The Welsh capital received an horrific visitation last weekend in the shape of Scardiff, ” the first Cardiff horror expo,” and a celebration of “all things horror: books, comics, movies, cosplay, the works.” And according to attendees, Cardiff Masonic Hall was overrun by a zombie-like horde of attendees, foaming with rabid enthusiasm for the events and attractions.

The program at Scardiff included “horror-themed cosplay comps with prizes and custom-made trophies,” an SFX scareoff, tabletop gaming, a low-budget filmmaking workshop, and – last but not least for budding horror writers – “a live pitching session for budding novelists, led by Scott Harrison (Snowbooks, Big Finnish), featuring Adam Nevill (Harper Collins, Virgin Books), Christopher Teague (Pendragon Press) and magazine editor/literary agent Dan Coxon.” Feedback from the official Scardiff Twitter stream ranged from “had such a great time today” through “wicked day” to “the friendliest convention I’ve been to.” Scardiff themselves Tweeted: “Wow. @SCARdiffUK 2014 exceeded our expectations. Thanks to our traders/ guests/ punters. And @CardiffMasonic for having us.”

Star UK horror writer Adam Nevill, in attendance at the horrific happenings for a Waterstones-backed book signing, described this for TeleRead as: “A vibrant, colourful and exciting celebration of horror culture in all media. A unique event for the UK and more than deserving of support. Run by enthusiasts for enthusiasts.” With this kind of support and across-the-board endorsement, it looks like Scardiff is definitely a fixture for the UK calendar – especially if they can continue to hold down advance ticket prices to the ludicrously low – and terrifically symbolic – level of £6.66 ($10.75).

“Excellent to see an event this eclectic supported by so many people,” Nevill concluded. “It’s much broader than books, and horror itself doesn’t play second fiddle to anything else, and nor does it have to explain itself.”

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