The NOPRIZE AWARD

The NOPRIZE award will be given out twice a year for excellence in the western genre. There's no pretty little statue to display, no certificate to hang on the wall - in fact the NOPRIZE is basically a kudos thing - a way for western fans to thank the winners for all they've done for the genre. Details of the categories and of how to vote will be given here soon and I do hope western fans everywhere will cast a vote. Basically the NOPRIZE is intended to be a bit of fun and although there is no physical prize it'll be great for any writer to know that people like their work so much as to vote for it.

And so to start the ball rolling I would like to give a honoury NOPRIZE to publisher, John Hale for his sterling work with the Black Horse Range. If it wasn't for Hale there would be no British westerns at all and the publishing house has supported the genre for many many years. Of course this last year has seen the books starting to get more and more attention and many BHW writers, myself included, have seen their work reviewed on blogs, websites and in newspapers and magazines. Once the BHW range were only available in the UK but they are starting to gain in popularity across the seas, especially in the spiritual home of the genre, the USA. If one man deserves congratulations for this then it is Mr Hale himself who has bucked the trend of the market place by sticking with the genre through thick and thin.

And so on behalf of western writers and fans everywhere The Archive says a big, "Thank you" to Mr Hale who undoubtedly deserves his NOPRIZE award.