weird fiction author. His works and his life are inextricably linked to Providence, in that they were all mainly set here amongst its colonial, Georgian and Victorian buildings, its ancient, winding streets and roads, and in its rich, checkered history. And so it was on a recent sultry August evening that I found myself at the First Baptist Church to attend the opening reception of NecronomiCon 2013 … for the purpose of learning something about the man and the people who love him and his work.”
Have You Met HP? (Providence Phoenix, 8/23/ 2013)
“If you live in Rhode Island in 2013, it is increasingly inexcusable not to know H.P. Lovecraft. We don’t mean ‘know’ Howard Phillips Lovecraft, personally; the man The New York Review of Books once dubbed ‘The King of Weird’ has been dead 76 years. And we’re not even suggesting you have to be a fan of the author, whose stories can lead readers into dank, fetid, underground spaces or the depths of madness, and often feature slimy, murderous aliens, sea creatures, and/or reanimated corpses.”
Exhibits, Big Nazo at WaterFire this Weekend (The Rhode Show, WPRI, 8/23/2013)
WaterFire’s Barnaby Evans discusses his collaboration with the Lovecraft Arts & Sciences Council for NecronomiCon Providence.
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I Am Providence (Opinion: Providence Journal, 8/23/2013
“… We welcome Lovecraft’s devotees to the city, for a love of Lovecraft is very much a love for Providence. His gravestone at Swan Point Cemetery is famously inscribed, “I am Providence.”
Hundreds Converge on Providence to Celebrate Author HP Lovecraft (Rhode Island Public Radio, 8/22/13)
“Some 1,000 fans of author HP Lovecraft are converging on Providence for a gathering starting Thursday and running through the weekend. The event, called NecronomiCon, is designed to celebrate the life and works of the author who crossed science fiction with horror stories. Lovecraft was born on Providence’s east side, and Phil Eil of the Providence Phoenix wrote a story about the author and the gathering, he joins Rhode Island Public Radio’s Dave Fallon to talk about Lovecraft’s mark on Providence.”
NecronomiCon Honors H.P. Lovecraft (The Rhode Show, WPRI, 8/22/2013)
Anthony Geremia, one of the convention’s organizers, talks with the Rhode Show about Lovecraft’s appeal.
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HP Lovecraft Keynote Address Presented by WaterFire Providence and NecronomiCon (Ignite Providence, 8/22/2013)
“Lovecraft scholar S.T. Joshi, church historian Stanley Lemons, Mayor Angel Taveras welcome all to Lovecraft’s city, and to NecronomiCon Providence 2013. In partnership with WaterFire, this very special public event will be held in one of Lovecraft’s favorite buildings in Providence…”
Lovecraft’s Providence, Real and Unreal (Providence Journal, 8/22/2013)
“This week marks the 123rd birthday of H.P. Lovecraft. He is the writer of horror tales who lived almost entirely in this city, where a major celebration of his life and work begins today.”
Art Exhibits Celebrate the Life and Literature of H.P. Lovecraft (The Providence Journal, 8/22/2013) “If you’re feeling more existential dread than usual this week, there’s a reason: Today marks the beginning of NecronomiCon Providence, a four-day celebration of the life and work of horror author H.P. Lovecraft. To create the proper sense of fear and foreboding, organizers have mounted three separate exhibits featuring prints, paintings and other artwork inspired by Lovecraft’s stories.”
Ars Necronomica: Lovecraft Exhibition Opening Receptions (Ignite Providence, 8/22/2013)
“Providence Art Club and Brown University’s Cohen Gallery opening receptions, showcasing the myriad influences Lovecraft’s work has had on artists around the world. Come and feast on the singular collection of art the convention organizers have amassed. The official convention openings for two of the exhibitions are located at Brown’s Cohen Gallery and the Providence Art Club’s Dodge House. Free and open to the public.”
A Celebration of H.P. Lovecraft (Barrington Times, 8/21/2013)
“… NecronomiCon organizers hope this event will bring a greater awareness of the life and legacy of this talented storyteller … According to Barnaby Evans, executive artistic director of WaterFire Providence, which is working closely with NecronomiCon, ‘We are proud to celebrate one of our most famous authors alongside his legions of fans from around the world.’”
