Bio

FOR MEDIA USE

No photo credit needed.

Short Bio
J.W. Ocker is a nationally bestselling, Edgar-winning author of macabre travelogues, spooky kid’s books, and horror novels. His books include A Season with the Witch, Twelve Nights at Rotter House, The Black Slide, and Cursed Objects. Ocker lives in New Hampshire. Visit him at oddthingsiveseen.com.

Long Bio
J.W. Ocker is a national-bestselling, award-winning author of macabre travelogues, spooky kid’s books, and horror novels. His nonfictions books include The New England Grimpendium and The New York Grimpendium (both Lowell Thomas Award winners), Poe-Land: The Hallowed Haunts of Edgar Allan Poe (Edgar Award winner), A Season with the Witch: The Magic and Mayhem of Halloween in Salem, Massachusetts, and Cursed Objects: Strange But True Stories of the World's Most Infamous Items. His novels for kids include Death and Douglas, The Smashed Man of Dread End, and The Black Slide.

Ocker is also the creator of OTIS: Odd Things I've Seen (oddthingsiveseen.com), where he chronicles his visits to thousands of oddities of culture, art, nature, and history across the country and world with photos, articles, and through Odd Things I've Seen: The Podcast. His work has appeared on or in CNN.com, The Atlantic, Rue Morgue, the Boston Globe, The Guardian, TIME, and other places people stick writing. Ocker is from Maryland but has lived in New Hampshire for more than a decade.

Awards
Edgar Award (Mystery Writers of America)
Lowell Tomas Gold Award (Society of American Travel Writers)
Lowell Thomas Silver Award (Society of American Travel Writers)
Cryptozoologist of the Year 2024

Nominations
Macavity Award (Mystery Readers International)
Anthony Award (Bouchercon)
Silver Falchion (Killer Nashville)