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Announcement: PS Publishing and the British Fantasy Society’s Best Small Press Award
Posted by Paul Raven on March 30th, 2009 at 11:01
PS Publishing and the British Fantasy Society have an important announcement to make about the BFS Best Small Press Award. Here’s the press release, which should appear at the BFS website some time today:
For the past eight years PS Publishing has won the BFS Best Small Press award every year bar one (2005, when Elastic Press saw their hard work commended). Now, as the company reaches its tenth anniversary, Pete Crowther, PS founder and editor-in-chief has come to a decision: the company will no longer be eligible in the category.
“It wasn’t a decision made lightly,” he explains, “nor would I want anyone to think it represents an attitude of complacency on our part. When we started we published four books in a year; now that number is closer to forty. With the best will in the world, that’s not so small anymore! The support of the BFS membership has meant a great deal to us over those ten years but the time has come to stand to one side and instead help to acknowledge the great work being done by other imprints.”
With that in mind the BFS is joining forces with PS to rework the award. The PS Best Small Press Award will, as before, be voted on by the membership of the BFS and FantasyCon with the winner receiving not only their award but also a prize of £250 donated by PS.
“Running a small press can be a thankless and expensive task,” Pete comments. “Indeed, there have been many times for us when an extra £250 towards ever-increasing bills would have been a godsend. If our contribution helps in some albeit small way to maintain and promote the valuable work done by independent presses, then it will be money well-spent.”
I’ve spoken to Pete about this, and I know he’s very much looking forward to being able to support other small presses off the back of his continuing success with PS, as are the rest of us. We hope you’ll all play a part as well… by buying books from small presses, and by voting for them in the annual awards of whatever societies you are a member of!
March 30th, 2009 at 11:55 am
Highly commendable action, there. Well done PS!
March 30th, 2009 at 11:59 am
Bravo! It makes me even prouder to be published by you!
March 31st, 2009 at 12:40 pm
Pete and Nicky:
This is a *very* classy move on your part, highly commendable and admirable. Were that all publishers gifted with your class! Bravo!
May 9th, 2009 at 12:34 pm
FAO of the award organisers.
Have you a telephone number I could call to speak with you regarding a number of matters relating to the small press awards- John Robertson. WGC c/o 43, Chard Drive, Luton, LU3 4EQ
May 9th, 2009 at 5:41 pm
I think you need to speak to the BFS themselves, John; I expect you’ll find an email address for someone on the board .