Class Creates Lovecraft Tour (News from Brown, 8/21/ 2013)
”… an augmented reality walking tour of Providence inspired by the vision of horror writer H.P. Lovecraft. ‘The Call of Lovecraft’ will be officially unveiled at the Aug. 24 WaterFire in downtown Providence, as part of a week-long series of Lovecraft-inspired events that are taking place in conjunction with NecronomiCon 2013 …”
NEWS: 10 Things You Didn’t Know about H.P. Lovecraft (WPRO News, 8/21/2013)
“The 2013 Providence NecronomiCon kicks off today in Providence to honor the late H.P. Lovecraft. Born in Providence, Lovecraft left behind works of horror, weird fiction and poetry. You can learn a lot about Lovecraft’s life, work and legacy here, but here are some fast facts about this famous Rhode Island author: ”
NecronomiCon to Celebrate Horror Writer Lovecraft (ABC News, 8/20/2013)
“… Lovecraft’s fans want to give the writer his due, and this month are holding what they say is the largest celebration ever of his work and influence. It’s billed the ‘NecronomiCon,’ named after a Lovecraft creation: a book that was so dark and terrible that a person could barely read a few pages before going insane. The Aug. 22-25 convention is being held in Providence, where he lived and died — poor and obscure — at age 46 in 1937.”
The Horror Writer Whose Stories Influenced Stephen King’s Novels… (Daily Mail, 8/19/2013)
“If you’ve enjoyed the works of Stephen King, seen the films ‘Alien’ or ‘Prometheus,’ or heard about the fictional Arkham Asylum in ‘Batman,’ thank H.P. Lovecraft, the early 20th century horror writer whose work has been an inspiration to others for nearly a century. The mythos Lovecraft created in stories such as ‘The Call of Cthulhu,’ ‘The Case of Charles Dexter Ward’ and ‘At the Mountains of Madness,’ has reached its tentacles deep into popular culture, so much that his creations and the works they inspired may be better known than the Providence writer himself.”
Lovecraft Fans to Celebrate His Work and Influence (The Boston Globe, 8/19/2013)
“ … ‘When you walk the streets of Providence, especially College Hill, his old neighborhood, you can see Lovecraft’s Providence. It’s simply everywhere,’ he said. Even so, many Providence residents have no idea of Lovecraft’s connection with the city and his importance in literature. … His fans hope to change that with this week’s conference, which will include walking tours of Lovecraft’s old haunts, the unveiling of a new Lovecraft bust at one of his favorite spots, the Providence Athenaeum, and panel discussions on Lovecraft’s work …”
Lovecraft Fans Gather in His Home Town (The Providence Journal, 9/18/2013)
NecronomiCon: Pour l’amour de Lovecraft et de l’horreur (AtuaLitté, 8/19/2013)
Du 22 au 25 août prochains, ceux qui auront entendu l’appel se rendront à Providence, capitale de l’État américain de Rhode Island nous rapporte l’AP. Dans cette ville où H.P Lovecraft a vécu jusqu’à sa mort en 1937, se tiendra une convention organisée par ses fans, et baptisée en l’honneur du manuscrit mythique.
Festival to Draw Fans of Horror Legend H.P. Lovecraft to his Home Turf(Providence Journal, 8/18/2013)
“If you believe the official accounts, horror writer H.P. Lovecraft died 76 years ago in 1937. Yet in a plot twist worthy of one of Lovecraft’s supernatural tales, the Providence-born author’s reputation continues to grow even from beyond the grave. Consider these recent signs of a Lovecraft revival: One of Lovecraft’s biggest fans, Stephen King, is on a roll this summer, with a new book (Joyland) and a hit television series (“Under the Dome”). In interviews, King has repeatedly praised Lovecraft, calling him “the greatest horror writer of the 20th century.”
NecronomiCon to Celebrate H.P. Lovecraft (Huffington Post, 8/18/2013)
“… Lovecraft said several times he could not live anywhere but Providence, a sentiment reflected in the gravestone his fans put up decades after his death: ‘I AM PROVIDENCE,’ a line they took from letters he wrote. The grave in a city cemetery is often visited today by fans, who leave trinkets or notes behind.”
