Western Writers

Western Writers of America, Inc., was founded in 1953 to promote the literature of the American West and bestow Spur Awards for distinguished writing in the Western field. The founders were largely authors who wrote traditional Western fiction, but the organization swiftly expanded to include historians and other nonfiction authors, young adult and... romance writers, and writers interested in regional history. Today it has more than 650 members who write everything from mainstream fiction to local history. Its annual convention occurs each June where members, guests, editors, and agents gather together to renew friendships, do business, attend panels, go on field trips, and conduct the organization's business. Each convention concludes with the Spur Awards banquet when WWA honors those who win the coveted awards. WWA actively helps its members promote their books and articles, and aggressively promotes the literature of the American West, which it considers this country's unique contribution to world literature. Literature of the West for the World® describes the collective product of WWA members. Western literature ranges far and wide across Western America. From traditional western fiction to penetrating historical analysis, from yesterday to today, from mysteries to biographies, from romance to short stories, from screen writing to documentary writing, from poems to songs. Our members seek to uncover new facts, deal with new issues, seek more understanding, and offer more for readers to enjoy. The "Western," as a term is, in and of itself, misleading to some. The Western is adventure, mystery, romance and more. It is yesterday, today and tomorrow. In a phrase, it is the literature of America's soul. In fact, the Western is America's only unique brand of literature, now enjoyed throughout the world.Read More