Galway writer takes top prize at World Fantasy Convention in Brighton

Tuam writer and University of Galway graduate Maura McHugh, who writes prose, theatre, film/TV, video games, non-fiction and comic books, won the 2025 World Fantasy Award in the category of Best Short Fiction for her story, Raptor.

The short story appeared in the anthology Heartwood, edited by Dan Coxon – which in turn won the 2025 World Fantasy Award in the Best Anthology category.

“I'm thrilled and honoured that the jury selected 'Raptor' as the recipient of this year's World Fantasy Award from such a distinguished group of nominees. I'm grateful to my editor Dan Coxon and my publisher PS Publishing for their faith and encouragement,” said a delighted Maura.

The winners were selected from an international field, with the jury reading over 500 titles in order to pick their favourites for the year.

The awards were announced at the World Fantasy Awards Ceremony in Brighton at the start of November, during the World Fantasy Convention.

Maura, who came to Galway as a child when her parents Pádraig and Margaret moved home to establish a pub in Tuam, is also a sister of Anne McHugh, who lost her life in the Twin Tower attacks on September 11 2001.

She now lives in Kilcolgan and writes across a variety of media – including prose, theatre, film/TV, video games, non-fiction and comic books.

It’s not her first big success because her short story ‘Bone Mother’ was adapted into a stop-motion animated short film by the Canadian Film Board; she also writes comics for American and European publishers and is the lead writer on the point-and-click video game, Jennifer Wilde.

Maura graduated from what was then NUIG with a B.A. in English and History, followed by a M.A. in Irish Gothic. After living and working in New York and Dublin, she returned to Galway and combined her love of cinema and writing by studying for a Diploma in Film Studies followed by a M.A. in Screenwriting at the Huston School of Film & Digital Media.

Shortly afterwards she was accepted into the prestigious Clarion West Writers Workshop in Seattle, USA – a seven-week residential intensive, aimed at fostering professional writing careers in science fiction and fantasy. She was the recipient of Clarion West’s Gordon R. Dickson Scholarship that year.

She also appears regularly on RTÉ Radio 1’s arts/culture show Arena discussing pop culture.

The World Fantasy Awards are one of most prestigious honours in the field of fantasy literature. Established in 1975, these awards are presented annually at the World Fantasy Convention to recognise outstanding achievements in fantasy fiction and art published during the previous calendar year.

Pictured: Award winner... Maura McHugh.