Cthulhu’s Call Still Echoes (Motif Magazine, 8/1/2013)
“…I think Providence, as a city, is finally starting to wake up to the realization that Lovecraft is a major asset for the city – both financially, with a global canvas, and culturally, as our very own literary star. As the fame of Lovecraft begins to reach into the stratosphere, with rumors of ever-increasing pop culture prominence (Guillermo del Toro and Alan Moore), Providence will do well to claim this fame all for itself!”
NecronomiCon Rising (Motif Magazine, 8/1/2013)
“So what happens at a NecronomiCon? The weekend of August 22-25 looks to be chock full of events related to HP Lovecraft – some more tangentially than others – with some entrys aimed at the hard-core fan, and others at the casually curious.”
Haunted Homecoming; It’s time for H.P. Lovecraft to come home (Rhode Island Monthly 8/1/2013)
“Howard Phillips Lovecraft, the cultish crafter of wonderfully strange tales, was born on Angell Street in Providence in 1890, but some fear he’s been forgotten in his native city. The city was where he wrote much of his best work, including what is perhaps his most famous story, ‘The Call of Cthulhu.’ That’s why H.P. Lovecraft, the progenitor of a genre known as ‘weird fiction,’ will enjoy a homecoming of sorts this summer when the Lovecraft Arts and Sciences Council presents NecronomiCon Providence…”
Most Well-Read: NecronimiCon Providence (Providence Monthly, July 2013)
“…So, he and some fellow Lovecraft fans have plotted a grand welcome home for a local author whose works have been celebrated in places as far away as Phoenix, Arizona and Stockholm, Sweden. There will be panels, talks, walking tours, gallery showings, movie screenings, the unveiling of a bronze bust, and collaborations with WaterFire, the Athenaeum and the Rhode Island Historical Society. With over 1,000 attendees anticipated, NecronomiCon could be the biggest Lovecraft gathering in New England, if not the world.”
H.P. Lovecraft to be Honored in Providence, Rhode Island (Dread Central, 5/3/2013)
“Elder gods be praised! The legendary H.P. Lovecraft is going to be honored with a stellar bronze bust in Providence, Rhode Island, in just a few short months. This delights us to no end.”
New Lovecraft Convention Rises in Providence (Rue Morgue Issue #133, May 2013)
“It may have been his birthplace and home for virtually his entire life, but H.P. Lovecraft hasn’t had much presence in Providence, Rhode Island. There are no statues, no streets named after him, no events celebrating his work. But that’s changing thanks to NecronomiCon, a brand-new convention being held in Providence this August 23 to 25.”
Providence Unveils Long Overdue Lovecraft Statue (Brutal As Hell, 3/16/2013)
“… The saving grace for turning this idea into a reality came in the form of Niels Hobbs. Niels and his amazing team are hosting the aptly named ‘NecronomiCon’ convention for HPL fans in Providence, Rhode Island in August, 2013. Niels knew how to get to the right people and sure enough, he made it happen with the astoundingly generous Alison Maxell of the Providence Athenaeum Library, which Lovecraft actually visited!”
In the Footsteps of New England Horror’s Dark Prince (Journal Inquirer, 3/17/2013)
“’Searchers after horror haunt strange, far places,’ wrote Howard Phillips (H.P.) Lovecraft, but increasingly, those searchers are haunting the crowded, historic streets of Providence, looking for Lovecraft himself.”
H.P. Lovecraft Gets His Due (Providence Phoenix, 3/15/2013)
“I’m generally up to my armpits in the creepiest, slimiest, nastiest kind of critters that the ocean produces,” Niels Hobbs says. We’re discussing Hobbs’s work as a freelance marine biologist who patrols the coastlines of Rhode Island and Massachusetts, studying invasive species. But it’s not much of a leap to his interest in — and fierce advocacy for — Providence’s most famous literary figure: horror writer H.P. Lovecraft.”
NecronomiCon Returns H.P. Lovecraft Festival to Providence, RI (Examiner.com, 1/5/2013)
“Kickstarter has once again changed a hobby industry, helping launch a H.P. Lovecraft-themed convention in the author’s hometown of Providence, RI. The Kickstarter, which has four days to go, passed its goal of $16,000 and currently passed all of its stretch goals at the $25,000 mark. The Kickstarter will pay for printing/advertising (T-shirts, posters, flyers, print and web adverts), and venues (particularly down payments and deposits on meeting halls, art galleries, etc).”