Every other year in August, fans of H.P. Lovecraft gather in Providence for NecronomiCon, an international convention of weird fiction, art, and academia. Lovecraft lived most of his life here in Providence and is buried in Swan Point Cemetery where “I Am Providence” is inscribed on his gravestone. So, while the events at the convention include a variety of topics and authors, it is the life and work of Providence’s best-known fantasy and horror author, Howard Phillips Lovecraft, that provide the backdrop for the walking tours. Tickets can sell out. From the organizers of Lovecraft’s College Hill:
We’re very proud to offer four walking tours of Lovecraft’s College Hill, led by some very well-versed Lovecraftian scholars and local guides, and organized by Lovecraftian geographer Donovan Loucks. These tours will lead you past Lovecraft’s last two homes as well as over 30 sites described in “The Shunned House“, “The Call of Cthulhu“, The Case of Charles Dexter Ward, and “The Haunter of the Dark“. Each tour takes up two programming slots (3 hours) and costs $15 per person. Tours depart from the lobby of the Graduate Providence Hotel. For more information about our walking tours, check the “Walking Tours” page on the NecronomiCon-Providence site.
Four tours have been scheduled: two with Rory Raven, (reads minds, leads tours, writes books) and one each with Jason Eckhardt and Donovan Loucks. Originally from Providence, Raven used to perform his mentalist act around town and it was pretty damn good and frequently funny. He relocated to Salem several years ago. Mr. Eckhardt is an author and artist who seems overly qualified for this assignment.
Mr. Loucks I can recommend personally. I am not a big Lovecraft reader, but I do like architecture and history and Mr. Loucks was always entertaining and informative. He is the creator of the HP Lovecraft Archive and really knows his stuff.
NecronomiCon is brought to you by the Lovecraft Arts and Sciences Council, located downtown in the Arcade. Big thanks to founder Niels Viggo and his cohort for creating this event which exceeded all expectations from the start. Locals had not quite grasped the size and international scope of Lovecraft’s fan base, which includes Stephen King and Guillermo del Toro.
Originally a convention built around the works of local writer, H.P. Lovecraft, the convention expands beyond to embrace all creators, thinkers, and fans of every aspect of the genre, classical and contemporary, and includes creative writing, exposition, academia, 2d and 3d art, film, gaming, etc. We welcome a diverse weird community of attendees from over twenty countries and all backgrounds.
Go here for tickets for the walking tours. And yes, there will be hills. Wear sensible shoes.
(Correction: This is the John Mawney House on Benefit Street. Thank you Mr. Loucks!)
$15, Lovecraft Walking Tours, NecronomiCon, August 15-18