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 over 650 members who write everything from mainstream fiction to local history. Its annual convention occurs each June. For the convention, 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, the moment when the 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.